 Complete the following phrase:  Serving as Englands super cup between the previous seasons Premier League champions and FA Cup winners, the Community Shield is regarded as the curtain-raiser and is the first competitive game of each top-flight English football season. However, it has been treated with varying degrees of seriousness by participating teams, with some using it similarly to friendlies in their pre-season schedule  as an opportunity to give match practice to fringe members of their squads or those returning from injury. BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson and The Guardian writer Tom Bryant both described the match as a glorified friendly. Prior to the 