 The match took place at Maine Road (2003 photograph). | |||||||
| Event | 51st FA Charity Shield | ||||||
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| Date | 18 August 1973 | ||||||
| Venue | Maine Road, Manchester | ||||||
| Referee | Gordon Hill (Leicester) | ||||||
| Attendance | 23,988 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny | ||||||
The 1973 FA Charity Shield was the 51st FA Charity Shield, an annual English association football match. The game took place on 18 August 1973 at Maine Road in Manchester and was played between Manchester City, reigning holders of the shield, and Football League Second Division champions Burnley. It was the norm from 1930 that the FA Charity Shield was contested between the Football League First Division champions and the FA Cup winners. The 1973 FA Charity Shield was, however, the third consecutive edition in which neither the First Division winners nor the FA Cup champions chose to compete; the Football Association (FA) invited City and Burnley instead. This was City's seventh Charity Shield appearance to Burnley's third.
In an entertaining game, the first half ended goalless, although City dominated and almost went a goal ahead after a shot from Alan Oakes hit the Burnley crossbar. Burnley began to dominate the game from the 60th minute. Six minutes later, they scored via a free-kick routine: Doug Collins pretended to take the free-kick but left it for Frank Casper whose cross was headed in powerfully by defender Colin Waldron. Burnley held on to their 1–0 lead to win their second Charity Shield, following a shared title in 1960. Martin Dobson, the Burnley captain, received the trophy from Andrew Stephen, the chairman of the FA. As of 2023[update], Burnley have not played in a Charity Shield match since 1973. City's next appearance in the competition—renamed the FA Community Shield in 2002—was in 2011.