The FA Community Shield marks the official return of English football, as the Premier League champions Manchester City, face the FA Cup winners Manchester United for the kick-off of the 2024/2025 season; but the significance of this annual event extends beyond the on-field action.
The Community Shield plays a vital role in supporting and nurturing the future of the sport – grassroots football.
Grassroots football is where young talent blossoms. It’s a hotbed of development for future FA Cup and national team stars. It fosters a love for the game, hones skills, and builds a foundation for future success. The Community Shield acts as a catalyst for this development, providing much-needed resources that empower local clubs to nurture the next generation of talent.
Proceeds from The Community Shield directly benefit community initiatives and charities across England. This financial boost empowers local clubs, provides crucial equipment and training resources, and creates opportunities for participation within diverse communities. This investment ensures the sustainability and growth of grassroots football.
As a partner of The Community Shield and The FA, we share a common goal: to create a more inclusive future. To thrive, sport must prioritise access, inclusion and diversity and Cognizant’s technology-driven solutions are creating a digital-first environment for The FA, its County FAs (CFAs) and clubs, to ensure access for all.
Leveraging technology for the good of the game
As Digital Transformation Partner of The FA our support extends across multiple areas of The FA’s expansive ecosystem. We develop innovative solutions to enrich the fan experience and deepen engagement, integrate cloud-based solutions to improve the way data is managed, stored and analysed for enhanced operational efficiency, and deliver robust digital platforms that connect and empower clubs, administrators and players of the beautiful game. Through this work, we directly contribute to The FA’s work to accelerate inclusion and diversity within the sport.
The England Football Learning Hub is a great example of this. Built on learner-centric design principles, the hub is the home of coaching and learning for English football, from grassroots to the professional game. Our solution effectively integrates the needs of all The FA’s audiences whatever their gender, ethnicity, or ability — from learning for fun to achieving elite professional status. It’s also carefully designed to meet the needs of learners with disabilities as well as those who do not need access to learn through an alternative to a standard ‘linear’ pattern. Visit www.learn.englandfootball.com.
Additionally, we’ve developed the online Find Football feature for England Football. Find Football on englandfootball.com enables country-wide access and provides a gateway to participation in football, for everyone. From the Weetabix Wildcats football program for girls aged 5-11, to mixed-gender casual football for adults, or Comets disability football – users can easily discover a local club or casual game suitable for their preferences with just a simple click. Learn more at www.find.englandfootball.com.
A lasting impact on the footballing landscape
The FA Community Shield serves as more than a season opener; it's a celebration of the unifying power of football. Supporting the Community Shield, allows us to align our corporate values with the spirit of football and demonstrate our commitment to a future of football, fuelled by technological advancement and open to all.
“The Community Shield holds significant and enduring prominence within the history of The Football Association. We’re proud to be stewards of an event which substantially contributes to community football and charity initiatives. With the support of partners like Cognizant, we’re able to raise awareness and essential funding for the sport's most important causes. We’re very much looking forward to hosting the match at Wembley Stadium this weekend.
-Nicola Rutledge, Interim Head of Partnerships, The Football Association
