Why did certain players wear strange shirt numbers?

Discussion in 'Soccer History' started by Dark Savante, Feb 25, 2006.

  1. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?


    This is also a 9+1 = 10 shirt. Rodman was #10 with Detriot or San Antonio. He switched to 91 because the number was taken or reired I forgot.
     
  2. Almogavar92

    Almogavar92 New Member

    Aug 17, 2001
    USA
    Club:
    Galatasaray SK
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    I remember when an Italian player (was it Buffon or Coco) tried to wear 77, there was a lot of opposition to wearing that number because it was somehow related or tied to fascism. Correct me if I'm wrong.
     
  3. Leto

    Leto New Member

    Aug 23, 2001
    Donegal,Ireland
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    It was Buffon wearing #88 (the controversy being that 88 -> HH -> Heil Hitler).
     
  4. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    What was Buffon's explaination?

    Those unfamiliar with neofascists probably think the concept is ludicrous, but they are huge fans of number code.

    Combat 18 - 18 = AH = Adolf Hitler
     
  5. gaijin

    gaijin New Member

    Aug 1, 2004
    Malaysia
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    Didn't Hitcham Zerouali (RIP :() wear no 0 when he was at Aberdeen because of his nickname 'zero'?
     
  6. Cassano

    Cassano Member

    Jul 16, 2004
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    From wikipedia:

    Hicham Zerouali was allowed to wear the number 0 for Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen F.C. after the fans nicknamed him "Zero".

    That was probably a special SPL exception...
     
  7. TOTC

    TOTC Member

    Feb 20, 2001
    Laurel, MD, USA
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    No. 58 in Mexico is the year (1858) of Mexico's independence from Spain, I thought.

    And the No. 100 player from Chivas of Guadalajara can wear that number because of the Mexican League rules. If he plays in a FIFA-sanctioned competition (Libertadores, World Club), he can't go to three digits.

    Jaime Moreno of DC United wears No. 99 because No. 9 was his original number when before being traded to New York. When he came back to United, Freddy Adu had been given the 9 shirt, and the entire league marketing campaign was built around that number, so Moreno went to 99.

    It's just as well. Moreno has almost 99 goals right now in MLS play, and Freddy is still hovering around 9 ...
     
  8. Excape Goat

    Excape Goat Member+

    Mar 18, 1999
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    The number 88 is made of four circles, which represent the Italian expression: The strong man has four balls.
     
  9. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?


    While we're talking about weird numbering systems, non-Americans might not know that in high school and college basketball, no number higher than 5 can appear on any players shirt, whether it's the first or second digit. So numbers like 11, 44, and 55 are all legal, but numbers like 16, 61, or 56 are not legal. It has something to do with making it easier on the referee to tell the scorer who is charged with the foul. The NBA has no such rule.

    I always thought that numbers in soccer originally had something to do with positions, so 1 would be the keeper, 2 would be a defender, etc., up until the number 10 shirt as the center forward and the 11 shirt as a winger. Substitute numbers would start at 12. Thankfully, it wasn't like that when I got to college, otherwise my shirt number would look like that of a guy entering his first marathon.
     
  10. TOTC

    TOTC Member

    Feb 20, 2001
    Laurel, MD, USA
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    True. But there are very few football teams which will dress up their first XI in the traditional manner.
     
  11. TOTC

    TOTC Member

    Feb 20, 2001
    Laurel, MD, USA
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    That's because of factors such as crowd noise and having students running the scorer's table. NBA crowds (public-address systems and Spike Lee notwithstanding) are docile.
     
  12. celito

    celito Moderator
    Staff Member

    Palmeiras
    Brazil
    Feb 28, 2005
    USA
    Club:
    Palmeiras Sao Paulo
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    In Brazil (traditionally):
    1- Goalie
    2- Right Back
    3-4 - Center Defender
    6- Left Back
    5 and 8 - Central D. Midfield
    10 - Central Creative Midfielder
    7 and 11 - Wingers/Attacking Midfielder
    9 - Striker
     
  13. West 'am 'till I die

    West 'am 'till I die BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Mar 28, 2006
    London
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

     
  14. tomas_brolin

    tomas_brolin Member

    Jan 27, 2004
    Geneva, IL
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    #10 is bob love's number and it got retired...

    and when rodman went to the lakers. he had 73.. b/c of carmen electra's bday (they were married at the time) and 7+3= 10
     
  15. guado

    guado Member+

    Jun 30, 2004
    ocotengo miedo
    Club:
    Inverness Caledonian Thistle
    Nat'l Team:
    Indonesia
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    the dates associated with mexican independence are 1810 and 1821.

    also, bofo, this guy , no. 100
    [​IMG]
    has worn 7 and 23 in libertadores.
     
  16. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    Any story to why Ballack wears #13?
     
  17. sidis

    sidis Member

    Jun 2, 2006
    Itaguaí-RJ - Brazil
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    Pele play with the 10 because the others numbers in santos were taken, before pele the best player in the team commonly used the number 8, after pelé the number change to 10.

    Luisão in Flamengo play with the 111 to celebrate the 111 years of Flamengo.

    Romario wear the number 500 when he make 500 matches for Vasco da Gama.
     
  18. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    Yes, but he wore 23 because 7 was taken by Raul or some other player in Real. 7 is what he wore before in Man U.
     
  19. Gregoriak

    Gregoriak BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 27, 2002
    Munich
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    According to Pelé, he got the number ten because that was the number assigned to the position he was asked to play for Santos - inside left. Pelé recalled that the Santos coach said to him: "and you naturally play on the left" - and Pelé answered "yes, naturally!" This was somewhat a bizarre moment to Pelé, as his coach acted as if it was a law of nature that this young 16-year old kid had to play at the inside left position...
     
  20. German Ham

    German Ham New Member

    Aug 24, 2006
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    Well I can't speak for each player themselves, but as an athlete myself I'll tell you why a lot of them (including myself) like to pick odd numbers...

    It's because you're more easily identifiable. Let's say you want to pick a number. 10...wow, there have been SO MANY great number 10's. Number 7...there's been tons of great number 7's too and etc and etc. But let's say a player (we'll call him Jimmy Tomson, and he's a striker) decides to pick a number and picks, oh let's say 37. If he becomes a great player, he's easily identifiable.

    When you'd say or think of 37, Jimmy Tomson would pop into your head. But when you think of a number like 10 or 7, you'd get a lot of great players' names in your head. Picking an odd number is a way for you to stand out more, to be unique, and to be easily identifiable.
     
  21. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    uhm,.....no.

     
  22. FWS93

    FWS93 Member

    Jan 4, 2006
    Queens, New York
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    Bati wore 20 & 33 for Roma as well, why? i have no clue

    and i think he wore 19 during his short stay at inter

    back at boca im sure he had more than one # 7, 9 & 11 come to mind but im not positive
     
  23. Cassano

    Cassano Member

    Jul 16, 2004
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    In my recollection, Bati only wore 18 for Roma. I don't remember him wearing 20 or 33.

    Also, speaking of strange numbers, William Gallas has been given the number 10 at Arsenal...
     
  24. Bertje

    Bertje New Member

    Nov 10, 2004
    Leiden
    I just read Cruijff weared number 14 because that's the number he got when he came back from an injury in 1970. He used to wear number 9, but when he got back Mühren (Gerrie) had that number, which seems logical, since Mühren continues to wear number 9 for years. Cruijff didn't use number 10 because that number was given to first Nuninga and later Van Dijk. Cruijff kept number 14 as his own because he was very superstitious. He also used to chew some bubblegum before a match started which he would spit over the halfway line (he forgot his gum for the Europe Cup final of '69, which Ajax lost to Milan by 4-1). Besides those two things he also punched the goalkeeper in his stomach (not hard), he started to put his clothes on for the match 15 minutes before it started and got a massage 3 minutes before the match started. The one giving him a massage would have to say when he got up "Johan, een hele goede wedstrijd" (which means: "Johan, I hope you have a good match"). Cruijff would then put two fingers of his right hand in the air, which meant he would score two goals (he always did that, even if he scored more or less goals the last time). He would then leave the dressingroom as the last one and always had the ball when they went on the field.

    I'm still wondering why Neeskens used to wear number 7 and Swart had number 8, as it would be much more logical vice versa.
     
  25. FWS93

    FWS93 Member

    Jan 4, 2006
    Queens, New York
    Re: Why did certain players where strange shirt numbers?

    #33
    [​IMG]

    #20
    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page