The Many Numbers of Ray Houghton
We will indeed run a feature in the future on how Liverpool’s numbering system evolved from the 1970s to the 1990s, but this post will look at one particular player, …
Changing numbers mid-season
Note: We revisited this topic in 2016. In Spain, as far as we can see, players are allowed to change numbers during the mid-season break. In 2004-05, Henrik Larsson switched …
James Wilson’s change
Today is a bank holiday in Ireland but ‘real’ work still has to be done, coupled with a hangover, so just something brief for now. Eagle-eyed viewers of Manchester United …
More pointless changes
It’s Sunday and real life is threatening to get in the way of stuff, but for those who need a fix we are able to provide it in the form …
Keown and Adams, Adams and Keown
We’ve already looked at Xavi and Iniesta switching their club numbers at international level. There are probably not enough instances to make this a regular (or interesting) feature, but we …
Xavi and Iniesta, Iniesta and Xavi
For Barcelona, Xavi Hernández wears the number 6, while Andrés Iniesta is 8. At international level, however, before Xavi’s retirement it was the other way round. Answers on a postcard, …
Steve Harper, the king of pointless changes
1998-2003: Steve Harper, Newcastle United’s number 13: 2003-07: Steve Harper, Newcastle United’s number 12: 2007-09: Steve Harper, Newcastle United’s number 13: After Shay Given left in 2009, Harper finally got the number 1, but …
Roy Keane, Manchester United’s number 7?
For Ireland, Roy Keane was always number 6 (except for one game against Lithuania in 1997, when he wore 4). This was a good fit as he had worn it …
This one had to be called Number 1
Welcome to A Numbers Game, a study, critique and lament of football shirt numbers. To set our stall out from the start, we favour an adherence to the traditional numbering …