The announcement follows yesterday's claim by Paul Deighton, the chief executive of London 2012, that they were in negotiations with the Premier League to switch the date of the Community Shield so that it did not clash with the Olympics, which are due to be held between July 27 and August 12.

Football League clubs voted in October 2009 to push the new season back to the middle of August to allow fans to benefit from the first Games in the capital since 1948.

John Nagle, the Football League's head of communications, said: "Football League clubs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of delaying the start of the 2012/13 season in order to support the London Olympics.

"This decision has been taken to ensure that police and transport links are not overstretched during such an important event for the county."


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