Football players shirt numbers
Discussion
Hi Folks
There was a time when football team shirt numbers meant something (1 to 11), with 1 being the goal keeper and 10 & 11 being forward players.
However, it seems that this has now all changed. Can someone be kind enough to explain when and why it was changed and what the new numbers mean?
Thanks
There was a time when football team shirt numbers meant something (1 to 11), with 1 being the goal keeper and 10 & 11 being forward players.
However, it seems that this has now all changed. Can someone be kind enough to explain when and why it was changed and what the new numbers mean?
Thanks
geek84 said:
Hi Folks
There was a time when football team shirt numbers meant something (1 to 11), with 1 being the goal keeper and 10 & 11 being forward players.
However, it seems that this has now all changed. Can someone be kind enough to explain when and why it was changed and what the new numbers mean?
Thanks
It changed in 1993. Note that 10 and 11 were not necessarily forwards it depended on the formation.There was a time when football team shirt numbers meant something (1 to 11), with 1 being the goal keeper and 10 & 11 being forward players.
However, it seems that this has now all changed. Can someone be kind enough to explain when and why it was changed and what the new numbers mean?
Thanks
Many footballers are stupidly superstitious. They get allocated a high squad number as a 3rd choice player when they are young, break into the team due to injury or suspension of other players, do well and become a regular starter. They can get a lower shirt number for the following season but refuse to change because the original number has been "lucky".
John Terry refused to swap from no 26.
John Terry refused to swap from no 26.
Before 1928 in Europe, no player wore ANY number on his shirt.
Between 1928 and 1993 the FA stuck with the rule that teams had to field players wearing shirts numbered 1 to 11 at the start of any game, and replacements (where, and in the number permitted) had to wear shirts from 12 onwards in chronological order.
Perpetual squad numbers were introduced in 1993 (at the League Cup final). In the 93/94 FA Premier League season, players began to wear a 'perpetual' squad number, and also their name on the shirt as standard. At that time, in the remaining three Football League divisions, squad numbers were optional, but the majority of clubs stuck with the 1 to 11 numbering system.
Squad numbers were compulsory under Football League rules by the 1999/2000 season. The Football Conference clubs had until the 02/03 season to move to squad numbers. A player may wear any squad number between 1 and 99 so long as it is a unique number within his club. It is not normally permitted for a player to change numbers within the same club/squad in the same season, unless he has been out on loan, for example, and his old number re-allocated in his absence. I can't recall the name(s), but I'm sure there have been some quite well-known players who have had a bit of a flounce when their favoured squad number has been on someone else's shirt when they transfer to a new club. Sometimes the solution has been to persuade the current wearer to give up the "special" number to the new signing. Other times I recall a player who (for example) wanted the number 9 shirt actually wearing 27 (or 45, or 36) as his squad number because "2+7=9", etc.
In the lower leagues I believe they still rotate shirts according to the starting lineup for any given game, and do not have "standard" squad numbers. This is partly because the player roster changes more often with lower league clubs, and there is a lot of loaning of players going on to fill holes. It's also because players registered with a club may not always be available to play. One of our local club's semi-professional players was also a Firefighter, and therefore couldn't play when he was 'on shift' on match day, so he'd be replaced by someone further down the pecking order in the roster.
According to The Standardised Rules compiled by the Sanction and Registrations Committee of The Football Association, for the mandatory use of all sanctioned Competitions at Steps 1 to 6 inclusive of the National League System...
Between 1928 and 1993 the FA stuck with the rule that teams had to field players wearing shirts numbered 1 to 11 at the start of any game, and replacements (where, and in the number permitted) had to wear shirts from 12 onwards in chronological order.
Perpetual squad numbers were introduced in 1993 (at the League Cup final). In the 93/94 FA Premier League season, players began to wear a 'perpetual' squad number, and also their name on the shirt as standard. At that time, in the remaining three Football League divisions, squad numbers were optional, but the majority of clubs stuck with the 1 to 11 numbering system.
Squad numbers were compulsory under Football League rules by the 1999/2000 season. The Football Conference clubs had until the 02/03 season to move to squad numbers. A player may wear any squad number between 1 and 99 so long as it is a unique number within his club. It is not normally permitted for a player to change numbers within the same club/squad in the same season, unless he has been out on loan, for example, and his old number re-allocated in his absence. I can't recall the name(s), but I'm sure there have been some quite well-known players who have had a bit of a flounce when their favoured squad number has been on someone else's shirt when they transfer to a new club. Sometimes the solution has been to persuade the current wearer to give up the "special" number to the new signing. Other times I recall a player who (for example) wanted the number 9 shirt actually wearing 27 (or 45, or 36) as his squad number because "2+7=9", etc.
In the lower leagues I believe they still rotate shirts according to the starting lineup for any given game, and do not have "standard" squad numbers. This is partly because the player roster changes more often with lower league clubs, and there is a lot of loaning of players going on to fill holes. It's also because players registered with a club may not always be available to play. One of our local club's semi-professional players was also a Firefighter, and therefore couldn't play when he was 'on shift' on match day, so he'd be replaced by someone further down the pecking order in the roster.
According to The Standardised Rules compiled by the Sanction and Registrations Committee of The Football Association, for the mandatory use of all sanctioned Competitions at Steps 1 to 6 inclusive of the National League System...
the rules said:
Rule 7.5 - The Players’ shirts must be clearly numbered in accordance with the Team Sheet handed to the match referee before a match and there must be no change of numbers during the match except for a change of goalkeeper or if permitted by the match referee because of a blood injury.
Rule 6.7 SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS - A Club at its discretion may use three substitute Players at any time in a match. Substitution can only be made when play is stopped for any reason and the Referee has given permission. When a Club is making a substitution it shall use a Board to show the number of the Player to be substituted and the number of the substitute Player.
A maximum of [ *number of permitted named substitutes varies between leagues at this level ] SUBSTITUTES may be nominated and they must be included on the official Team Sheet handed to the Referee before the match in accordance with Rule 8.11.1.
I can find nothing in this set of rules that requires the numbers 1 to 11 to start the match, but I'm pretty sure there are rules preventing the use of perpetual squad numbers and the printing of names on shirts at lower (non-league) level. This is as much a financial protection for clubs as anything else, as clubs often have just one complete home and one complete away strip for an entire season, meaning the clubs' kit bills are kept sensible. Unlike Premier League/Champions League clubs where they seem to have specific details of match opponents printed/embroidered onto shirts meaning they are a wear-once item with shirts often swapped after matches.Rule 6.7 SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS - A Club at its discretion may use three substitute Players at any time in a match. Substitution can only be made when play is stopped for any reason and the Referee has given permission. When a Club is making a substitution it shall use a Board to show the number of the Player to be substituted and the number of the substitute Player.
A maximum of [ *number of permitted named substitutes varies between leagues at this level ] SUBSTITUTES may be nominated and they must be included on the official Team Sheet handed to the Referee before the match in accordance with Rule 8.11.1.
Black can man said:
Anyone old enough to remember the old Leeds United numbered sock tie ups ?
Scary sight for us old timers .Not many of them would have lasted 90mins these days.
Great photo. I assume one of their players has just kicked the ball into touch, and the other 10 are appealing for the throw in. Scary sight for us old timers .Not many of them would have lasted 90mins these days.
A great team who won very little. Even their subbuteo team came with them clutching their losers medals.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Black can man said:
Anyone old enough to remember the old Leeds United numbered sock tie ups ?
Scary sight for us old timers .Not many of them would have lasted 90mins these days.
Great photo. I assume one of their players has just kicked the ball into touch, and the other 10 are appealing for the throw in. Scary sight for us old timers .Not many of them would have lasted 90mins these days.
A great team who won very little. Even their subbuteo team came with them clutching their losers medals.
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