The Origin of Football Shirt Numbering

The reason behind the printing of jersey numbers is simple: it helps referees and fans distinguish players on the pitch.

The first documented instance of numbers being used in association football was on 30th March 1924 when the Fall River Marksmen, an American football club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts played St. Louis Vesper Buick, in St. Louis, Missouri during the 1923–24 National Challenge Cup,

According to history, numbered shirts were first worn in association football in Europe on 25th August 1928, by English clubs Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday. In the mythology of Arsenal Football Club, it is often stated that Herbert Chapman, (right) the manager at the time, “invented” the notion of numbered shirts.

Certainly before the first match of the 1928/29 season no league team in England had turned out in numbered shirts, but on the same day Chelsea played Swansea and they had their shirts numbered. The difference between the two games was that at Chelsea the goalkeeper did not wear a number – a tradition that continued in English football once numbering of players became common.

So if Mr.Chapman was the keen advocate of numbering as the stories say, he rather cleverly managed to persuade Chelsea to undertake the same experiment on the same day.

The Monday newspapers on 27th August picked up on the story and deemed the idea a success, and it is reported in some sources that for both these matches one team would wear numbers 1 to 11, according to their positions on the field, and the other team 12 to 22, but there aren't any pictures to confirm this, and verification is vague.

Either way the Football Association didn’t like the idea and ordered the experiment to be abandoned. I don’t know what justification they gave for this.

In the 1934 AGM of the Football League Management Committee numbers was however once again rejected but finally on 5th July, 1939 the Management Committee decided that players should wear numbered shirts, with both sides wearing 1 to 11 in the format described for the first games in 1928.

However the 1939/40 season had hardly got underway when war was declared and the League programme abandoned. But the decision had been taken, and when League football returned on 31st August 1946, numbered shirts were available for all teams, both in England and Scotland.

As most teams still played the same tactical formation as existed during the 1928 experiment the standard numbering of shirts followed the classic 2-3-5 formation, with numbers 2 and 3 assigned to the full backs, 4, 5, 6 to the half backs, and 7 to 11 the forwards.

When substitutions were introduced to the game in 1965, the substitute typically took the number 12; when a second substitute was allowed, they wore 14. Players were not compelled to wear the number 13 if they were superstitious.

In 1993, The Football Association (The FA) switched to persistent squad numbers, abandoning the mandatory use of 1–11 for the starting line-up. The first league event to feature this was the 1993 Football League Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday, and it became standard in the FA Premier League the following season.

Squad numbers became optional in the three divisions of The Football League at the same time, but only 10 out of 70 clubs utilized them. Most European top leagues adopted the system during the 1990's.

The Football League made squad numbers compulsory for the 1999–2000 season, and the Football Conference followed suit for the 2002–03 season.

Players may now wear any number (as long as it is unique within their squad) between 1 and 99. To date, the highest number worn by a player in the Premier League is 78, by Manchester City's former Spanish striker José Ángel Pozo (below) against Sunderland on 3 December 2014.

Some players keep the number they start their career at a club with, such as Chelsea defender John Terry, who has worn the number 26 from when he became part of the first-team squad. On occasion, players have moved numbers to accommodate a new player; for example, Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun handed new signing Juan Mata the number 10 shirt, and changed to the number 30, which doubles his "lucky" number 15. Upon signing for Everton in 2007, Yakubu refused the prestigious number 9 shirt and asked to be assigned number 22, setting this number as a goal-scoring target for his first season, a feat he ultimately fell one goal short of achieving.

As commercialization has crept into the game, the decisions these players make are becoming an increasingly big deal for the marketability of them and their clubs; to be a bespoke commodity in a game saturated with personalities is becoming increasingly difficult, after all.

So players hold few concerns for the traditional associations with various numbers. Now players will pick lucky numbers, year of birth or numbers that their boyhood idols wore and even numbers to symbolize their rapper alter-egos! And that’s to name but a few.

But there are still some nods to tradition and heritage. When England play their friendly games they'll wear the classic number arrangement based on their positions on the pitch, as will a host of various national teams, something that'll still make purists purr with nostalgia.


You may have come across the term “retired jersey number.” In football, like in other sports, a retired jersey number is one which can no longer be used by other players of the same squad.

Numbers are retired to honor a player who has given significant contributions to a club or national team. Below are some retired jersey numbers:

* Number 3 of Milan – for Paolo Maldini, the greatest player of italian giants AC Milan.

* Number 6 of Milan – for Franco Baresi, one of the finest defenders in football history.

* Number 6 of Roma – for Aldair, one of the best Brazilian full-backs.

* Number 6 of West Ham United – for Bobby Moore, one of England’s greatest footballers.

* Number 10 of Brescia – for Roberto Baggio, the Italian is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time.

* Number 10 of Kispest AC/Honvéd – for Ferench Puskas, considered one of the best Hungarian players of all time.

* Number 10 of Napoli – for Diego Maradona, who help turn them from one of the poorest to one of the most successful clubs in Serie A between 1984 and 1991.

* Number 14 of Ajax – for Johan Cruijff, considered as Netherland’s best ever player.

* Number 17 of  Helsingborgs IF - for Henrik Larsson, the highly decorated Sweden striker.

* Number 17 of Lens - Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foé (below), who began his professional career at Lens in 1994, and died while playing for his country on 26th June 2003.

* Number 23 of Manchester City - for Marc-Vivien Foe, who was a City player when he collapsed and died while playing for Cameroon, aged 28. An autopsy found he been suffering from a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.


Over the years, achievements of world-class footballers and their fame has rubbed off on the numbers they wore.

From the legendary number ten shirt of Diego Maradona to the iconic number three shirt of Paolo Maldini, here are some of the most famous shirt numbers and the players who made them famous.

# Number One: Gianluigi Buffon, Oliver Kahn, Iker Casillas.

# Number Two: Cafu, Gary Neville.

# Number Three: Paolo Maldini (below), Roberto Carlos and Ashley Cole.

# Number Four: Patrick Vieira and Aldair.

# Number Five: Franz Beckenbauer, Zinedine Zidane, Rio Ferdinand and Fabio Cannavaro.

# Number Six: Franco Baresi, Xavi, Aldair.

# Number Seven: Cristiano Ronaldo (below), George Best (below), Luis Figo, David Beckham (below), Marc Overmars, Pierre Littbarski, Garrincha, Raul, Pato, David Villa, Bebeto, Andriy Shevchenko, Bryan Robson (below) and Eric Cantona (below).

# Number Eight: Socrates, Steven Gerrard, Andres Iniesta, Dunga and Hristo Stoichkov,

# Number Nine: Ronaldo de Lima, Marco Van Basten, Alfredo Di Stefano, Gabriel Batistuta, Marco Van Basten, Samuel Eto’o Hugo Hugo Sanchez and Alan Shearer.

# Number Ten: Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Pele, Michel Platini, Eusebio, Zico, Ferenc Puskás, Kaka, Rooney and Zinedine Zidane and Dennis Bergkamp.

# Number 11: Ryan Giggs and Romario.


In football, the fans are dubbed the 12th player because their support is equal to having an additional player on the field. Some football clubs that received strong support from fans retire the number 12 jersey to honor them.

Thus, Bayern Munich, Feyenoord, Portsmouth, Fenerbahce, RC Lens, Dynamo Kiev, Lazio, Zenith St. Petersburg and Glasgow Rangers are some of the clubs where the number 12 shirt has been permanently withdrawn to pay tribute to the loyalty of supporters.


Unusual or notable shirt numbers in football include the following:

* In 1996 when Portuguese star Paulo Futre learned he would have to wear the No.16 shirt at West Ham, rather than his preferred No.10, he brought in a legal team to resolve the issue.
Harry Redknapp, in his autobiography Always Managing, wrote: "Eddie Gillam, our trainer, had given him the No.16 shirt and got it thrown back in his face (before the first game of the season against Arsenal). Next thing, Paulo was in my face, too: 'Futre 10, not 16,' he said. ‘Eusebio 10, Maradona 10, Pele 10; Futre 10, not f***ing 16."

Redknapp said: "I tried to be firm. "Paulo, put your shirt on, get changed, please, we have a big game. If you don’t want to wear it, Paulo, off you go," And he did.
"The following Monday, Paulo came back in with his team of lawyers to negotiate for the No.10 shirt."

He then paid £100,000 to secure it.

* From 1997 to 2000 Chilean striker Iván Zamorano, wore number "1+8", or number 18 with a plus symbol between the two digits, for Internazionale of Milan , after his number 9 was given to Ronaldo.

* In 2000, Moroccan international Hicham Zerouali was allowed to wear the number 0 for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen after the fans nicknamed him "Zero."

* In 2000, Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian shot-stopper caused a right fuss when he opted to wear the 88 shirt at Parma. At first his choice seemed innocuous enough, though suddenly, Italy's Jewish community were outraged.

The number, they explained, was a neo-Nazi symbol; 'H' is the eighth letter of the alphabet, so putting two together makes 'HH', or, more chillingly, 'Heil Hitler'.
Buffon was quick to defend his actions. "I have chosen 88 because it reminds me of four balls," he said. "And in Italy we all know what it means to have balls: strength and determination. And this season I will have to have balls to get back my place in the Italy team."

"At first I didn't choose 88. I wanted 00 but the league told me that was impossible. I also considered 01 but that was not considered a proper number. I liked 01 because it was the number on the General Lee car in the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard."

* In 2004, Porto goalkeeper Vítor Baía became the first player to wear 99 in the final of a major European competition, the UEFA Champions League.

* In 2004 Juan Pablo Sorín was allowed to use the number "1+2" for Villarreal because the number 3 shirt was already taken.

* In 2005 French international left-back Bixente Lizarazu signed for Bayern Munich, and chose to wear shirt number 69. Though referred to as a commonly lewd number due to certain connotations, Lizarazu actually chose it due to a range of rather coincidental measurements:- he was born in 1969, weighed 69kg and had a height of 1.69 metres. Hence the choice of the number.

*In 2008, Milan's three new signings each chose a number indicating the year of his birth: 80 (Ronaldinho, born 1980), 76 (Andriy Shevchenko, born 1976) and 84 (Mathieu Flamini, born 1984).

* At the beginning of the 2013–14 season, Barnet midfielder and player-manager Edgar Davids allocated himself the number 1 shirt, announcing he intended to "set a trend". Davids was hardly a trailblazer however:- Ruud Geels (Holland, 1974), Ossie Ardiles (Argentina, 1978) and Stuart Balmer (Charlton 1990) had all worn the number one shirt before him.



Shirt numbers are not the most important facet of the game by any means, but they have brought wonderful symbolism and esteemed relevance to a host of players throughout the history of football. And as the struggle to be unique becomes increasingly critical for the big players that dominate the footballing landscape, it’ll be interesting to see what’s next in store for us when it comes to what’s printed on the back of a shirt!

Maverick Mal - A Short Biography of Malcolm Allison

Malcolm Allison was born in Dartford, Kent on the 5th September 1927.

'Big Mal' became one of British football's most colourful, charismatic and controversial characters to have ever graced the game, as well as being an incredibly innovative coach of his era.

His naturally flamboyant, outspoken and brazen nature made him the maverick character that he indeed was.

He played football for Erith & Belvedere before signing for Charlton Athletic in 1945.
He only played two first-team games for the club before Ted Fenton signed him for West Ham United for a fee of £7,000 in February 1951.

Allison had a poor relationship with Ted Fenton and openly described Fenton as a "useless manager."
The under pressure Fenton eventually agreed that Malcolm Allison should take over the training sessions, where he in turn he acted as mentor to a young Bobby Moore. He introduced all-day training which included weights in the afternoons. In fact he more or less ran the playing side of things, and the fans enjoyed the style of football introduced by Allison.

His playing career was cut short when on 16th September 1957, at the age of 30 Allison was taken ill after a game against Sheffield United. Doctors discovered he was suffering from tuberculosis and he had to have a lung removed. He made well over 200 appearances in his time with the East London club.

Allison took on a coaching role at Cambridge University, and moved into management at non-league Bath City in 1963. His moderate success at Bath City had alerted a number of Football League clubs, and in May 1964 he took up the position of manager of Plymouth Argyle. He soon returned to Bath to sign full-back Tony Book. However, Allison knew the Plymouth board would be reluctant to permit the purchase of a player with no League experience, who was approaching his thirtieth birthday. Allison encouraged Book to doctor his birth certificate, making him appear two years younger.

However all his trophy wining success in English football was crammed into a four year spell at Manchester City in the late 1960's.
Joe Mercer was named City manager in July 1965, but due to poor health Mercer sought a younger, energetic man to be his assistant. He offered the position to Allison, who he knew from coaching courses at Lilleshall.

The Mercer-Allison era is believed to be strongest in Manchester City's history. Renowned for a free-flowing style of football, developed by Allison in their first season City they won the Second Division championship. Two years later (1967-68) they won the First Division league title. The club won the FA Cup (1969), the League Cup (1970) and European Cup-Winners Cup (1971).
Allison was also responsible for introducing a red and black away kit because he wanted his side to look like AC Milan.

The following year Allison took over from Mercer as manager of the club, with a team including such greats as Bell, Summerbee and Lee.

City nearly won the League in Allison's first full season but lost key matches after the balance of the side was disrupted by the signing of the flamboyant Rodney Marsh, along with Allison's repeated desire to tinker with the side to little effect.
Although Allison resigned the following year he had left a lasting impression. It was said that during his time at City, "His influence was felt throughout the club and his approach was refreshing. His charisma and style brought excitement to sixties Manchester."

On the 31st March 1973 Allison was appointed manager of Crystal Palace. Despite his arrival the Eagles were relegated, losing five out of their last seven games.

Malcolm immediately instigated a huge stylistic shift both on and off the field, raising Palace's profile with his charismatic media appearances, rebranding the club’s rather homely nickname ‘The Glaziers’ as ‘The Eagles’ and ending the club’s 68-year association with claret and blue kits. Palace’s highly recognisable red and blue striped home kit was introduced, and later, the all-white strip with red and blue sash, changes which still reflect in the character of the club today.

The following season (1974-75)was even more disastrous because of a second successive relegation.

However the 1975-76 was Allison's most successful season at Selhurst Park as he spurred his side onto a fantastic FA Cup run. Brilliant victories against higher league opposition in the shape of Leeds United, Chelsea and Sunderland lead to the club's first ever FA Cup semi-final. Palace lost the semi-final to eventual winners Southampton at Stamford Bridge, with Allison resembling a Chicago gangster in his fur or sheepskin coat, 'lucky' fedora hat, and a cigar never far away.
With the team failing to reach Wembley and win promotion Allison resigned in May 1976.

Despite two successive relegations during his tenure, Palace supporters will always remember the mid 1970s as the era of FA Cup runs and Allison's fedora hat. His period at the helm of 'The Eagles' was not the most successful but during his time in charge the seeds were sown for the success that would follow under Terry Venables.

Much in line with his flamboyant persona, his career was shrouded in numerous controversies. His outspoken nature and 'laddish womanising antics' were ideal for the tabloids but nothing topped Allison's decision in 1976 to invite the famous porn star Fiona Richmond to Palace's Park Langley training ground for a photo shoot with a cameraman from the News of the World.

Richmond went in goal while Palace's slightly bemused but uncomplaining players took penalties at her, and the session ended with the club's goalkeeper Paul Hammond covering the former Playboy model in mud.

But that was just the start of it. Moments later, Richmond appeared in the dressing rooms wearing only a fur coat, which she promptly whipped off before jumping in the players' communal bath, along with Allison.


Then Crystal Palace player, Terry Venables later said of the incident, "I was in the bath with all the players and we heard the whisper that she was coming down the corridor." So far, so good. "We all leapt out and hid, because we knew there'd be photos and that wouldn't go down too well. Malcolm and Fiona dropped everything and got in the bath."

Allison received a Football Association disrepute charge after a photograph was published in the News of the World showing him in the Crystal Palace players' bath with the porn star.

Among Big Mal's 'other women' were Roger Moore's ex-wife Dorothy Squires, 1950's movie legend Jane Russell, Profumo scandal hooker Christine Keeler, two Miss UK's! and a Playboy Club employee called Serena Williams!

After Palace, Allison had short managerial stints at Galatasaray in Turkey, and back at Plymouth before Allison returned to Manchester City as manager in 1979. It was an unmitigated disaster and he left for Palace again in 1980.
Stints with a number of other clubs never saw Allison scale those giddy City heights again, apart from a golden period out of the British spotlight where he won the Portuguese league and cup with Sporting Lisbon.
Allison’s final spell in management came at Bristol Rovers in the early 1990's, where he introduced a tactical concept called the 'Whirl' which involved players regularly swapping positions on the field of play.

Allison settled into semi-retirement as a radio pundit on Teeside, despite being 'accidentally' caught on air using an array of expletives!

With his enthusiasm for expansive football, Allison would have made a fine director of coaching at the FA, but his extravagant lifestyle seemed to colour his approach to club management - he couldn't be left alone with a chequebook!
He remains the only English football manager to have published an autobiography that sounds like a psychedelic LP, 'Colours of My Life.'

Sadly his health is in decline. In 2001 it was revealed by his son that Allison was suffering from alcoholism, and he is now in a care home suffering from Alzheimer’s. It's a heart-rending end for one of football's greatest entertainers.

As a football manager, he was moderate, his achievements as a coach far outweighing his titles as a number one.

But as a PR guru, he was simply peerless!





Friday 15th October 2010, only four days after writing my short biography on Malcolm Allison -
I am truly saddened to say that today Malcolm Allison passed away, aged 83.
God bless you 'Big Mal' and may your rest in peace.

The Weird & Wacky World of Footballer's Pre-Match Rituals

When it comes to pre-match rituals and superstitions, footballers are in a class of their own. Whatever it is, however weird or wacky it may seem, footballers will do anything if it makes them believe they will play better. Goalkeepers in particular seem to have a penchant for peculiar pre-match rituals. Here are just some of the more unusual footballing pre-match rituals I have discovered:

Malvin Kamara:

Former Huddersfield striker Kamara recently revealed that he would watch 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' before every match. He claimed it helped to "calms his nerves, bring him luck and maintain his goalscoring form."
After netting a less than impressive three goals in 45 appearances for 'The Terriers,' the player was released in 2009 and now plays his football for non-league AFC Guiseley. Maybe it's time to retire that ritual Malvin?

Sergio Goycochea
:

The Argentina goalkeeper literally used to take the pee. He had the unusual habit of urinating on the pitch before facing a penalty. Apparently he relieved himself once before a penalty and saved it, and so continued the tradition for the remainder of his career. "It was my lucky charm and I went before every shoot out," he said. "I was very subtle, nobody complained."

John Terry:

The Chelsea captain has revealed that he has "about 50 superstitions," which include listening to the same Usher CD, using the same urinal at Stamford Bridge and taking the same seat on the Chelsea team bus. He also claims to have used the same shinpads throughout his career before he misplaced them after a Champions League tie with Barcelona in 2005. "Those shin-pads had got me to where I was in the game," Terry revealed. He now wears a ‘lucky pair’ that were teammate Frank Lampard’s.
No mention, though, of the superstitious use of team-mates' birds before a big game!

David James:

As befits a goalkeeper, England's David James has a couple of odd pre-match 'must dos'. Portsmouth's resident artist and philosopher has admitted to not speaking to anyone before kick-off, as well as waiting for the urinals to empty of players before he enters and spits on the wall. Classy!

Shay Given:

The Ireland and Manchester City keeper insists on keeping a vial of 'Holy Water' at the back of the goal for every game he plays for club or country. With Ireland, he’s following in a tradition of superstitious keepers, as predecessor Packie Bonner used to carry a piece of clay from Gartan in County Donegal in his glove bag wherever he went.

Steve Phillips:

The former Bristol Rovers keeper cannot change his water bottle.

He reveals: "When I walk into the dressing-room the first water bottle I pick up I have to keep with me for the rest of the day."

"It doesn't matter how dirty or battered it gets, I can't use another one or else it's bad luck."

"And not only that, but once it's empty our kitman Roger Harding - and only him - has to refill it from a new bottle."

"Roger is the only other person allowed to touch my bottle. I don't let anyone else anywhere near it." Wacko!

Neil Warnock:

The outspoken QPR manager is no stranger to irksome behaviour, and it seems as though his penchant for the irritating extends to his personal life. If his side are in the midst of a winning run, the former Crystal Palace and Sheffield United manager will stop at every traffic light on his journey home, even if the lights are green.

Kolo Toure:

The Ivorian defender has to be the last player out on the pitch. This superstition lead to a booking at the start of the second half in a Champions League clash with Roma - for taking too long to return to the field of play, following the half-time interval.

Gary Lineker:

Back in his playing days, former England marksman Gary Lineker consciously avoided shooting at goal during the pre-match warm-up, so as to ensure that he didn’t ‘waste’ his good shots before games.

Bobby Moore:

In a superstition mirrored by many of today’s superstars, England’s World Cup-winning captain would insist on being the last member of the team to put on his shorts prior to kick-off. It is thought that Moore’s West Ham United team-mate Martin Peters would often wait for Moore to put on his shorts before he put on his own, only to see Moore subsequently remove his own shorts and put them back on again.