{"id":1275,"date":"2020-08-28T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T08:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2020-08-31T11:01:44","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T10:01:44","slug":"welcome-to-a-new-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=1275","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to a New Season!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Those were the days, my friend\u2026. From Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once again, we begin a new season with the Community Shield,\na competition with which we are extremely familiar but one which, unlike others\nI could name and wave two fingers at, neither the Club nor our fans have\nregarded as a \u201cmajor trophy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This competition began life as the Charity Shield in the\n1908-09 season with a match between the First Division champions, Manchester\nUnited, and the Southern League champions, Queens Park Rangers, that went to a\nreplay. From 1930 the match regularly took the format of pitching the previous\nseason\u2019s Football League champions against the F.A. Cup winners but only from\n1959 did it become the curtain raiser for a new season. It has only been\nregularly held at Wembley Stadium since 1974, with a 6-year interval at the\nMillennium Stadium, Cardiff during Wembley\u2019s rebuilding plus migration to Villa\nPark in 2012 because of the Olympics. Before 1974, the Charity Shield was held\nat a neutral venue or the home ground of a participant. Highbury was the venue seven\ntimes between 1924 and 1953. During the peripatetic period, only Stamford\nBridge hosted the match more often, on 10 occasions, presumably usually as a\nneutral venue!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From its beginning, match proceeds were meant to be\ndistributed to charities and community initiatives around England and Wales. However,\nin 2002 the Charity Commission found that the F.A. had broken charity law by\nfailing to specify the proportion of receipts going to charity and also for\ndelaying payments to nominated charities. In consequence the match was renamed\nthe Community Shield. It\u2019s not clear how renaming the competition solves those\nproblems except that it may have allowed the F.A. to change the terms of their charitable\ncommitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arsenal has the second largest number of Shield victories\nwith 14 outright wins plus one shared trophy, only bettered by Manure who have\n17 wins and 4 shared trophies. The Bin-dippers lie third with 10 wins and 5\nshared trophies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arsenal\u2019s first appearance in the Charity Shield was in\n1930 at Stamford Bridge when we defeated Sheffield Wednesday and went on to\ndominate the competition throughout the 1930\u2019s, contesting the Shield a further\n6 times and winning it on four occasions. It was a decade before we played in\nthe Charity Shield again simply because no Charity Shield matches were played between\n1938 and 1948 due to World War II and its aftermath. We won the 1948 Shield\nagainst Manure and followed that up with another win in 1953 against Blackpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Season<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Opponent<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Result<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Venue<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1930<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Sheffield Wednesday\n <\/td>\n WON 2-1\n <\/td>\n Stamford Bridge\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1931<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n West Bromwich Albion\n <\/td>\n WON 1-0\n <\/td>\n Villa Park\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1933<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Everton\n <\/td>\n WON 3-0\n <\/td>\n Goodison Park\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1934<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Shitteh\n <\/td>\n WON 4-0\n <\/td>\n Highbury\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1935<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Sheffield Wednesday\n <\/td>\n LOST 0-1\n <\/td>\n Highbury\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1936<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Sunderland\n <\/td>\n LOST 1-2\n <\/td>\n Roker Park\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1938<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Preston North End\n <\/td>\n WON 2-1\n <\/td>\n Highbury\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1948<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Manure\n <\/td>\n WON 4-3\n <\/td>\n Highbury\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1953<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Blackpool\n <\/td>\n WON 3-1\n <\/td>\n Highbury\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gooners of a certain vintage will tell you of the dark age\nbetween the early 50\u2019s and the early 70\u2019s acquisition of the Fairs Cup and the\nDouble. However, the Charity Shield hiatus was even longer as our 1971 Double\nwinners did not contest the Charity Shield due to a pre-season tour (putting\nthe trophy counters into clear perspective). The 1971 Charity Shield was played\nbetween F.A. Cup beaten finalists, the Bin-dippers, and the Division 2\nchampions, Leicester City who won the Shield (without having won the League\n(until 2016) or the F.A. Cup (ever)). After the next two league champions\nfollowed The Arsenal\u2019s lead and declined the privilege of participating, the Shield\u2019s\ncurtain raiser status was enhanced with a permanent move to Wembley in 1974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After our early success rate, we then went on a dodgy run of\nCharity Shield results. Both our next two Shield appearances were defeats against\nthe Bindippers; in 1979 as F.A. Cup winners and in 1989 as League champions.\nThen, as League champions again, we shared the trophy with a small team from\nMiddlesex in 1991 after a 0-0 draw. Sharing a trophy with a decent team was\nclearly a huge privilege for them. No doubt there are Betamax tapes\ncommemorating their glorious achievement that can still be purchased. In 1993,\nas F.A. Cup winners, we drew with Manure but lost on penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Season<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Opponent<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Result<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1979<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Bin-dippers\n <\/td>\n LOST 1-3\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1989<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Bin-dippers\n <\/td>\n LOST 0-1\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1991<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Small team\n <\/td>\n SHARED TROPHY, 0-0\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1993<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Manure\n <\/td>\n LOST 4-5 on pens after 1-1 \n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We contested the Shield nine times in the Wenger era,\nwinning seven times. Between 2001 and 2006 the Shield was held in the\nMillennium Stadium, Cardiff. With the Cup Finals there as well, the trip down\nto Cardiff became a regular summer day out for Gooners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Season<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Opponent<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Result<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1998<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Manure\n <\/td>\n WON 3-0\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1999<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Manure\n <\/td>\n WON 2-1\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2002<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Bin-dippers\n <\/td>\n WON 1-0\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2003<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Manure\n <\/td>\n LOST 3-4 on pens after 1-1 \n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2004<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Manure\n <\/td>\n WON 3-1\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2005<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Chavski\n <\/td>\n LOST 1-2\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2014<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Shitteh\n <\/td>\n WON 3-0\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2015<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Chavski\n <\/td>\n WON 1-0\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2017<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Chavski\n <\/td>\n WON 4-1 on pens after 1-1 \n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To date The Arsenal have contested the Charity and Community\nShield on 22 occasions, winning it 14 times outright and sharing it once.\nWinning the Shield is clearly an Arsenal tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I attended the 2004 Shield and the last three. Strangely the 2004 Shield is the only one for which I have any significant memory of the game itself. The others are remembered only for fine pre-match meals with good company at our favourite pre-Wembley restaurant and the excellent Ribera del Duoro that accompanied the Cordon Bleu victuals. The 2004 game was a family outing with a fine lunch in a celebrated Italian restaurant in Cardiff followed by a shock discovery that our midfield was a pair of callow youths named Fabregas and Flamini! Despite my pre-match concern, those lads proceeded to give an experienced Manure midfield of Keane et al<\/em> a complete run around. The poise, vision and control of young Cesc that day has left a lasting impression as he dominated that midfield in a manner that we have not seen from an Arsenal midfielder for several years. It would be nice to see another such debut this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What of the forthcoming game? If you count shared trophies, our\nopponent\u2019s record matches ours with fifteen Charity\/Community Shields apiece. Their\ncurrent team are, without question, very good. Yet we beat them in our most\nrecent league fixture and that should temper any trepidation with some\nconfidence. We know their threat will come down the flanks and from the speedy\nSalah and Man\u00e9 and the wily Firminho through the channels. It will be a\nchallenge to stifle them and I can\u2019t see their defence being as generous as\nthey were at our last meeting. However, I am confident that MA8 will have a\nplan!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our team? Your guess is as good as mine. At the time of\nwriting we have added Willian, Saliba and possibly Gabriel to last season\u2019s\nsquad. None of our unwanted fixtures have departed though rumours suggest\nSokratis, Kolasinac and Mustafi may be hovering by the exit. Our midfield\ndesperately needs an injection of strength, authority and creativity. I expect\nthe Saliba and Willian to play to begin their bedding in process but even if a\nsigning is confirmed, Gabriel will not be quarantine-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I expect a starting line-up close to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martinez<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saliba – Luiz – Holding<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bellerin – Elneny – Xhaka – Tierney<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willian<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pepe – Aubameyang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History shows that the result of the Charity\/Community\nShield bears no relationship to the contestants\u2019 relative positions at the end\nof the season. While I always want to win every game, this match is primarily a\npre-season exercise in regaining fitness and match sharpness. This is even more\nthe case this season. I think that 2-1 to The Arsenal would be a very\nacceptable result. You can get 13-1 on that score at the moment and that\u2019s\nwhere I\u2019ll place the Holic pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s lay down another marker of the Arteta renaissance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COYG<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A final word for scruzgooner, a longstanding regular in\nHolic\u2019s bar. I\u2019m sure all \u2018Holics share my prayers that he and his family are\nsafe and that the home from which they were evacuated last week escapes the\nwild fires raging in California. Good luck, mate. Thoughts extend also to all\nwhose lives and homes are threatened at this time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once again, we begin a new season with the Community Shield, a competition with which we are extremely familiar but one which, unlike others I could name and wave two fingers at, neither the Club nor our fans have regarded as a \u201cmajor trophy\u201d. This competition began life as the Charity Shield in the 1908-09 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1275"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1279,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275\/revisions\/1279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}