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.

In 1971, double winners Arsenal withdrew from the competition due to previously arranged pre-season friendlies; Football League Second Division champions Leicester City and FA Cup runners-up Liverpool played instead.

[4] Bill Shankly, the Liverpool manager, explained that his preparation was geared towards having his squad ready for the first league match of the season, not for the Charity Shield held the week before.

They won the championship in the last match of the season, away at local rivals Preston North End, after a 1–1 draw with Colin Waldron scoring for Burnley.

[9][a] Previewing the match, Burnley manager Jimmy Adamson stated: "We are treating this as part of our pre-season build up, but there is no doubt that we want to win".

Adamson made one change from the team which had won the Second Division title at Preston North End in April: Mick Docherty replaced Billy Ingham in defence.

[13][14] The match kicked off in sunny conditions at Maine Road in front of a crowd of 23,988 and was refereed by Gordon Hill of Leicester.

Shortly afterwards a timely tackle from Docherty prevented City from taking the lead when Law had a goalscoring chance at close range.

In the 66th minute, Burnley received a free-kick after Rodney Marsh fouled Doug Collins on the right-hand edge of the penalty box.

Collins pretended to take the free-kick but left it for Casper whose cross was headed in powerfully by defender Waldron to put Burnley 1–0 in front.

Shortly afterwards Collins played a one-two with Dobson and hit a powerful shot from an angle, but it was saved by Corrigan.

[9] Higgs of the Burnley Express described it as a "fine match full of end-to-end play, plenty of goal-mouth action and very little of the uglier aspects of football".

Higgs named midfielder Collins the best player on Burnley's side, praising his work rate and ball control.

Adamson also noted that Docherty helped Burnley grow back into the game during the second half by making overlapping runs down the right wing.

Johnny Hart, the Manchester City manager, was furious with the result: "I have given the players a rollicking because we had 80 per cent of the play and were murdering them and then gave away a goal like that".