Kevchenko wrote: Coventry have got to be one to watch for a team without any players numbered from 1-11 this season:
Coventry
23 Charles-Cook
2 Willis
18 Ricketts
29 Harries
30 Kelly-Evans
6 Rose
13 Gadzhev
24 Haynes Booked at 58mins
10 Jones Substituted for Lameirasat 67'minutes
17 Sordell Booked at 32mins Substituted for Reid at 45'minutes
27 G Thomas Substituted for Thomas at 73'minutes
Just having another look at Coventry so far. During their visit to Bradford they played 22 minutes with only one player numbered 1-11 on the pitch, Jordan Willis, who wears 2.
This was after the following:
23 Charles-Cook
2 Willis
18 Ricketts Substituted for G Thomas (#27) at 73' minutes
4 Turnbull Sent off at 66mins
30 Kelly-Evans
31 Stevenson
13 Gadzhev
12 McCann
15 Page
9 Agyei Substituted for Tudgay (#20) at 61' minutes
11 Reid Substituted for Harries (#29) at 68'minutes
Ray de Galles wrote: I can understand people who stick to a rigid line of wanting 1-11 plus subs only but to say you're in favour of squad numbers but only to a certain point seems massively inconsistent.
I don't see what's consistent about Manchester City having 40-odd players with squad numbers yet going up into the 70s.
Liverpool don't have a 4, 8 or 9 but a 66 and 68 despite only naming 35 numbered players.
Leaving loads of gaps is the real inconsistency.
If you have 35 players in your squad, number them 1 to 35.
It works in France, it works in Spain - why wouldn't it work in England?
That's precisely it - there should be a rule that gaps are not allowed, or maybe like in France, a couple of free numbers like 33 for mid-season signings.
In 96-97, the first year squad numbers were allowed in Europe, teams had to number 1-25. It wasn't hugely noticeable but Newcastle did have to make a few changes - Philippe Albert 27 -> 12, Robbie Elliott 26 -> 21, Paul Kitson 28 -> 22
But every sport that has adopted squad numbers has eventually ended up with vanity numbers, it was always going to happen.
While numbers 1-11 should and do still have a certain cachet, players coming in to the game now have grown only knowing the squad number system and unsurprisingly will occasionally gloam on to something more distinctive or novel.
I was more annoyed when I realised that clubs were going to alter players numbers every season rather than have a player keep one for the entireity of his career with them.
This "the numbers are too high!" stuff belongs with the "shirts shouldn't have sponsors!" and "all boots should be black!" pointless retrograde whinging.
I liked this from a Telegraph article about the ongoing disaster that is the competition formerly known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy :
Perhaps most ludicrously, the total sum of Leicester's squad numbers (709) for their match against Grimsby on Tuesday night was higher than the attendance at Blundell Park (609).
3 Colours Red wrote: At least he admitted it wasn't his choice. If he sticks with it however, then he becomes complicit.
He wore it for the next game too but rare for Ireland players to switch numbers during a single international break. Will be waiting anxiously to see what happens in November.
On a different topic, anyone care to hazard a guess as to who has worn the most numbers for England at major finals?
Fantastic work once again Denis. I was wondering if it might have been a peripheral striker but on reflection the answer makes sense - the peripheral strikers have tended to vary from tournament to tournament whereas the players in this position have not.
Coventry have got to be one to watch for a team without any players numbered from 1-11 this season:
Coventry
23 Charles-Cook
2 Willis
18 Ricketts
29 Harries
30 Kelly-Evans
6 Rose
13 Gadzhev
24 Haynes Booked at 58mins
10 Jones Substituted for Lameirasat 67'minutes
17 Sordell Booked at 32mins Substituted for Reid at 45'minutes
27 G Thomas Substituted for Thomas at 73'minutes
Just having another look at Coventry so far. During their visit to Bradford they played 22 minutes with only one player numbered 1-11 on the pitch, Jordan Willis, who wears 2.
This was after the following:
23 Charles-Cook
2 Willis
18 Ricketts Substituted for G Thomas (#27) at 73' minutes
4 Turnbull Sent off at 66mins
30 Kelly-Evans
31 Stevenson
13 Gadzhev
12 McCann
15 Page
9 Agyei Substituted for Tudgay (#20) at 61' minutes
11 Reid Substituted for Harries (#29) at 68'minutes
On the flip side to this. Bradford City's team against Oxford a couple of weeks back was
1 Doyle
2 Darby
3 Meredith
4 Law
5
6 Vincelot
7 Marshall
8 Dieng
9
10 Clarke
11 Hiwula
14 Cullen
22 Knight- Percival
Must be as close as it's going to get this season. Sadly 5&9 weren't subs.
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