To its critics, it is a glorified pre-season friendly, but to many it is as much a part of the footballing calendar as the FA Cup final.
The status of Sunday's Community Shield is a subject for debate, but an analysis of its history suggests that, for Manchester City and Manchester United alike, its importance will become apparent over the next nine months.
Come Sunday evening, one will have a favourable omen, while the other can console themselves with more distant history. The last four winners have gone on to take the title that season, even if only two of the previous 10 victors did.
Consider the significance of the last two Community Shields. In 2009, Carlo Ancelotti's first match as Chelsea manager ended in a penalty shoot-out triumph against United; a double-winning year duly followed. Twelve months later, the shift in the balance of power came at Wembley. The maiden win for Sir Alex Ferguson's United against Ancelotti's Chelsea was in the Community Shield. It was the first of four triumphs over nine months, pre-empting a campaign in which they would eliminate the Londoners from Europe and reclaim their league crown.
Moreover, a moment of fortune proved auspicious. When the new signing, Javier Hernandez, tripped and fell in the Chelsea penalty area, he unknowingly headed the ball in from shin height. It set the tone for a season when everything the young Mexican touched turned to goals.
Even United's tendency to prevail on penalties has proved an accurate guide: in 2007, Edwin van der Sar saved three successive spot kicks to enable them to claim the shield, and that season ended with the Dutchman blocking Nicolas Anelka's penalty in Moscow to make United Champions League winners.
If August tends to entail two heavyweights slugging it out, the history of this fixture contains some unlikely participants. First played in 1908 and known as the Charity Shield until 2002, it was not always an annual encounter between the previous season's league champions and FA Cup winners.
The Southern League - a division that lost its meaning as many of its members joined the Football League - provided one of the finalists in the early years.
Other contests included matches between amateurs and professionals either side of the First World War, and even, in 1950, a game between 11 of England's unsuccessful World Cup squad and a Canadian touring team.
As recently as 1972, it was contested by the Division 3 winners (Aston Villa) and the side who had finished fourth in the top flight, Manchester City.
There have been spells when, if the game was drawn, the trophy was allocated to each team for six months, with the result that Everton had at least a share of the spoils for four successive years in the 1980s.
Yet its standing owes much to the most infamous Charity Shield that was also the first played at Wembley Stadium.
The 1974 meeting of Leeds United and Liverpool is remembered for the premature departures of Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan. The Leeds captain and the Liverpool striker became the first British players ever to be dismissed at the national stadium.
It was Brian Clough's first match as the Leeds manager. He was in no doubt where the blame lay.
"Billy Bremner's behaviour was absolutely scandalous, producing one of the most notorious incidents in Wembley history," he said.
"Bremner seemed intent on making Kevin Keegan's life a misery. He kicked him just about everywhere … until it became only a matter of time before a confrontation exploded. Eventually, inevitably, Keegan snapped - and they were both sent off. Keegan was a victim, not a culprit. The double dismissal was all down to Bremner.
"Keegan was an innocent party, who had been pushed beyond the limit by an opponent, who had appeared determined to eliminate him from the game one way or another."
Keegan whipped his shirt off and flung it to the ground. Bremner did likewise. Besides bringing both infamy, the repercussions were considerable. Bremner, later voted Leeds' greatest player, incurred an eight-match ban and his loss was felt. By the time he was available again, Clough's 44-day spell at Elland Road had ended with his sacking.
Liverpool's triumph, on penalties, may have appeared a footnote. It actually provided the first silverware of a golden reign under the newly-appointed Bob Paisley, whose nine years in charge produced six Division 1 titles and three European Cups.
Bremner, however, was not the last midfield enforcer who forgot to display his charitable side in the Charity Shield. The unwanted distinction of being the last player to be sent off at the old Wembley Stadium fell to a man who famously did not approach any game in a half-hearted manner.
Riled by a Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink foul that went unpunished in 2000, Roy Keane launched into a reckless challenge on the striker's Chelsea teammate, Gustavo Poyet. "It was only the Charity Shield, but it was a nasty game," said United's uncompromising Irishman. "The media went to town on me. Why did Keane get involved, they asked. The answer is simple.
"You can't allow yourself to be the victim. If they put it up to you, try to intimidate you, to see if you've gone soft, you've got to send the signal back."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Steven Gerrard two years later.
"The Community Shield is supposedly an exhibition match to kick the season off, and it certainly did kick off," the Liverpool midfielder said. "Patrick Vieira and I have had some bruising run-ins, and this was definitely one of them.
"Wanting to stamp my authority on the game, I deliberately hit him with a hard tackle. Liverpool needed to show they were not scared of Arsenal and all their big names." His sanction was only a yellow card.
The following year, the 2003 encounter between Arsenal and United was another game that was rather too competitive. Phil Neville was booked in the first minute, while it was a surprise that the Arsenal replacement, Francis Jeffers, was the only man dismissed.
Now Ferguson argues United will use tomorrow as a fitness exercise. Yet he is innately competitive and, a nine-time winner, is its most successful manager. It is no coincidence Ryan Giggs, a victor eight times, stands alone, the most decorated footballer in the history of English club football with yet more medals to his name.
His first triumph was a curiosity. The 1993 meeting with Arsenal was decided from 12 yards when one goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, rifled a penalty past the other, David Seaman.
Not that United shot-stoppers' memories of such occasions are all happy. In 1967, Alex Stepney was beaten by his Tottenham Hotspur counterpart, Pat Jennings, with a goal kick that bounced over his head.
It is one candidate for the most embarrassing moment. Another occurred in 1992 when, stationed on the goal-line, Gordon Strachan had three attempts to control the ball and ended up back-heeling it into his own net. This was another memorable Leeds-Liverpool clash, but for different reasons: Eric Cantona scoring a hat-trick as Leeds triumphed 4-3.
Cantona was to go on and score in two Charity Shield wins for Manchester United. He, like other Wembley specialists such as Ian Rush and Bryan Robson, was equally effective in August. Their modern-day equivalent is Didier Drogba, whose match-winning 2005 brace was part of a theme of domination against Arsenal.
This can also be the first chance to make a point. In 1996, Alan Shearer spurned Manchester United to join his hometown club, Newcastle United, for a then world-record fee of £15m. Reprisals occurred almost immediately as Ferguson's charges hammered the big spenders 4-0.
While debuts can be deceptive - the expensive failure Andriy Shevchenko scored on his Chelsea bow in 2006 - Wembley provides the first chance to assess the newcomers. Sunday, that means United's David de Gea, Phil Jones and Ashley Young, and City's Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic and Sergio Aguero.
It is where the scrutiny begins in earnest, where judgements acquire validity and where pre-season can drop its first three letters.
It is the time to strike a psychological blow and the opportunity to lay down a marker for the year.
Richard Jolly's pick of five great Community Shield games
1911: Manchester United 8 Swindon Town 4
The fourth Charity Shield was a record breaker. The total of 12 goals is unlikely to be beaten, along with the double hat-trick of Harold Halse, the Manchester United centre-forward. Swindon, the Southern League champions, discovered the Division 1 winners played at a different level altogether.
1954: Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 West Brom 4
A Black Country derby that ranks among the greatest. Wolves led 2-0 and 4-2 but were pegged back by their local rivals. Ronnie Allen, the striker, scored a 24-minute hat-trick, including the equaliser, to ensure that Wolves and West Brom kept the trophy for six months apiece.
1967: Manchester United 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3
Best remembered as the match that contained the only goal of the great keeper Pat Jennings's long career. It was also a six-goal thriller between arguably the two most attacking teams of their era with Bobby Charlton, United's record scorer, striking twice, and Denis Law once.
1978: Nottingham Forest 5 Ipswich Town 0
Brian Clough's Forest side were to go on and conquer Europe, but they started the 1977/78 season by equalling the biggest winning margin in the Charity Shield to dismantle a fine Ipswich side. Martin O'Neill led the rout with two goals.
1992: Leeds United 4 Liverpool 3
The high point of Eric Cantona's brief Leeds career. The Frenchman scored a hat-trick, including a sublime second, and teammate Rod Wallace managed a treble of his own with three assists. Despite Gordon Strachan's comical own goal, it remains the last trophy Leeds, then the reigning champions, have won.
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Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
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K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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Price: From Dh1,350,000
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm Underwriter
7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
9.25pm Gundogdu
Oppenheimer
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Brief scoreline:
Wales 1
James 5'
Slovakia 0
Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
