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[Shaki]

Originally Posted by Original Spies

That I never knew.

Where's the defence and midfield boundary? It's all up in the air when you've got Owen Hargreaves wearing the number 4 and Gareth Barry wearing the number 6. Even Lee Sharpe wore number 5, and he was a winger in the 90's, when numbering was stricter. Now these fairyboys just make their own rules. Ronaldinho's #80 shirt for example. What a clown.


It puts my extreme anal retention on full display when this kind of rubbish actually bothers me.

Lee Sharpe probably has a lot to answer for. Having said that, my own beloved Scotland team dished out the squad numbers for Euro 92 on the basis of who held the most caps. I think Ally McCoist wore 5 and Stewart McKimmie wore 9 - a Disgrace! Goram wore 1 which may have been an exception, unless he did have the most caps.

Argentina's 1986 squad dished out the numbers alphabetically meaning striker Sergio Almiron wore number 1! Exception was of course given to Maradona whose name didn't come in 10th alphabetically.....

Traditionally (in my mind and not accounting for formational differences or redundant positions like "inside right").....

1 = Goalie
2 = Right Back
3 = Left back
4 = defensively minded midfielder player
5 = Centre Back/sweeper
6 = Centre Back/sweeper
7 = right sided attacking player
8 = central midfielder
9 = Centre forward
10 = Fantasista (striker/midfielder)
11 = left sided attacking player
12 = sub goalie

[Lucky Rathen]

Originally Posted by Shaki

Lee Sharpe probably has a lot to answer for. Having said that, my own beloved Scotland team dished out the squad numbers for Euro 92 on the basis of who held the most caps. I think Ally McCoist wore 5 and Stewart McKimmie wore 9 - a Disgrace! Goram wore 1 which may have been an exception, unless he did have the most caps.

Argentina's 1986 squad dished out the numbers alphabetically meaning striker Sergio Almiron wore number 1! Exception was of course given to Maradona whose name didn't come in 10th alphabetically.....

Traditionally (in my mind and not accounting for formational differences or redundant positions like "inside right").....

1 = Goalie
2 = Right Back
3 = Left back
4 = defensively minded midfielder player
5 = Centre Back/sweeper
6 = Centre Back/sweeper
7 = right sided attacking player
8 = central midfielder
9 = Centre forward
10 = Fantasista (striker/midfielder)
11 = left sided attacking player
12 = sub goalie

4 should be centre back and 6 a defensive midfielder IMO. The sub keeper should wear 20.

[Shaki]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

4 should be centre back and 6 a defensive midfielder IMO. The sub keeper should wear 20.

I could accept the variation on 4 and 6.

You're only saying 20 for a sub goalie because you love Bert Bossu.

[Original Spies]

I always thought 13 was the original sub keeper number.

Whilst this is wetting my nerdy appetite, it doesn't explain why Willy Gallas is as much of a ruiner to don a number 10 shirt in the centre of defence. I don't care if he scores more goals than Francis Jeffers. I'm not having it.

[Woodsinho]

Dennis Bergkamp left at the end of the 05-06 season leaving the number 10 jersey vacant. Gallas joined after the season had started by which point squad numbers 2-6 had already been allocated to Diaby, Cole, Fabregas, Toure and Senderos.

Then they were too darn lazy to fix it the summer after.

The likes of Ronaldo and Bendtner have no such excuses though and shouldn't be allowed to play.

[Shaki]

Originally Posted by Woodsinho

Dennis Bergkamp left at the end of the 05-06 season leaving the number 10 jersey vacant. Gallas joined after the season had started by which point squad numbers 2-6 had already been allocated to Diaby, Cole, Fabregas, Toure and Senderos.

Then they were too darn lazy to fix it the summer after.

Good squad number knowledge sir. He should have been allocated the next available number above 11.

[Shaki]

A good read for squad number geeks....

Squad number (association football) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Diaby should never be number 2 anyway, and Fabregas should be number 8 (or I would even accept 10).

I too am accepting of the 6 and 4 switcharound, but only if the number 6 is not a Makelele but more of a traditional centre-circle central midfielder.

EDIT:

That Wikipedia article is a good read. I knew number 5 in Brazillian football was the defensive player.

To clarify, the following is acceptable to me:

1 - Goalkeeper
2 - Right Back
3 - Left Back
4 - Right Back, Centre Half, Defensive Midfielder
5 - Centre Half
6 - Centre Half, Left Back, Central Midfielder
7 - Right Midfielder, Right Winger
8 - Attacking Central Midfielder
9 - Striker
10 - Striker, Central Midfielder
11 - Left Winger

[Shaki]

Originally Posted by Adam Easy Wishes

Diaby should never be number 2 anyway, and Fabregas should be number 8 (or I would even accept 10).

I too am accepting of the 6 and 4 switcharound, but only if the number 6 is not a Makelele but more of a traditional centre-circle central midfielder.

EDIT:

That Wikipedia article is a good read. I knew number 5 in Brazillian football was the defensive player.

To clarify, the following is acceptable to me:

1 - Goalkeeper
2 - Right Back
3 - Left Back
4 - Right Back, Centre Half, Defensive Midfielder
5 - Centre Half
6 - Centre Half, Left Back, Central Midfielder
7 - Right Midfielder, Right Winger
8 - Attacking Central Midfielder
9 - Striker
10 - Striker, Central Midfielder
11 - Left Winger

4 and 6 as full backs?! ARE YOU CRAZY!?!


Interestingly, on the sub goalie debate....

In England & Spain, the substitute goalkeeper would often be assigned the number 13 shirt, whereas in Italy and Germany, the substitute goalkeeper would be given the number 12, or the number 16 in France. (citation needed)

[Dave-IRL]

Originally Posted by Original Spies

I always thought 13 was the original sub keeper number.

Whilst this is wetting my nerdy appetite, it doesn't explain why Willy Gallas is as much of a ruiner to don a number 10 shirt in the centre of defence. I don't care if he scores more goals than Francis Jeffers. I'm not having it.

Sub Keepers never really had a traditional number as they never really existed until recently!

years ago you could only have 2 subs, numbered 12 and 14 due to superstition around 13. Then you were allowed 3 subs in the nineties to allow a keeper to be named, but generally the keeper would take either 12 or 15 as his number, however eventually many clubs just named 3 outfield players. By then of course, squad number were fairly established and subbies had whatever number they were allocated pre-season