Don't think there's going to be an announcement, they just issued the squad numbers. Seems reasonable to me. Not sure an announcement is required.
In the good old days, the 11 starting the first game of the season got the numbers 1 to 11 and the substitute got 12. Any other players coming in through the season just got the next available number. I think that was the perfect system....
Don't remember that. The perfect system that I remember was that the starting 11 got numbers 1 to 11. And the starting 11 the next game got numbers 1 to 11, even if all the players were different. Because no one was so precious that they needed their own sodding number. You got the number you were given and it was between 1 and 11. Unless you were crap, in which case you got the number 12.
I'm sure I've got programs from the mid to late 80s that show the system I outlined. In an earlier era, (early 80s and before) it was as you say, and I agree that was a pretty good system as well. I think it must have been the boom in merchandising which started players having a squad number (replica shirt sales etc) which has evolved into the nonsense numbers we have today.
No they definitely swapped between players. Clint Marcelle wore number 7 when he scored against West Brom but then switched to 10 so John Hendrie could have 7 after he joined.
That’s how I remembered it as well. My Dad however does remember when you just had 11 and that was it. If you got injured tough you either limped on or the team played on with 10 men. I think subs first appeared in the mid ‘60’s
..............................................1 goalkeeper ........................... 2 right back..............................3 left back ................4 right half..............5 centre half................6 left half .7 right wing.....8 inside right... 9 centre forward....10 inside left....11 left wing
I always remember being really confused about 11 being the traditional number for a left winger. In the era of 4-4-2 it didn't quite sit right geometrically.
I reckon it was 2-3-5 for a half century before the thinkers in the sixties started developing it.. 4-2-4 then 4-3-3 then 4-4-2 then.... it got a bit fluid, the Dutch, like.