Have we mentioned on this thread before how annoying it is that BBC match reports put a leading zero before single digit squad numbers when they list the lineups?
e.g. Barnet on Saturday, who made a good effort on the numbering:
I was watching the final of the 1968 European Championship last night. The Italian manager Valcareggi had done that thing of doling out the squad numbers in alphabetical order, meaning that Giacinto Facchetti was wearing the number 10 shirt despite being a left-back (or, in this particular match, effectively a left-winger).
And if you think that's bad, Pietro Anastasi – who scored a brilliant goal – was wearing number 2 up front.
Speaking of old European Championships, which we were, England v Belgium 1980 in Turin (the one marred by crowd trouble) was almost 1-11 on both line-ups, except for Guy Thys spoiling it by picking Jean-Marie Pfaff (12) in goal.
"It’s where I started from. It’s the number I feel comfortable with and it’s probably the number that I want to carry on with until I finish my career."
"It’s where I started from. It’s the number I feel comfortable with and it’s probably the number that I want to carry on with until I finish my career."
What? This is ridiculous. Sell him.
The sentiment in bold is surely a noble one, endorsed by this very thread. Molesey is clearly a hotbed of Squadnumberology.
Yeah, but we*'re all fetishist nerds who are border-line on the spectrum. He's a fucking international footballer. I've not trusted him since he turned up fat wearing jeggings. Mata stepped off a helicopter in a pea coat and gazelle og, ffs. This is Manchester United, not Southampton. I repeat: sell him.
*you. I included myself in this originally to garner support. I now want to make it clear I am different to the rest of you weirdos. I have my own issues, certainly, but they aren't your issues.
LeBron began wearing 23 in high school because of Jordan. He switched to 6 in Miami and began campaigning for 23 to be retired throughout the league (as Wayne Gretzky's 99 is in the NHL and Jackie Robinson's 42 is in MLB). He then returned to 23 when he returned to Cleveland.
Green Calx wrote: I was watching the final of the 1968 European Championship last night. The Italian manager Valcareggi had done that thing of doling out the squad numbers in alphabetical order, meaning that Giacinto Facchetti was wearing the number 10 shirt despite being a left-back (or, in this particular match, effectively a left-winger).
And if you think that's bad, Pietro Anastasi – who scored a brilliant goal – was wearing number 2 up front.
Ah yes, but oddly enough I have no problem with that. As I think I may have mentioned upthread somewhere, I'd happily bring back 1 - 11 numbering tomorrow, and reduce the number of substitutes too (there must be a separate thread about the substitute issue, but as I understand it, the clubs that can afford thirty seven internationals now want to be allowed to play them all in every game, with unlimited rolling substitutions. I may not have the details entirely correct.) Anyway, as for squad numbers, the only time I'm prepared to endorse their use is at the finals of major tournaments, and if the countries choose to number their players in alphabetical order, that's fine by me. I'd like consistency though; no cheating to allow 'star' players their 7 or 10 or whatever.
I hadn't realised Italy did that, thought they only ever went in for the block numbering, but what makes '68 great is that the goalkeepers were first, 21st and 22nd alphbetically, with their number of caps corresponding to their numerical order:
By the way, having watched all five games of it in the last month or so, can I just say that 1968 was far and away the shittest European Championship ever staged. Much worse than 1980, which is usually tagged as the poorest of them all.
Yugoslavia-England was especially appalling. Yugoslavia did most of the fouling, but the vast majority of the really bad challenges came from England. Norman Hunter put Ivica Osim out of the tournament after about five minutes of play.
He was quiet in the England game apart from the late goal, which was more or less gifted to him by Bobby Moore switching off.
He played well in the original final but, like the rest of the Yugoslavian team, did nothing whatsoever in the replay. I think the first two matches drained the life out of all of them. Hard to feel sorry for them after all their fouling and play-acting though.
It bothers me unreasonably that below Conference Premier there are no squad numbers (or transfer windows). It's hard enough to keep track of who's playing for you without them changing numbers every week.
It seems it was mentioned in another thread about the somewhat more vigorous numbering rules in Spain, specifically regarding the fact that 1, 13 and 25 are reserved for goalkeepers.
Well...
Mariano (a defender) was wearing 25 for Sevilla last night.
True, they only have two first-team keepers at the moment but 16 and 24 are seemingly still available. Surely he should be forced to take one of those?
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