It was the first time since the fixture was played at Maine Road in 1973 that the Community Shield had been hosted at a venue other than Wembley (old and new) or the Millennium Stadium.

Manchester City qualified for their second consecutive Community Shield by clinching the Premier League title in the final minutes of the season.

In previous years when Wembley was unavailable, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff was used to host major events; this was not viable in 2012 as it was also being used as a venue for Olympic football matches.

[9] On 1 August 2011, however, it was announced that Villa Park was the interim choice to host the Shield, as the other, larger venues would "still be in Olympic mode".

[10] This decision was confirmed on 18 May 2012 after the football season had concluded and it became clear Villa Park would be an ideal neutral venue halfway between the two competing clubs from London and Manchester.

[1] Man of the match Yaya Touré (Manchester City) Assistant referees: Michael McDonough (Northumberland)[1] Richard West (East Riding of Yorkshire)[1] Fourth official: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)[1] Reserve official: Charles Breakspear (Surrey)[1] Match rules Source: ITV Sport[14]