IT MAY NOT be the most competitive game of the year but it’s often entertaining.
And at this stage we’ll take anything.
1974- Keegan vs Bremner
This is the Ali-Foreman of footballers fights. Billy Bremner is by consensus one of the toughest players of that era. Kevin Keegan…..well he was in a lot of adverts in revealing clothes like this one for Brut deodorant.
You would have to make Keegan a 10/1 outsider in any physical confrontation against Bremner. While I couldn’t find any video footage of Bremner and Keegan actually punching, every report has it at about a draw, possibly Bremner in a split decision. Either way they were both sent off but not before our very own John Giles absolutely annihilates Keegan with an uppercut.
Bremner and Keegan missed 11 matches. John Giles got a bruised knuckle. How the hell did Gilesy get away with this?
I came across this absolutely cracking 3-3 Community Shield between Spurs and Man United from 1968. Pat Jennings scored from his own box and Bobby Charlton scored two absolute screamers. Clips like these make you remember how Charlton is almost underrated today. There should be a statue of him outside Wembley too.
The best part about this game is in the Youtube description which gives Kenneth Wolstenholme’s description of Charlton’s second goal as ”good enough to win the League, the Cup, the Charity Shield, the World Cup and even the Grand National”. Is that better than “they think it’s all over”?
1974- The curse of Ted Croker
During my research I came across the phrase “In 1974 FA Secretary Ted Croker created the Community Shield’s current format…”. Any man who created this Frankenstein’s monster of a tournament should forever be a pariah to the game of football.
Evil has a name and it is Ted Croker EMPICS Sports Photo Agency
EMPICS Sports Photo Agency
Turns out his big idea was bascially to just move it to Wembley stadium but still, has there been any Community Shield’s since then like 1968′s? Thanks a lot, Ted Croker.
2002- The money was just resting in my account
When I was younger the Community Shield was called the Charity Shield until one day it changed. I was young and didn’t know or care why at the time. According to some diligent fact finding, the English Charity Commission ordered the name change because the FA failed to announce how much money from ticket sales went to charity and by delaying payments to charities.
Who knew this tournament was so rife with corruption? Associated Press
Associated Press
Does that not sound like the shadiest thing ever? Maybe I’ve seen too much Father Ted but it sounds a bit like the FA was caught playing the role of Ted. No doubt they got out of it with some elaborate accountingese that is translated for the layman into “the money was just resting in my account”.
1996- Beckham’s chip
Not a particulary controversial or memorable game, so it is the perfect game to celebrate the post-Croker era. This chip from Beckham is very nice though. And you have the added bonus of a rare Jordi Cruyff sighting.
This was mainly included because I couldn’t locate footage of a crunching Roy Keane tackle that I am sure existed. Still a cool finish by Becks though.
5 most memorable moments in Community Shield History
IT MAY NOT be the most competitive game of the year but it’s often entertaining.
And at this stage we’ll take anything.
1974- Keegan vs Bremner
This is the Ali-Foreman of footballers fights. Billy Bremner is by consensus one of the toughest players of that era. Kevin Keegan…..well he was in a lot of adverts in revealing clothes like this one for Brut deodorant.
You would have to make Keegan a 10/1 outsider in any physical confrontation against Bremner. While I couldn’t find any video footage of Bremner and Keegan actually punching, every report has it at about a draw, possibly Bremner in a split decision. Either way they were both sent off but not before our very own John Giles absolutely annihilates Keegan with an uppercut.
Bremner and Keegan missed 11 matches. John Giles got a bruised knuckle. How the hell did Gilesy get away with this?
1968- Pat Jennings scores from his own box
I came across this absolutely cracking 3-3 Community Shield between Spurs and Man United from 1968. Pat Jennings scored from his own box and Bobby Charlton scored two absolute screamers. Clips like these make you remember how Charlton is almost underrated today. There should be a statue of him outside Wembley too.
The best part about this game is in the Youtube description which gives Kenneth Wolstenholme’s description of Charlton’s second goal as ”good enough to win the League, the Cup, the Charity Shield, the World Cup and even the Grand National”. Is that better than “they think it’s all over”?
1974- The curse of Ted Croker
During my research I came across the phrase “In 1974 FA Secretary Ted Croker created the Community Shield’s current format…”. Any man who created this Frankenstein’s monster of a tournament should forever be a pariah to the game of football.
Turns out his big idea was bascially to just move it to Wembley stadium but still, has there been any Community Shield’s since then like 1968′s? Thanks a lot, Ted Croker.
2002- The money was just resting in my account
When I was younger the Community Shield was called the Charity Shield until one day it changed. I was young and didn’t know or care why at the time. According to some diligent fact finding, the English Charity Commission ordered the name change because the FA failed to announce how much money from ticket sales went to charity and by delaying payments to charities.
Does that not sound like the shadiest thing ever? Maybe I’ve seen too much Father Ted but it sounds a bit like the FA was caught playing the role of Ted. No doubt they got out of it with some elaborate accountingese that is translated for the layman into “the money was just resting in my account”.
1996- Beckham’s chip
Not a particulary controversial or memorable game, so it is the perfect game to celebrate the post-Croker era. This chip from Beckham is very nice though. And you have the added bonus of a rare Jordi Cruyff sighting.
This was mainly included because I couldn’t locate footage of a crunching Roy Keane tackle that I am sure existed. Still a cool finish by Becks though.
What are your favourite Community Shield moments?
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5 best curtain raiser FA Community Shield