What's your own squad number?

[Ray de Galles]

This thread prompted a conversation with my ten year old son the other day about which squad number we'd choose and he is sticking with his choice from when he was younger of 43.

This seems to stem from a few things - one is that's it was the race number sported by Strip "The King" Weathers who was his favorite in the movie 'Cars', another is that when I was 43 and he was 5, he and his mother were amused as to how I pronounced my age and he'd walk around going "fawty-free, fawty-free, fawty-free" and he's never tired of it.

I asked the women in the family what they would choose and my daughters both went with the day of the month they were born in (21 and 11 respectively, my younger daughter being born on the 11th of November so it's doubly good for her). My wife chose 28 which is the day of her birthday as well but also because "the seven times table was always my favorite so I'd be happy with 7, 14 or 21 too".

[Various Artist]

I admire that logic from Mme de Galles. It's the same sort of thing as my principle with the 16 shirt, except I couldn't have 4 as that's a defender, I'm not sure if I like 8, 12 is all wrong, 20 is just weird on a shirt and 24 is lovely but definitely getting too high.

So, er, not much like my thing at all then really. But you get my drift.

[Ray de Galles]

Oops, looks like we've left Harry out in the cold now. Literally. He'll be playing 'skins' from here on.

That was indeed me being firm in any incredibly British, inexplicably guilty-feeling way, like the firm need to apologise to someone who's just trodden on one's toes.

Changing would also upset my 4-centric OCD, more pertinently perhaps:
I really don't want to have to go to 4³ as 64 is getting a bit stupidly high for a shirt number, for my tastes.

You haven’t softened on the idea of letting me have the 16 shirt have you, VA?

I really feel wrong having 27 still and 16 is the only other one that appeals.

[EIM]

I wear 4 for my current team. Partly because of Juan Veron, and partly because I'm half the man I used to be.

[Crusoe]

3, for old time's sake. Even though for most of my career I was a right back for Torpedo Rushmoor (some might say a luxury position in a five a side team), I played with a left back's lack of flair or skill.

Still true today.

[Ray de Galles]

I wear 4 for my current team. Partly because of Juan Veron, and partly because I'm half the man I used to be.

Already gone (see page one) but I can do you 12. You’re a natural 12, like a waning Bryan Robson.

[EIM]

It's also 8 plus 4.

I'm sticking with 8.

[Ray de Galles]

I need to update that squad number list on page one actually, I think I failed to last time I bumped the thread as I was sulking.

[Billy Casper]

Having given this five years of thought I've finally come up with a number.

Barnsley have won the FA Cup once in our history, in 1912. So in honour of that I'm going to go with twel... nineteen.

(Actually I'll take twelve please as Ray is clearly losing sleep over it, and he recently made fun of a Rotherham kit so he's in my good books.)

[Ray de Galles]

Good lad, Billy. You’ll do the 12 shirt proud with that willingness to throw yourself in and plug a gap.

Updated the original list on page one and copy below :


1 Pebble The Fish
2 Crusoe
3 Pietro Paolo Virdis
4 Gawpus
5 Nmr Fox
6 TheNonFlyingFrenchman
7 Serge Gainsbourg
8 The Ballad of Lightbowne Lil
9 Vicarious Thrillseeker
10 Big Dave's Gusset
11 Hot Orange
12 Billy Casper
13 Gavc 23
14 Toby Gymshorts
15 Bored of Education
16 Velvet Android
17 Three Times A Reddy
18 JWDD 27
19 Carlos Costly
20 Smallcaps
21 Eggchaser
22 Shackleford
23 Gerontophile
24 Denis Hurley
25 Cesar Rodriguez

27 Harry Truscott

31 Kevchenko
32 Diggedy Derek

34 Hugh Fatbastard

36 blameless

41 Andrew 7610
42 Patrick Thistle

64 scratchmonkey

71 Sits
72 Antelpi Ejderha
73 Moocowe

77 Snake Plissken

94 Alex Anderson

96 Rogin The Armchair Fan

[Patrick Thistle]

Can I have 42 please? I am the answer to life, the universe and everything. And also I'm 42.

[Ray de Galles]

Done.

I’ve only just realised EIM was already the occupant of the 8 shirt under a very short-lived screen name.

[3 Colours Red]

I'm still OK with 17 but TTAR was two usernames ago. I Frenchified it for the Euros, Ray mistranslated it as 3CR, I preferred it as it made the same point but with a better ring and more cultural references.

[Wouter D]

Like a repentant Javier Hernandez, I too have since shed a nickname. Number 20 still suits me well.

[seand]

I played #4 at right back or centre half during my 11 a side 'career' . Being in my 40s and therefore old enough to remember proper shirt numbers I couldn't countenance going higher than 11, so I'm withdrawing from the OTF squad in favour of a pub team with a smelly bag of communal kit.
The 9 year old is nothing if not loyal..... His squad number of choice is 17 for his first Dundalk hero Richie Towell who played his last game for de town when the young fella was just gone 7.

[1974ddr]

I always wore 13 in honour of Der Bomber, but since that's gone, would 1974 be asking too much? I'm prepared to wear an outsize shirt if necessary...

[ad hoc]

I'd like 66.

Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66
Sheffield Wednesday in the cup final
A word (at least if you hyphenate it) with two x's in
Some men called Norman invaded Hastings
It sounds good
Some other football something happened
I was born

[Ray de Galles]

Various Artist, I still can't tempt you to hand over the 16 shirt and take 27 (or another vacant one, perhaps a former poster has left a number free you like), can I?

[Ray de Galles]

1974ddr

I always wore 13 in honour of Der Bomber, but since that's gone, would 1974 be asking too much? I'm prepared to wear an outsize shirt if necessary...

Only just seen this while looking for something else. Clearly I can't allow 1974 but you can have the 74 shirt?

[Jah Womble]

Having been born on the 11th day of the 11th month (as indeed was my father), it's pretty obvious which number I'd choose. But I note that Hot Orange already has it.

I'll go with '111'.

[Ray de Galles]

Same birthday as my younger daughter.

Though clearly we can't have three figure numbers, this isn't Mexico!

[Jah Womble]

Then I'm not playing.

*Picks up ball and stomps off*

[Simon G]

I'm another who was always number 13 when given the option. To the point that as Cheltenham Town never had a number 13 when we first started wearing squad numbers in 1999, that every new shirt I bought had my surname and 13 on the back.

Anyway, as that's been gone for some time, I'll go with my day of birth - 30.

[Hot Orange]

Having been born on the 11th day of the 11th month (as indeed was my father), it's pretty obvious which number I'd choose. But I note that Hot Orange already has it.

I'll go with '111'.

I feel bad now. I only chose 11 because 7 was unavailable. I'll campaign for a move to 10 - Big Daves Gussett is too big a name for our squad these days, isn't he?

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

It's taken over six years to sort out the squad numbers - when's the kit design (home and change) starting?