Community Shield kick-off is brought forward 90 minutes to 4pm after Man City fans threatened to boycott due to a lack of trains back from London, forcing an awkward FA U-turn
- Man City fans had threatened to boycott Arsenal clash due to late kick-off time
- The FA have now been forced to switch the 5:30pm start to 4pm after talks
- City fans urged fellow supporters to donate to a foodbank instead of the game
The Community Shield is being brought forward by an hour-and-a-half after Manchester City raised concerns over its kick-off time.
Pep Guardiola’s Treble winners were due to start next season against Arsenal on August 6 in a 5:30pm kick-off at Wembley.
But that has now been moved to 4pm after discussions between the Football Association, broadcasters and the two clubs.
City supporters have warned of a boycott of the fixture – scheduled at an inconvenient time for those from the north of the country – and a fans’ group urged others to donate money to a local foodbank charity instead.
The 1894 Group said: ‘Our collective absence from the stadium will demonstrate our discontent and advocate for fairer game times in the future. It’s time match-going fans were treated as a priority rather than an afterthought.’
The Community Shield clash between Man City and Arsenal has been brought forward by an hour-and-a-half
City fans had threatened to boycott the event over complaints around the late kick-off time
The pot for the foodbank – run by fans who collect outside the Etihad Stadium before every home match – stands at almost £5,000 just days after its inception.
Discussions have seen timings switch, which goes some way to alleviate travel problems and it remains to be seen if City’s fanbase stick to a boycott.
‘The new earlier kick off time for the traditional ‘curtain raiser’ of the domestic season has been agreed following consultation with our broadcast partners, the local authorities, police, and the competing clubs,’ the FA said in a statement.
‘The decision to move the kick off time was taken following full consideration of the transport challenges for fans returning to Manchester after the match.
‘Ticketing details for the 2023 FA Community Shield will be announced at the earliest opportunity.’
A City spokesperson said: ‘Having contacted the FA to express our reservations and clarify why the kick-off time of 5:30pm on a Sunday was originally chosen, we are pleased that the decision to bring forward kick-off has now been made.
City supporters group 1894 urged fans to donate money to a foodbank instead of the game
‘Whilst we understand that this will not fully alleviate travel issues for our fans and our preference would have been for an earlier kick-off time still, we hope that the new kick-off time of 4pm will make a difference.’
In their initial stern message to the FA urging fans to boycott the game, the 1894 group said: ‘We urge you to join us in boycotting the Community Shield game against Arsenal on August 6th.
‘The 17:30 kick-off time presents significant travel challenges from Manchester, making it difficult for many loyal supporters to attend. It’s time match-going fans were treated as a priority rather than an afterthought.
‘By boycotting this fixture, we aim to send a strong message to the FA and ITV about the impact scheduling has on fans. Our collective absence from the stadium will demonstrate our discontent and advocate for fairer game times in the future.
‘We understand the love and dedication you have for City, but we believe that our collective action will bring about positive change.
The group blasted the FA and ITV for thinking of fans as an ‘afterthought’ with scheduling
‘We ask fans, who are in a position to do so, to make either a £10 donation, or the equivalent cost of a match ticket, to MCFC Foodbank or another local charity.’
Last year’s Community Shield was hosted at Leicester’s King Power stadium with 28,545 Liverpool and Man City supporters making the journey to the midlands.
City will be hoping to win their first Community Shield title since 2019 against the Gunners after losing last year’s showpiece to Liverpool.
After winning both the Premier League and the FA Cup – the winner of which is supposed to play the league champions in the game – they will now play the top flight runners up Arsenal instead.
