I, for one, can't wait.

Is there any reason to watch this? I hadn't been to see Big United play in three years, since Unky Malc took over, but I went to last season's community shield. I took a South African mate of mine, who's a United fan (it wasn't G-Man) and who'd always wanted to see them play. It was, errr, shite. It made me realise how little I miss top level football. It was also really, really camp - loads of tattooed men with their shirts off, gesticulating at each other, and swearing. I hadn't realised how gay football could be until that day.

Anyway, Crouch and Defoe, classic big man little man partnership. 'Appy 'Arry getting one over his mate Sir Alex, the wily Scot. Manchester United striker crisis. Traditional curtain raiser, etc etc.

I just hope that the right sided teenage ninja turtle plays. He looked quite promising against Peterborough and Juventus, and I'd like to see him against PL opposition. Even if it's only in the CS.

It can't really be the curtain-raiser if it takes place after the season has already started.

There's proper football to watch and talk about. Why would anyone be interested in this?

The Charity Shield, along with the League Cup Final, FA Cup Final, England Internationals and European Cup Finals, used to be the only games shown live on TV back in the prehistoric days before Sky TV. It was a much bigger deal being in it in those days, for that reason alone - the Charity Shield of 1979, when Liverpool beat Arsenal 3-1, was the only time they played live on TV that year, even though they were champions, and I think the Charity Shield of 1981 was one of only two games Aston Villa played live on TV in the whole of the 1980s (along with the European Cup Final at the end of that season).

I've always thought it should be revamped into an "All-Star" game, though, a bit like they do in American sports. You could have, say, a "GB select" v a "World select", each drawn from players based in the Premiership. Or maybe "North" v "South", or something.

why have both teams got the england badge on their sleeves

gone to pens

why no ET?

He got a lift back home.

Manchester United won on penalties.

Normally I wouldn't care who won as I have never found this Shield of any interest. However, the Head of my Department always used to support Liverpool (not that he's ever been to Anfield) but recently he's switched his 'allegience' to Portsmouth, sometime around March/April (hmmm). No doubt he'll be back supporting Liverpool once the season kicks off again. Grrrr.

it's always a mystery to me how someone like Darren Fletcher can delicately chip the ball against the underside of the cross bar from outside the box, yet fall over with the ball at his feet 4 metres from the goal.

That was a very very slow game. There was a statistic sometime around the three quarter mark that said that paul scholes had made 59 passes, and completed 55 of them. It was a lot of tippy tappy. I was impressed that the ref missed hreidarsson grabbing tevez around the calf for that penalty, and equally impressed that he missed tevez shoving Hermann in the throat.

What a dreadful set of penalties by Portsmouth.

Rather than going straight to penalties, the game should have gone to a replay at a neutral venue (such as Eastlands) on Thursday night. This would have assisted in raising the Shield's profile.

As noted above, part of the problem with the Shield is that it is no longer a curtain raiser, with all domestic leagues bar the Premier having kicked off one day previously. I feel the Football League should seize the initiative and launch its own 'Coca-Cola Championship Community Shield', to be played on the last weekend in July between the losing play-off finalists and the team who finished 18th in the Premier League. This game could be held at a neutral venue (the Ricoh Arena would be ideal).

Welcome 88888888888888- good, snappy name you've got there.

Good to irony is alive and well (and living in Coventry?).

Thank you Ant.

I shamefully skipped my Canaries trip to the soulless megabowl that is the Nou Camp of the Midlands yesterday, with the predictable opening day capituluation sadly having to take place without me.

A combination of rail engineering works, the credit crunch and the fact that it is a terrible away day meant that I elected to spent the afternoon instead slunk in the corner of the Foundry in Old Street, quaffing Pitfield's Eco Warrior.

I think they they should play it as two legged affair — first game closes one season, second opens the next. Like they did when it was Football League champs v Southern League winners back when I were a lad.

''I've always thought it should be revamped into an "All-Star" game, though, a bit like they do in American sports. You could have, say, a "GB select" v a "World select", each drawn from players based in the Premiership. Or maybe "North" v "South", or something.''

not sure you would be able to get anywhere near a decent capacity at Wembley for a game like this unless prices were kept to a minimum which doesnt fit with the current corporate orthodoxy...best get two sets of club fans who are more or less guaranteed to fill the place despite the disinterest of everybody else...

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

QUOTE:


I've always thought it should be revamped into an "All-Star" game, though, a bit like they do in American sports. You could have, say, a "GB select" v a "World select", each drawn from players based in the Premiership. Or maybe "North" v "South", or something.

I always thought that it should be England v a Premiership All-Star XI of non-English players.

To even it up a bit the All-Star's squad could have no more than one player from each Premiership club ( you would have them drawn from the 17 teams not relegated the previous season, conveniently this would allow for the maximum six transfers allowed in a friendly) and no two players could come from the same nation.

I often pass the time selecting that squad in my head.

rick derris wrote:

QUOTE:
why have both teams got the england badge on their sleeves

I think they were rubbing it in that we weren't there.

I didn't even know the game was on (Sky and BBC not mentioning it as neither had rights and Setanta did it appears) until I passed a coach of blue-shirted supporters on the M25, realised they were Pompey then thought "They're very keen for a pre-season friendly, I wonder where they're playin ... no ... wait a minute ... Wembley... Charity Shield ... NO! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!"