I think everyone knows Cruyff adorned himself with the 14 because he wanted his own number to make unqiue, but I've always wondered why: Osvaldo(Ossie) Ardiles wore #1 when he was a defensive midfielder. Vitor Baia wearing #99 I'm sure there are many more examples of players wearing bizarre shirt numbers, feel free to add them on. I would love to know the story behind these two in particular though. Anyone have the scoop? Anyone remember Zamorana wearing 1+8 (IIRC) when Ronaldo went to Inter? lol, quite possibly the stupidest number I've ever seen!
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? asf should correct me. I think Argentina used alphabetic order for numbering. Maradona was the exceptional. Zamorana's shirt is a collector item. Beckham's reason for 23?????
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Van der Vaart wanted the #23 shirt at HSV, because he had his best seasons at Ajax in that shirt.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? The first year it was introduced in England Charlton used alphabetical order. Stuart Balmer wore #1.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Beckham wears 23 because it was Michael Jordan's shirt number. IIRC, Jordan himself wore 23 because his brother wore 45, and as that shirt was unavailable to him he wore 23, roughly half 45.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? He got mad that he had to give up his #9 to Ronaldo, so he figured he'd take 18 with a plus sign so he has technically be "#9" [1+8=9]. Francesco Coco used to wear #77 at Milan and Inter. Cristiano Lupatelli, ex-goalkeeper of Chievo and Roma, and now goalkeeper of Parma, wore the number 10 at Chievo [strange having your goalkeeper be the #10]....
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Pantelis Kafes wears no1. Strange thing is, he is an outfield player! More often than not you still players with 70's and 80's as the year they were born. Celsinho at Lokomotiv will wear 88, because he was born in 1988.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Salvatore Foti of Sampdoria has number 88 because he was born in 1988.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Who's the guy at Livorno who wears 99? (Lucarelli?)
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? are there any outfield players who wear 00 or 0?
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Yes, Lucarelli. I think he chose 99 because number 9 was taken when he joined. You're not allowed to wear 0 or 00 according to FIFA regulations.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? um i totally knew that i was just testing you...
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? I once saw a Mexican (UAG) player wear 109. Yes, frikkin 109... And a Chivas Originals (read the Mexican club, not the US copy) player wears (or wore) 100... Mexican League obviously rules in terms of weird numbers... And who's that Italian goalie who wears 11??? I saw that once too, it might have been in Bologna...
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? I think one of the Mexican players was sponsored by a radio station. That number was the frequency of the station. Alain Sutter used to wear #66 at MLS because of Route 66.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? That probably was Lupatelli... Luca Bucci, 'keeper of Parma, wears 7, his back-up Guardalben wears 99.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? the radio station was no. 58. adolfo bautista wears no. 100 on chivas. he wore a different number for libertadores. mexico has had players wear 100 before - (erubei cabuto- ex atlas and queretaro keeper). number higher than 100 are banned though. manuel vidrio, who had a short stint at osasuna when javier aguirre began coaching them, wore no. 99 with pachuca. america once had a couple of young players with no 114 and 128 for their first game on the bench (not too sure about the second number- but i'm sure about the 114.) there was a player from sierra leone who played for monterrey - not much skill, but a loooooooooot of speed. he'd be fed long balls non stop and was pretty prolific that way. he wore no. 690.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Here players are allowed to wear whatever number they want Robert Parrish: The Worm (Dennis Rodman): Randy Moss: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said in his book he could choose his own number, it is usually 9, but he wore 18 (because 9 was taken, and 18 is 9*2) last year, so I guess they are letting players choose
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Lizarazu wears jersey number 69 because 3 was taken when he returned from Marseille and because that is the year of his birth and also his weight and height.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Going off-topic a bit here... The first American player in any team sport that I can remember to wear the number "00" was Jim Otto, who was a center with the Oakland Raiders from 1960-1974. Otto and the Raiders were part of the newly established gridiron American Football League (AFL) that was trying to compete against the NFL during the 1960s. Otto, who initially wore number 50, said that his friends used to call him "Ott", which sounded like "aught", which basically means nothing, or zero. Raiders equipment manager Frank Hinek suggested that Otto wear the number "0", or "aught", as his jersey number. But at the time there was a player with the Washington Redskins named Johnny Olszewski who wore the number "0" (they called him "Johnny O") and so they didn't want to appear as copying him. It was then suggested that Otto wear "00", or "aught-0", to stand for "Otto". Jim's initial response was, "It seems kind of wierd", but he was eventually persuaded to give it a try as it was felt it would help promote the league. So Otto wore number 50 for the first few games of the 1960 season until the Raiders received permission from league commissioner Joe Foss that he could wear 00. Foss thought it was a great idea. Jim Otto .............. Ken Burrough Ken Burrough was the second player after Otto to wear the number 00. A rookie in 1971, he was a standout wide receiver with the Houston Oilers throughout the 1970s.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? SUPERSTItion my friends............Superstition. and i know about it too.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? I think Batistuta wore 1+8 also, wehn Montella refused to hand over the number 9 shirt, maybe vice versa. Francesco Coco wears 77 for birthyear, other examples of such include Nicola Ventola 79, Valon Behrami 85 and Nirvaan Dhanrajh 85 (i loved the idea, so that my number too). As for GK with number 10 i also did that, was playing outside on a team and long before Rooney with his Joga Bonito business, got mad beacue team was playing crap so figured it would be more in the goal, chased out keeper and played in there with the number 10, was a blast!
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Bati-gol didn't actually put a plus sign on his jersey though, he just wore 18 because 1+8= 9. I did the same thing, as when I joined my current team my old number 10 was taken, so I took 19 because 1+9=10.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? This would be the 1982 World Cup, right? ARGENTINA SQUAD - ESPANA82 1 Osvaldo Ardiles 2 Hector Baley 3 Juan Barbas 4 Daniel Bertoni 5 Gabriel Calderon 6 Ramon Diaz 7 Ubaldo Fillol 8 Luis Galvan 9 Americo Gallego 10 Diego Maradona 11 Mario Kempes 12 Patricio Hernandez 13 Julio Olarticoechea 14 Jorge Olguin 15 Daniel Passarella 16 Nery Pumpido 17 Santiago Santamaria 18 Alberto Tarantini 19 Enzo Trossero 20 Jorge Valdano 21 Jose Valencia 22 Jose van Tuyne Ardiles wore the number 2 shirt in 1978.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Can't address the NBA, but in the NFL, players are limited to certain numbers based on the position they play, so you're only half right. This is a recent (last 25 years or so) rule change. IIRC, quarterbacks can use only numbers 1 - 19 wide receivers and tight ends: 80-89 tailbacks, fullbacks and secondary: 20-49 offensive and defensive linemen and linebackers: 50-79, 90-99 Not sure about punters and placekickers, but I think they're 1-19, 20-49.
Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers? Instituted prior to the 1973 season, to be exact. From NFL.com: http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1971-1980 A jersey numbering system was adopted, April 5: 1-19 for quarterbacks and specialists, 20-49 for running backs and defensive backs, 50-59 for centers and linebackers, 60-79 for defensive linemen and interior offensive linemen other than centers, 80-89 for wide receivers and tight ends. Players who had been in the NFL in 1972 could continue to use old numbers. Your listing is more update as uniform numbers in the 90s began sometime in the 1980s.