Why Manchester City fans are being urged to boycott Community Shield v Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester City fans are being urged to boycott their Community Shield clash with Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 6.

The traditional curtain-raiser to the new season is typically contested between Premier League champions and the winners of the FA Cup. However, as Pep Guardiola's star-studded squad lifted both trophies in 2022/23, they will face top-flight runners-up Arsenal at England's national stadium.

City, though, are unlikely to have the same level of support as they did when defeating local rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final, thanks to a boycott being organised by a leading fan group for the club.

Why are Man City fans being encouraged to boycott the Community Shield?

The 1894 Group has hit out at both the FA and ITV after it was announced that the match would kick off at 5:30pm on a Sunday evening.

That start time means that City supporters catching the last train back from London would arrive in Manchester well after midnight on the Monday morning - making it tough for children or those with work commitments to attend.

After the club's fans experienced travel difficulties caused by train strikes on the day of the FA Cup final, the 1894 Group has lost patience with those in charge of scheduling and released a strongly-worded statement over the weekend calling for City fans to boycott the Arsenal clash.

It read: “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.

“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 MCFCFoodbank or another local charity.”

The upcoming showdown with Arsenal marks City's fifth Community Shield appearance in the past six years.

However, they've only managed to take the trophy back to the Etihad Stadium on two of those occasions.

In fact, Guardiola's men have lost their last two Community Shield match, failing to get the better of Leicester in 2021, before failing to defeat at the hands of Liverpool last year in a contest that was played at the King Power Stadium.

It remains to be seen if City can end their recent slump in the fixture later this summer, but it seems likely they will attempt to do so with a much-reduced backing from the stands at Wembley unless the FA have a significant change of heart.