A summer holiday on the cards for the Community Shield?

As the Barclays Premier Leagues gears up for another season with the FA Community Shield on Sunday, news from Germany should be interesting the marketing team at Wembley.

Villa Park - venue for the 2012 FA Community Shield
Pic (c) thefa.com

The traditional curtain-raiser to the season, this year between PL champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Chelsea is held at Villa Park, the first time since 1974 that the game has been played away from Wembley.

That is only a 114 miles hike from the home of English football, but if current trends within other major European football leagues are anything to go by, supporters could miss out on their day out, or face a trip half-way round the world to see their side start the season.

Lyon won the 2012 Trophee des Champions
at the NYC Red Bull Arena
Pic (c) newyorkredbulls.com

The German Bundesliga are to meet next month to consider taking their equivalent fixture to China, following in the footsteps of the French Ligue1 who have played fixtures in the USA, Canada, Tunisia and Algeria.

The Italian Supercoppa is being played in Beijing's Olympic Stadium this weekend for the second year running, with it's first trip to foreign soil way back in 1993 when it was held in Washington DC, as a prelude to the 1994 World Cup. Since then, it has returned to the USA, held in New York in 2003, and Tripoli in 2002, before it's first visit to China in 2009.

Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' Olympic Stadium
Pic (c) bbc.co.uk

Having abandoned the infamous 'Game 39' concept, the FA, along with all Premier League clubs are forever looking at expanding their fanbase and tapping into foreign markets, with pre-season tours to the USA, China, Malaysia and other Far Eastern countries the norm.

Never ones to be seen as behind the times, it can only be a matter of time then, before the FA give in, and move the Community Shield fixture abroad.