I'm interested in shirt numbers and write a blog about them - quite a few of the articles are from the pre-squad numbers era but obviously most centred on the modern day will deal with squad numbers. I am allowed to have a preference for teams to number their 11 players sequentially, the same way I like that holes on a golf course go fro 1-18 rather than having a 31 or somesuch thrown in.
Your literality on the name of the blog discomfits me. Do you harangue Iceland for being green and Greenland for being icy?
I don't nomally like when players move to higher numbers, but centre-back Shane Duffy wearing 15 for Ireland against Austria tonight was more preferable to the 7 he wore against Georgia and Moldova.
Of course, that was offset by the fact that Robbie Brady played left-back wearing 10.
Oh I meant to dig up this thread to mention that we got to see the full glory of Wednesday's wackadoo squad numbers last week in the cup with number 2 in goal, 6 up front, 3 and 9 on the wings and four starters (who I'm pretty sure are all first choice) with squad numbers above 30.
On both my sightings of Wednesday this season I've found myself shaking my head at the sheer wrongness of the left back wearing 9 and a striker wearing 6.
The currently unattached Emmanuel Adebayor rocking his usual striker's no. 4 for Togo at AFCON.
Apparently the reason is to emulate Kanu - having inherited his no. 25 at Arsenal, he decided to also adopt Nwankwo's inappropriate international number.
Hal Robson Kanu has followed suit at West Brom for the same reason.
HRK has admitted he also took the 4 shirt for the more prosaic reason that it was the only number from 1-11 that was free.
""It’s a few things... At the time it was the only single number available and I prefer wearing a single number, especially with such a long name, I think the single number looks a little bit better."
"Nwankwo Kanu, the Nigerian footballer because I have Nigerian blood in me and he’s got the same surname as myself. He used to wear the number 4 for Nigeria and he also played for West Brom as well.
I’ll wear it for this season and see how it goes!"
The final line makes me think the tribute to Kanu is the lesser reason.
Wolves appear to be going down the route of not reusing any numbers in a season, so given that they're on their third manager since the end of last season, and entered an Academy side in the Football League Trophy, means that the lowest number available to new signing Andreas Weimann is...
One terrible side effect of Swansea swapping left back Neil Taylor for Villa forward Jordan Ayew is that the latter has taken the former's number 3 shirt.
It seems that the next lowest number available was 50. That and he'd actually worn 3 before while playing in France. Thanks to Denis' blog for that info.
It does seem that Swansea are too much sticklers for the rules though as other clubs seem to have re-allocated numbers vacated by players going out on loan. If Chelsea didn't do that, they'd probably have players with 100 or more on their backs!
Early heads up that Wednesday look to be reusing oddball squad numbering this coming season. We're playing our first friendly at Alfreton tonight and using squad numbers. Highlights include Gary Hooper in 3 (striker, 14 last season), Daniel Pudil in 11 (left back, 36 last season), Marco Matias in 7 (winger, 21 last season when he barely appeared), Jordan Thorniley in 12 (never played for the first team), Adam Reach in 19 (left winger, was 9 last season), Atdhe Nuhiu 22 (was 44 last season when he barely appeared). Will post the full horror when it is confirmed.
I'm intrigued by the big gap from 11-16 in Wimbledon's numbers announced yesterday, though I suppose it appears to promise a significant number of signings still to come :
1. George Long
2. Barry Fuller
3. Jon Meades
4. Deji Oshilaja
5. Will Nightingale
6. Paul Robinson
7. George Francomb
8. Jimmy Abdou
9. Kwesi Appiah
10. Cody McDonald
17. Andy Barcham
18. Dean Parrett
19. Tom Soares
20.Toby Sibbick
21. Egli Kaja
22. Chris Whelpdale
23. Callum Kennedy
24. Joe McDonnell
25. Nik Tzanev
26. Anthony Hartigan
27. Neset Bellikli
28. Alfie Egan
29. Jayden Antwi
30. Paul Kalambayi
31. Seth Owens
32. Darius Charles
33. Lyle Taylor
Cruel on Whelpdale though to drop to the 22 shirt even though nobody else has taken his old number 11.
Senior players and near guaranteed first choice starters Charles and Taylor again keep their shirt numbers in the thirties out of sentimental/superstitious attachment despite suitable 1-11 numbers coming free.
An outfield player in 31 (the least acceptable number for anyone but a keeper) again is an eyesore.
Early heads up that Wednesday look to be reusing oddball squad numbering this coming season. We're playing our first friendly at Alfreton tonight and using squad numbers. Highlights include Gary Hooper in 3 (striker, 14 last season), Daniel Pudil in 11 (left back, 36 last season), Marco Matias in 7 (winger, 21 last season when he barely appeared), Jordan Thorniley in 12 (never played for the first team), Adam Reach in 19 (left winger, was 9 last season), Atdhe Nuhiu 22 (was 44 last season when he barely appeared). Will post the full horror when it is confirmed.
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