Names on shirts

[Patrick Thistle]

I've just had a really horrible thought. Who do we think will be the first player to have an emoji or symbol on the back of their shirt instead of their name?

You know if it's Neymar or Pogba the authorities will let it happen.

[Benjm]

The Player Formerly Known As Kevin-Prince Boateng?

[Stumpy Pepys]

If anyone requested on their shirt, I would print it as U+1F602

[EIM]

Is this really something to worry about?

[Jah Womble]

It's speculation. We do a bit of that on here.

I remember some low-level dissent when Leeds Utd introduced that yellow 'LU' badge design during the seventies. So, if it does happen, people can just blame them.

(Actually, didn't Gazza talk of having 'G8' on his shirt at one point?)

[Gerontophile]

The Leeds thing with the socks. Everyone on the pigeon message list went spare about those. Eventually.

Oh, and Kaka.

[Flynnie]

Is this really something to worry about?

Inter had their players' instagram handles on their shirts a few months ago. So yes.

[EIM]

Oh no! Instagram handles!

I hear some of them have haircuts and do silly dances too. Game's gone to the dogs.

[Stumpy Pepys]

(Actually, didn't Gazza talk of having 'G8' on his shirt at one point?)

He did try to adopt that moniker for a while, but it never caught on. But it was long after he'd finished playing.

[Ray de Galles]

Is this really something to worry about?

Yeah, this all feels a little like the Harry Enfield character who get's preemptively very angry about some imagined future slight from a celebrity.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

What's Instagram?

[Stumpy Pepys]

What's Instagram?

It's a special camera where you don't have to take the film to the chemist.

[Jobi1]

I'd say this Hashtag United have a very high probability of entertaining such nonsense.

[EIM]

Yeah, this all feels a little like the Harry Enfield character who get's preemptively very angry about some imagined future slight from a celebrity.

Pogba getting shit for not doing something entirely imagined by some guy off the internet. Why doesn't he just concentrate on his football?

[Jah Womble]

Not sure I can detect any real - or preemptive - anger on this thread at all, but that could be me.

Actually, yeah - I'm going to get very briefly angry about the superfluous apostrophe in RdG's 'get's' back there. That'll have to suffice until one of those young showponies puts a bloody emoji on his shirt, the scoundrel.

[Sean of the Shed]

Oh, and Kaka.

Well if anyone is perfectly suited to having an emoji on his shirt...

[Stumpy Pepys]

Dave Kitson maybe? Or Gordon Strachan …

[Ray de Galles]

Lawd knows where “get’s” came from, I don’t even think spellchecker could conjure that up.

I think we covered Las Vegas Lights FC’s recent shirts, didn’t we?

[3 Colours Red]

Dave Kitson maybe?

Shhhh... it's a secret...

[Uros Predic]

They actually tried this - to an extent - in the FA Women's Super League a few years back, with a designated player from each team having their Twitter handle on their sleeve.

Turns out it was six years back

[Gangster Octopus]

Back in the days when Lincoln and Donny were allowed to be at the top...

[Patrick Thistle]

Not sure I can detect any real - or preemptive - anger on this thread at all, but that could be me.

Brian McLair was very angry about it when I met him for tofu earlier. Fair derailed our discussion about the best world food, it did.

[EIM]

You can't even spell his name right.

[Patrick Thistle]

He was wearing a knock off shirt with it misspelled.