Inquiry into Charity Shield ticket revenue

The future of football's annual Charity Shield match could be in doubt after the government launched an inquiry into its ticket arrangements.

The Charity Commission said it would examine where the money raised by the game goes. Of the £1.76m in ticket revenue from the 1999 Charity Shield, only £659,000 was given to charity. Manchester United and Arsenal earned £268,000 each, while the FA took £572,000. If the FA has failed to tell fans where ticket money was going, it could have contravened the 1992 Charities Act. A commission spokeswoman said: "Concerns have been raised that the FA might not have been complying with these regulations."

This year's Charity Shield match, between Manchester United and Liverpool, will be played tomorrow in Cardiff.