Manchester United and Wigan Athletic go head to head at Wembley in season curtain-raiser reports LondonTown.com

(TRAVPR.COM) UK - August 9th, 2013 - For the first time in over three decades the FA Community Shield involves a team from outside the top flight as last year's FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic, who were relegated from the Premier League last August, take on champions Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 11th August. The annual season curtain-raiser comes just three days before England take on Scotland in an international friendly match at Wembley to commemorate the FA's 150th anniversary.

In their first competitive game without Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm, Manchester United will be odds-on favourites to sweep past Championship side Wigan Athletic at Wembley - although it remains to be seen if new manager David Moyes selects want-away striker Wayne Rooney for his squad. Rooney has been tipped with a move to London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal during the summer but at the time of writing, the future of the 27-year-old England forward is still unresolved. The game kicks off at 2pm at the home of English football.

Last year's Community Shield clash saw Manchester City come from behind to beat Chelsea 3-2 at Villa Park in Birmingham, with Wembley instead hosting the final of the London 2012 Olympic football tournament. This year is the first time since West Ham United in 1980 that the game involves a team from outside the top flight, after Wigan beat City in last year's FA Cup final before succumbing to relegation two weeks later on the last day of the season. Fans attending the 2013 Community Shield from outside the capital can book their accommodation with LondonTown.com, where there is a comprehensive selection of London hotels to suit all budgets and locations.

Three days later, on Wednesday 14th August, one of international football's oldest rivalries will play out on the hallowed Wembley turf as Roy Hodgson's England take on Scotland in an international friendly that kicks off at 8pm. Both sides have not met since 1999 when Scotland won 1-0 in the second leg of a Euro 2000 qualifying play-off at Wembley (England had won the first leg 2-0 at Hampden Park and so secured passage to the knock-out phases despite their neighbour's bitter-sweet victory).

The football focus will then shift to the all-important and eagerly anticipated first day of the Premier League season, on Saturday 17th August, which sees Arsenal take on Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium at 3pm for the first top flight game involving a London side in the 2013/14 campaign. An hour later, West Ham kick off their season with a 4pm clash against Cardiff City at Upton Park. On Sunday 18th August, the first London derby of the season sees newly promoted Crystal Palace take on Tottenham Hotspur at 1.30pm at Selhurst Park, before Jose Mourinho's second coming at Chelsea starts with a clash against Hull City at Stamford Bridge.

A busy start to the season for Arsenal will see the North London side play a two-legged Champions League qualifier against as-yet-unknown opposition with the home leg either on 20th/21st August or 27th/28th August. The Gunners will also feature in two London derbies, taking on Fulham at Craven Cottage for the early kick-off on Saturday 24th August before welcoming fierce local rivals Spurs to the Emirates for the 4pm kick-off on Sunday 1st September.

With the transfer window closing at midnight on Saturday 31st August, Arsene Wenger will probably experience a sleepless night before his side takes on Andre Villas Boas's Spurs - who may, or may not, have bid farewell to star player Gareth Bale, who is destined for Real Madrid.

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