Leicester City Statistics – The FA Community Shield

- Leicester City to include FA Community Shield statistics into official Club records
- Previously, landmarks achieved during the season curtain-raiser did not appear in LCFC statistics 
- This policy has led to disparity between LCFC statistics and those used by media organisations
- The inclusion will lead to a number of significant consequences for Club records

The Sheriff of London Charity Shield was first inaugurated in 1898 and became known as the FA Charity Shield in 1908. Traditionally a clash between the league champions and FA Cup winners, it was renamed the FA Community Shield in 2002. The Foxes have won the competition once, in 1971, also competing in 2016.

For much of its history, the Community Shield has been regarded as a pre-season friendly, but many national and international media outlets now count it into players’ official career records.

This has led to a disparity in recent seasons between LCFC’s official statistics and those elsewhere, as a number of current Foxes players reach, or approach, landmarks. 

Recently, when Jamie Vardy (scorer at the 2016 Community Shield) netted his 100th competitive goal in all competitions for the Club in March 2019, his first goal in a 3-1 Premier League win over Fulham was widely reported as his century strike, while Leicester City officially noted his second effort as the landmark goal.

A number of other English clubs have retrospectively amended their records to take account of a variety of fixtures and, in advance of the 2021 Community Shield fixture against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (5:15pm BST kick-off), a decision has been reached for Leicester City to do so as well.

Consequently, official Club records will now be amended relevant to two previous fixtures: the FA Charity Shield clash with Liverpool in 1971 and the FA Community Shield meeting with Manchester United in 2016.

Statistics from the contest this weekend will also be added. Although only two fixtures are currently involved in this process, there are a number of significant consequences for Club records, as follows:

FA Charity Shield 1971:

- Twelve players will have an extra appearance added to their career records.
- Graham Cross' Club record of career appearances will become 600.
- Steve Whitworth will have a goal added to his career tally (his only ever goal for Leicester City).
- Jon Sammels' debut will be adjusted.

FA Community Shield 2016:

- Seventeen players will have an extra appearance added to their career records.
- Kasper Schmeichel remains in sixth place in the Club's overall appearance chart, now with 426.
- Jamie Vardy remains in 16th place in the Club's appearance table, now with 352 appearances.
- Wes Morgan ends his career in 22nd place, now with 323 appearances.
- Marc Albrighton remains in 45th place in the same chart, now with 253 appearances.
- Further down the list, Christian Fuchs and Nampalys Mendy will also be adjusted.
- Jamie Vardy will have a goal added to his career record and remains in fourth place in the Club's overall goalscorers table, now with 147 goals.
- The debuts of Luis Hernández, Ahmed Musa and Nampalys Mendy will be adjusted.

With potential career landmarks looming on the horizon during 2021/22, this will serve to avoid confusion between various media sources at the time.

Dave Smith, co-writer of Of Fossils & Foxes, The Official, Definitive History Of Leicester City Football Club, said: “The Community Shield has always occupied something of a grey area in terms of status, being regarded by some as a friendly, and by others as the curtain-raiser to the competitive season.

“During the post-war era, there has been a gradual rise in the number of ‘super cup’ competitions contested both within and between European countries. 

“These are normally contested within the season and are accorded full status by UEFA and by national associations. It is fitting that the oldest established ‘super cup’ fixture of all – the FA Community Shield – should be accorded an equivalent status by Leicester City Football Club.”

Accordingly, the next edition of the Official Club History, Of Fossils & Foxes, will upgrade the FA Charity/Community Shield fixtures, add in the 2021 meeting with Manchester City, and reflect the above changes to Club records in due course.