| Founded | 1898 |
|---|---|
| Abolished | 1907 (fundraising matches held 1931–32, 1934, 1964–66, 1983) |
| Region |  England Scotland |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Last champions | Watford |
| Most successful club(s) | Corinthians (3 titles) |
The Sheriff of London Charity Shield, also known as the Dewar Shield, was a football competition played annually between the best amateur and best professional club in England, though Scottish amateur side Queen's Park also took part in 1899.[1][2] The professional side was either the Football League champion or FA Cup winner from the previous season while the amateurs were usually represented by Corinthians, a renowned amateur side of the time. The first game was played on 19 March 1898, after being devised by Sir Thomas Dewar and ratified by the Football Association, whose president Lord Kinnaird and former president Sir Francis Marindin sat on the Shield's committee.
Proceeds from the annual game were distributed to hospitals and charities. The game was the predecessor to the FA Charity Shield, today the FA Community Shield, which began in 1908 after the Amateur Football Association split from the Football Association.[3] After 1908 the trophy was revived on seven occasions in the twentieth century to raise funds for grassroots football causes.
- ^ Murray, Scott (5 August 2011). "The Joy of Six: Charity Shield matches". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "Sheriff of London Charity Shield: Aston Villa v. Queen's Park". Evening Express. 11 March 1899. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Villa Park to stage Man City-Chelsea Community Shield clash". BBC Sport. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2017.