National Forum

Football Jersey Numbers.

(Oldest Posts First)

Are we approaching a time when we will be like major league soccer and have squad numbers rather than positional numbers on a given match day. More and more, are these numbers are becoming irrelevant

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1266 - 10/01/2024 13:30:13    2519410

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I have noticed it a lot in club football championship too where teams name panel but the starting team is chopped and changed. I dont get it, fair sure numbers can change per game, not need for bogey teams other than daft mind games some manages like to play

gaelsboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 565 - 10/01/2024 17:34:08    2519458

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Replying To gaelsboy:  "I have noticed it a lot in club football championship too where teams name panel but the starting team is chopped and changed. I dont get it, fair sure numbers can change per game, not need for bogey teams other than daft mind games some manages like to play"
The reason for that is so the number the player has matches the programme, so the public know who every player is. Programmes for club championships are generally put together only once at the start and then used for all games.
When teams submit their panels, the players assigned to each number should stay with that, unless they're off the panel or get a long-term injury.
Of course the team can be chopped and changed as the championship goes on, so you can see players with sub numbers starting

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2187 - 10/01/2024 20:17:09    2519478

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "The reason for that is so the number the player has matches the programme, so the public know who every player is. Programmes for club championships are generally put together only once at the start and then used for all games.
When teams submit their panels, the players assigned to each number should stay with that, unless they're off the panel or get a long-term injury.
Of course the team can be chopped and changed as the championship goes on, so you can see players with sub numbers starting"
Yeah, during the club season here in Wexford, the County Board asks for squad lists for programmes to be sent in on Wednesday nights, so the programmes can be put together on Thursdays and distributed on Thursday nights/Friday mornings.

But team managers might not actually be picking their team until Thursday or Friday night, or in the lower grades, they mightn't even get to pick a team until just before the match itself, when they see who turns up!

So, what tends to happen is that after they send in a squad for the first match, the manager says "just send in the same list again" every week after that. Often happens in my own club when the list has to be sent in anyway.

Personally, I think the important thing is just that the players wear the number they're assigned on the programme. I don't see any harm in it if the starting full back line is actually numbers 22, 23 and 24 rather than 2, 3 and 4, so long as you can tell properly from the programme who everybody is.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2621 - 11/01/2024 10:41:47    2519562

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Yeah, during the club season here in Wexford, the County Board asks for squad lists for programmes to be sent in on Wednesday nights, so the programmes can be put together on Thursdays and distributed on Thursday nights/Friday mornings.

But team managers might not actually be picking their team until Thursday or Friday night, or in the lower grades, they mightn't even get to pick a team until just before the match itself, when they see who turns up!

So, what tends to happen is that after they send in a squad for the first match, the manager says "just send in the same list again" every week after that. Often happens in my own club when the list has to be sent in anyway.

Personally, I think the important thing is just that the players wear the number they're assigned on the programme. I don't see any harm in it if the starting full back line is actually numbers 22, 23 and 24 rather than 2, 3 and 4, so long as you can tell properly from the programme who everybody is."
Mistakes do happen though. Cloughbawns Nathan Mcdonald had some completely different name in the programme for the Intermediate final last year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13862 - 11/01/2024 11:37:10    2519574

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Replying To Freethinker:  "Are we approaching a time when we will be like major league soccer and have squad numbers rather than positional numbers on a given match day. More and more, are these numbers are becoming irrelevant"
if you are on the pitch and worrying about numbers then you need a better coach

Whestofthewest (Clare) - Posts: 177 - 11/01/2024 11:54:03    2519576

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Replying To Whestofthewest:  "if you are on the pitch and worrying about numbers then you need a better coach"
A good point but not answering or relevant to the question. I don't think I mentioned anything about anyone - on the pitch or off it. I think that in a championship match if you were a jersey with a different number to the one on the official list - then you have a problem with the referee.

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1266 - 11/01/2024 12:31:21    2519586

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Replying To Viking66:  "Mistakes do happen though. Cloughbawns Nathan Mcdonald had some completely different name in the programme for the Intermediate final last year."
Wasn't aware of that.

But wherever there are humans involved in a process, there'll always be a mistake the odd time!

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2621 - 11/01/2024 12:58:37    2519594

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