Chelsea-United in curtain raiser

The FA Community Shield, the prelude to the Premiership kick-off, will be played at Wembley tomorrow between champions Chelsea and runners-up Manchester United.

Critics and bookmakers have named it as a draw, at a time when both teams are searching for the fitness needed for the hard season ahead.

After it became known as the Community Shield (formerly Charity Shield) in 2002, the match finished in a penalty shoot-out on four occasions.

Last year, Chelsea beat Manchester United 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw (no extra time is played).

The other three penalty shoot-outs:

2008: Man. United-Portsmouth 3-1 after 0-0 draw.

2007: Man. United-Chelsea 3-0 after 1-1 draw.

2003: Man. United-Arsenal 4-3 after 1-1 draw.

Since the start of the Premiership in 1992-93, the double was achieved six times, three by Manchester United, twice by Arsenal and once by Chelsea last term.

Since the start of the Football League way back in 1888 to the last season before the birth of the FA Premier, there were only five other occasions when the same club lifted the league trophy and FA Cup in one season.

These feats came as follows: 1888-89 – Preston; 1896-97 – Aston Villa; 1960-61 – Tottenham; 1970-71 – Arsenal; 1985-86 – Liverpool.

In those double-winning campaigns, the Charity Shield was played between the champions and the losing FA Cup finalists.

Yet, this all changed and for the sixth time the annual showpiece at the start of the campaign will be fought out between the champions and the league runners-up.

Since the double feats of United in 1994 and 1996, the Red Devils went on to carry the Shield twice when they first beat Blackburn 2-0 and then Newcastle 4-0.

In 1998, double winners Arsenal also emerged triumphant on the second-placed side, this time Manchester United 3-0.

The trend did not persist though and in 1999 the victors of both Premiership title and FA Cup, Manchester United, lost 1-2 to league runners-up Arsenal. However, the next double winners, Arsenal, toppled second-placed Liverpool in the last occasion in 2002.

Fifth clash

What will happen this afternoon in the Chelsea-Manchester United clash?

This will be fifth clash between these two teams in the campaign’s curtain-raiser.

Last season and the clash of 2007 have already been mentioned. In 2000, Chelsea beat United 2-0 at Wembley and the other encounter was played in 1997 with United emerging triumphant 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Tomorrow’s match will see Alex Ferguson leading Man. United out of the tunnel for his 27th consecutive season.

By contrast, Carlo Ancelotti will start his second season with the Blues, having made his Chelsea debut in this same encounter last year.

The Italian, as his predecessor Guus Hiddink, has a fine pedigree and his main aim will be to capture the Champions League that has eluded the rest of the coaches hired by Chelsea supremo Roman Abramovich.

After Glenn Hoddle left the Blues for England in 1996, it has been all-foreign at the head of Chelsea’s management staff. In a relatively short period of 11 years, the Londoners had eight different men in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Despite finishing just a point behind Chelsea in the league, United sorely missed the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. The latter also failed to leave his mark at Real Madrid who finished empty-handed once again.

With almost a month to go for the closure of the transfer window, Ferguson has strengthened his side with the signings of Mexican forward Javier Hernandez (£7m), defender Christopher Smalling (signed last season but was loaned back to Fulham for six months) and another defensive capture in Dodo Ribeiro, the Brazilian from Corinthians (£5m).

Ferguson also did well to hold on to central defender Nemanja Vidic as he signed another deal.

Chelsea have been worried with injuries of late to goalkeeper Petr Cech and defender Alex. They will both miss the start of the campaign.

So far, Chelsea signed Yossi Benajoun from Liverpool (£5.5m) but lost Joe Cole to the Reds on a free transfer. Croatian goalkeeper Matej Delac also joined from Zapresic (£2.7m).

United, the first victors of the Shield when they beat Queens Park Rangers 4-0 in 1908, top the all-time winners’ list with 13 successes. They also shared the honour on four other occasions.

Since the encounter’s title has been altered in 2002, the Shield was won by two London sides, Arsenal and Chelsea twice each; and two Lancastrian teams, Manchester United, three times, and Liverpool.

The last time the Shield was won by a team outside London or Lancashire was when Yorkshire-based Leeds beat Liverpool 4-3 in 1992.

Weekend fixtures

Playing Today:

The Championship

Bristol City-Millwall

Burnley-N. Forest

C. Palace-Leicester

Coventry-Portsmouth

Hull-Swansea

Leeds-Derby - 18.15

Middlesbrough-Ipswich

Preston-Doncaster

QPR-Barnsley

Reading-Scunthorpe

League One

Carlisle-Brentford

Charlton-Bournemouth

Exeter-Colchester

Notts Co.-Huddersfield

Peterborough-Bristol Rovers

Rochdale-Hartlepool

Sheffield Wed.-Dagenham

Southampton-Plymouth 13.15

Swindon-Brighton

Tranmere-Oldham

Walsall-MK Dons

Yeovil-Leyton Orient

League Two

Accrington-Aldershot

Burton-Oxford

Bury-Port Vale

Chesterfield-Barnet

Crewe-Hereford

Gillingham-Cheltenham

Rotherham-Lincoln

Shrewsbury-Bradford

Southend-Stockport

Stevenage-Macclesfield

Torquay-Northampton

Wycombe-Morecambe

In Scotland:

First Division

Cowdenbeath-Ross

Dundee-Queen of South

Falkirk-Dunfermline

Morton-Stirling

Raith-Partick

Second Division

Ayr-Brechin

East Fife-Airdrie

Forfar-Dumbarton

Livingston-Alloa

Stenhousemuir-Peterhead

Third Division

Albion-Berwick

Annan-East Stirling

Clyde-Stranraer

Elgin-Arbroath

Montrose-Queen’s Park

Tomorrow:

FA Community Shield

Chelsea-Man. United - 16.00

The Championship

Cardiff City-Sheff. United - 13.35