Squad Numbers

It's obviously not the biggest part of a game on FM but I personally enjoy selecting squad numbers for my players.

I like developing a history for particular shirts, especially like the number 9 or 10, and passing them onto new signings or youth players who should be honoured at taking on that particular squad number.

In England, we have the tradition of numbering our players in the following way (assuming a 4-4-2 formation): four defenders - 2, 5, 6, 3; four midfielders - 7, 4, 8, 11; two forwards - 9, 10.

I tend to stick to this and I feel that my most important squad numbers are my number 8 (attacking midfielder), number 10 (most creative forward) and number 9 (best goalscorer).

In other countries, the number 10 shirt is often given to the most creative player who can be an attacking midfielder or a supporting striker. I believe this is particularly true in Italy, where to wear the number 10 shirt is a great honour. Other superstitions involve not registering a number 13 (something I tend not to do).

Obviously, in modern football squad numbers are all over the place these days, but you do still tend to find certain shirts having more honour, history and tradition attached to them.

So what do you tend to go for when selecting your squad numbers? Perhaps you have a different tradition at your club or in your country?

And which shirt do you consider most significant to your team?

C.

I follow real life.

For new signings, I have a tendency to assign numbers according to age. So a 17 year old (for example) might get number 17 or the nearest available. Ditto for a 34 year old, and etc.

It's just me I guess.

I always go like this:

gk - 1

dr - 2

dl - 3

dc - 4 , 5

dm - 6

am - 10

mr - 7

ml - 8

fc - 9 , 11

and i give 13 to my best bench player, for some good karma

I think it looks really nice when your starting team is numbered 1 - 11. but that's just weird old me.

I follow real life.

For new signings, I have a tendency to assign numbers according to age. So a 17 year old (for example) might get number 17 or the nearest available. Ditto for a 34 year old, and etc.

It's just me I guess.

I like the idea of assigning numbers according to age for something a bit different.

I might try this with my youth players.

I always go like this:

gk - 1

dr - 2

dl - 3

dc - 4 , 5

dm - 6

am - 10

mr - 7

ml - 8

fc - 9 , 11

and i give 13 to my best bench player, for some good karma

Is that based on any particular tradition or is it just your preference?

I think it looks really nice when your starting team is numbered 1 - 11. but that's just weird old me.

Me too - I nearly always give my first choice eleven 1 - 11.

For Age i go the other way, a 17 year old may get a number like 34 and 1 of the more senior players a lower number, 13 always goes to a keeper (except when Man Utd cause of Park).

how about this for weird? I completely avoid odd squad numbers, there is never a 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and so on not even a keeper has a number 1 jersey, im not supersticious about oddness, its just someting i dont do, and it really tough as my favourite number is 11

I do give certain numbers a greater importance as some of the rest of you, such as 1-11. It also depends on who I am playing as and who I have had in those positions before hand. For instance, in previous versions of FM I had an amazing youth that was number 15. When he had to be sold, I passed this on to another youth player who was the best at the time. It became tradition almost for my club. Silly really, I know it does not matter but I still do it...

i tend to number all my players like u stated before, the 'english' way, but always reserve the number 9 shirt (my favourite number)for my favourite player, usually an up and coming youngster i have high hopes for

sometimes if i have two of such players i give one of them 99, and i never register the number 13 shirt, im a superstitious chap :L

i think that the best winger should get #7, best striker or the poacher should get #9, best player #10 (usually an AM for me), and i try to fit this into my numbering, so if the second striker is the best player he gets 10 and the am gets 8 with the second winger getting 11, or if the lm is the best winger he gets 7 and the rm 8

no particular tradition on the defence numbers, except that its nice to see 2,3,4,5 lined up at the back.

i like the double numbers for the youth promises - 77 for the young wingers, 99 for the upcoming striker and so on

I like to have all my Goalkeepers wearing a number that ends in 1 so 1,21,31,41 etc :-)

how about this for weird? I completely avoid odd squad numbers, there is never a 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and so on not even a keeper has a number 1 jersey, im not supersticious about oddness, its just someting i dont do, and it really tough as my favourite number is 11

That's one of the best superstitions I've heard! No odd numbers!

I do give certain numbers a greater importance as some of the rest of you, such as 1-11. It also depends on who I am playing as and who I have had in those positions before hand. For instance, in previous versions of FM I had an amazing youth that was number 15. When he had to be sold, I passed this on to another youth player who was the best at the time. It became tradition almost for my club. Silly really, I know it does not matter but I still do it...

It's not silly at all. I think that is class.

I follow the similar way and if i have two left backs, the second one will be given 33.

I give my more target man striker no. 10 and flair striker 9.

number 20 has importance to me and so does 14, due to owen and henry respectively

i think that the best winger should get #7, best striker or the poacher should get #9, best player #10 (usually an AM for me), and i try to fit this into my numbering, so if the second striker is the best player he gets 10 and the am gets 8 with the second winger getting 11, or if the lm is the best winger he gets 7 and the rm 8

no particular tradition on the defence numbers, except that its nice to see 2,3,4,5 lined up at the back.

Oh, I understand now.

So if your AM is your best player (and gets 10) then you keep the higher numbers (e.g. 9 and 11) for strikers and move the traditional CM number (i.e. 8) to the wings. Makes sense to me.

great thread as i usually spend ages choosing squad numbers as you as want the best number for the best positions for the best people,

gk 1 best,12,13

d 2,3,4,5 best

m 6,7 best,8 best,11

s 9,10 best

tho i do this its hard at united as CR=7 WR=10 etc.. each number has such a great honour and means lots

GK - 1

DR - 2

DL - 3

DC - 5, 6

MC - 4, 8

ML - 11

MR - 7

FC - 9, 10

Never 12 (fans are 12th man), and never 13

Interesting. I typed 'squad numbers' into Google and it came up with an article about the Italian national team and their squad numbers for Euro 2008.

The greatest honour for Italy is for the player wearing the number 10 on their back for the most creative player.

Apparently the contenders were to be Daniele De Rossi, Antonio Cassano, Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Del Piero.

De Rossi ended up with the shirt. Del Piero got number 7 while Cassano and Pirlo got 18 and 21 respectively.

Interesting that 10 and 7 were given to the two creative players and weren't linked to their traditional positions.

----1

2-5-6-3

----4

7------11

----8

--9--10

Sub goalkeepers get 13 and 31. Versatile/best sub is 12. Sub strikers 19, 20 and 25 and a sub winger is 17.

I think that is because Pirlo has 21 for his fav. number (he wears it at Milan), same for Cassano, and Del Piero has worn 7 for the Italian nat'l team for a while (or since Totti took #10 from him

I wouldn't call De Rossi their most creative player tho - while he has plenty of creativity to go around he is more a holding midfielder/box-to-box midfielder ala Gerrard. He plays this at Roma along with Aquilani/Pizarro who do most of the creating, and with italy with Pirlo being the playmaker. I think he got number 10 because he is the new and upcoming superstar for Italy, and i presume Donadoni wanted to make a statement on who his main man for the Euros was going to be, so he gave him 10.

Henrik Larsson must always get the number 7 with me

i like the double numbers for the youth promises - 77 for the young wingers, 99 for the upcoming striker and so on

This I do as well.

I follow the tradition of Ajax (try to)

1 = GK

2 = RB

3, 6 = CD

4 = DM

5 = LB

6 = MC

7 = RW (right winger)

8 = MC/AM

9 = Striker

10 = AMC (most of the time the best player and a playmaker)

11 = LW (left winger)

13 = Always my backup gk

14 I don't use

15 and higher just random exept 77 and 99.

if its a big signing from another club, i try and let him keep his current number he wore there.

9 will always be my best striker, 7 will be my creative midfielder etc etc.

I like to give the traditional 1-11 for my first choices, although with signings this sometimes doesn't work out. I like to give a promising youngster/attacking player the number 23, I think you have to be good to wear 23. I never give the number 13 out, superstion and all that. My backup GK is always 12. I also don't like to give the number 25 out, as I associate it with Gianfranco Zola - therefore anyone else who wears 25 will not be as good as him! I keep it pretty simple apart from that...I don't like the recent trend of giving players daft numbers like 77 etc...you end up looking more like an American Football team!

I always go like this:

gk - 1

dr - 2

dl - 3

dc - 4 , 5

dm - 6

am - 10

mr - 7

ml - 8

fc - 9 , 11

and i give 13 to my best bench player, for some good karma

I think it looks really nice when your starting team is numbered 1 - 11. but that's just weird old me.

I use the same for my best XI, then go backwards, or roughly backwards, for second XI. So 3rd and 4th pick forwards get 12 and 13. Backup midfielders get 14-17, defenders get 18-21. Backup goalie gets 31. Only thing that changes this is if someone develops a preferrered number that doesn't fit in my system. This system also helps me keep a depth chart in mind when I take over a new team, so I can remember who my first and second choice players are.

I don't have any squad number rules set in stone, but I do this:

As often as possible I let new signings keep the number they had at their old club.

Sometimes I give somebody their birth year as their squad number especially if it's 77, 88 or something like that. Also sometimes, for example, if a player's preffered number is number 9 and someone else already has that I give him number 99.

When I've done that I just give the rest the lowest numbers that are left. My left winger played with number 1 in my second season because all my goalkeepers already had squad numbers and none of them was number 1.

Does anyone know why in turkey the players tend to go for high numbers like 73 77 etc... Is it something to with their postcode or areas of birth within turkey,,i think i read somewher about this but i could be wrong.

Well, some players with high squad numbers choose their year of birth. Francesco Coco who was number 77 for Inter was born in 1977.

Sometimes they do it because their preffered number is taken (for example they choose 55 instead of 5).

And I think that some also do it for fun

GK - 1, 12

DR - 2, 13

DL - 3, 14

DC - 4, 5, 15, 16

DMC - 6, 17

MR - 7, 18

ML - 8, 19

MC - 9, 20

ST - 10, 11, 21, 22

My reserve and U18 squad works on the same principle, but I only give numbers to the up and comers.

I like to have all the lowest numbers possible - so for instance if I have 24 players in the squad ideally I'll have numbers 1-24 registered. But I also don't particularly like changing a players' number once he's signed for the club, unless it's a stupid one like 34 or something because I signed him halfway through a season. Also when playing as Brighton I don't like anyone having number 25, as it belongs to Bobby Zamora.

The number 12 is a special number for me. It's beginning to build up a history at Reading, so in my first save I gave my new striker the 12 in the third season. He was really good, so since then I've tried to give one of my first three strikers the 12.

I also relate numbers to age if possible. Additionally, if I've just sold a left winger I'll only give his old squad number to the player I intend to replace him. That isn't left-winger specific, I was just using that as an example. My current left winger has the 17, and I intend on passing that on to my young Australian replacement, but my 7 has just become avalible...

Anyone with a preferred number gets it.

GK are 1, sub GK is 25, if two it's 25 and 13.

LB is 3, sub 32 or 33 and RB is 2, sub 22. Any fullback who plays on both sides is 16.

CB are 5 and usually a random number they like or already have.

If using a DM, 4.

Center midfielder 8.

Unless he has a favorite number, the captain is 6. If he is not, 6 is given to a defensive central midfielder.

Right wing 7, left wing 11.

Lethal striker gets 9

Creative striker or creative AMC gets 10. If I use both then the one I like more gets 10 and the other 15.

Never use 12, it's for the fans.

Backup striker is 18

Backup CM is 20

Backup AMC is 17/19

Upcoming youth players get their birth year.

Favorite youth gets 42.

I love squad numbers but I don't like changing numbers, so usually once a player has a "decent" number (<25), I generally stick with them in that number, which means sometimes top 11 numbers are available, for example my first choice right back is no. 24 as I signed him when I already had a no. 2, and I have a younger right back who is no. 26, i had given several young right backs no. 2 in the past and they never quite made it!, but generally I like to stick my best players in first 11 and with "correct" numbers. Also my first choice keeper is always no. 1 (unless he has an alternative preferred number).

my current squad is (i play 4-2-3-1): 1 1st GK; 2 -; 3 2nd DC; 4 1st MC; 5 1st DC; 6 3rd DC (old, was 1st); 7 2nd AMR; 8 1st AMC, 9 4th ST (old, was 1st); 10 2nd AMC; 11 2nd AML; 12 2nd ST; 13 2nd GK; 14 2nd MC; 15 1st DL; 16 3rd MC; 17 1st AML; 18 4th DC, 19 1st ST; 20 1st AMR; 21 2nd DL; 22 5th MC; 23 3rd AML; 24 1st DR; 25 3rd GK; 26 2nd DR; 27 -; 28 -; 29 -; 30 3rd ST; 31 4th GK; 32 7th MC; 33 6th MC;

I have developed a tradition of giving my hottest youth product each year number 33. Don't know why that number but I gave it to my best youth player first season in BSS by coincidence and sold him for £1m a couple of years later, secured my short/medium-term financial future, so decided it was purely luck based on the squad no lol and have done it ever since! I also always give 11 to a winger, 5 to a defensive minded CM or DM and 9 to a target striker. And keepers can only have 1, 20, and any number 28-39, and I never give anyone no.13.

Other than that, nothing!

I'm a traditionlist aswell,,i like my first team to have numbers 1-11,,,with the other numbers i put

12 to the best central defender sub

13 sub goalie (40 back up goalie)

14-21 (squad midfielders and strikers)

22 back up rightback

33 back up leftback

Youth players get numbers 34 up

I tend to get a bit ocd when it comes to sorting out squad numbers lol.

Does anyone know why in turkey the players tend to go for high numbers like 73 77 etc... Is it something to with their postcode or areas of birth within turkey,,i think i read somewher about this but i could be wrong.

This is because they use the number plate codes from the state they are from. For example Sabri Sarioglu wears number 55 as he is from Samsun. All the cars number plates in Samsun start with the number 55. Servet Cetin wears number 76, with the 76 being the number plate for Igdir. If I was a footballer I would have worn the number 46 being the number plate for Kahramanmaras.

First season I assign numbers per first team position, based on the numbers in CM9798:

1: GK

2: RB

3: LB

4: CB ( if I have D/DM C, he's here)

5: CB

6: CM (defensive one)

7: RW

8: CM (attacking one)

9: CF

10: CF

11: CF

then subs tend to have the corresponding 'teen'/20's/30's number, i.e. CB's have 14/15/24/25/34/35. Sub goalies: 13 and maybe 22, before 31/41 etc.

16: for best sub midfielder

23: for up & coming striker.

Then subsequent seasons players will never be 'relegated' from a number (i.e. never assigned a higher number), even if they drop from first 11.

Players can be promoted from 30's & 40's to 20's & teens and then subsequently first 11, but never promoted from 40's to 30's.

First year pro's, the one's who have just been promoted from my youth set-up are given numbers in the 50's dependent on position (e.g. 51 for GK, 59 for strikers)

If a first teamer has played a number of seasons with a particular number (no room to promote to a lower number), I assume that is their number and won't change them, I have a DM C who has played first team with the number 46 for 3 years now, he will probably keep that for his duration at my club.

I think it's great that everyone has their own way of assigning numbers!!!

I always go like this:

gk - 1

dr - 2

dl - 3

dc - 4 , 5

dm - 6

am - 10

mr - 7

ml - 8

fc - 9 , 11

and i give 13 to my best bench player, for some good karma

I think it looks really nice when your starting team is numbered 1 - 11. but that's just weird old me.

I agree with you on this!

1. GK

2. DR

3. DL

4. DC

5. DC

6. DM

7. AMR

8. CM

9. ST

10. AMC

11. AML

This depends on how many subs I have... but for a standard 11+7, I use:

12. Best sub defender, usually DR(DRC if I can)

13. Best sub GK

14. Best sub DL(DLC if I can)

15. Best sub MC(DM/MC if I can)

16. Best sub AMR(AMRC if I can)

17. Best sub AML(AMLC if I can)

18. Best sub ST

For the bench, though, I can use different combos, for instance(in numerical order) DRL, GK, DC, DM/MC, AMRL, AMC, ST or if it's a 5 man bench DRLC, GK, DM/MC, AMRLC, ST.

The rest of the numbers are just given out to whoever, although for youth players from my U18s who I use only in the most dire of injury crisis, I generally give them a number of over 50.

The 1-11 choice is just because that's what my original formation(although that was a flat 4-5-1 what I've changed to a more attacking frame over the years, almost a 4-2-4 nowadays) in CM01/02 given for 1-11 when the competition didn't use squad numbers. The youth thing is pretty random.

My numbers don't mean a lot, but they have to suit the player style and name. My current number list is as follows:

1: 1st choice GK

2: 3rd choice DC/DM

3: 1st choice DR

4: 4th choice MC

5: 3rd choice AML

6: 1st choice DC

7: 2nd choice ST

8: 3rd choice MC

9: 1st choice ST

10: 1st choice AMC

11: 1st choice AML

12: 1st choice CM

13: 2nd choice GK

14: 2nd choice AMC

15: 2nd choice AML

16: 2nd choice DMC

17: 2nd choice AMR

18: 1st choice DL

19: 1st choice AMR

20: 1st choice DC

21:

22: 3rd choice DL

23: 4th choice DC

24: 1st choice DMC

25: 3rd choice ST

26: 2nd choice DR

27: 3rd choice AMR

31: 4th choice AML

I usually play only La Liga, so I only get to number up to 25

Besides of the obvious starting XI numbers I normally do:

12: sub striker

13: sub GK

14: young striker

15,16: sub MF

17: sub winger

18,19: sub fullbacks

20: sub #10

21,23: young creative wingers, fullbacks, MFs

22: young #10 ala Kaka

24,25: sub CBs

and I also reserve my #7 for club legends

I think it looks really nice when your starting team is numbered 1 - 11. but that's just weird old me.

Me too - I nearly always give my first choice eleven 1 - 11.

I dont have a first choice XI, but a great squad prepared for any and every game, so it's impossible for me to do this.

Almost forgot:

I have permanently retired numbers on occasions, for instance when I was Blyth, I got a really good youth player who come through my system, and from 16 in the Conference North, he started playing as my regular left back in over 20 seasons through 6 different divisions(being captain of 4 promotion winning sides, as well as a FA Cup and UEFA Cup winning captain) and I dedicated the number 3 to him, with number 12 being assigned as the new left back number.

As a general rule/aim, I follow the "English" way like the OP for numbers 1-11, then give my substitute keeper 13, second LB 15, second DM 16, second AM 20, other than that I just have a few odd quirks, like for example if 3 and 11 are both taken and I get a player who can play along the left flank (LB and LW), I'll give him 33 (11 x 3...lol), I'll give forwards multiples of 9 or 10 (18, 20 (if not taken by an AM, 30, 36 etc.)

Although having said all that, I'll never de-assign a number from a player (unless he's TOTALLY out of my first team squad plans), even to make way for a new superstar signing who might displace him from the first team, so I'll rarely end up with the holy grail of a first choice starting 11 with numbers 1-11!

13 is often given to the substitute goalie IRL so I follow that and try to stick to the English tradition of numbering as mentioned in the original post for this thread. I also give my best youth prospect the number 23 shirt if available as this was the number Robbie Fowler wore when he first broke into the Liverpool team in the early nineties and this was when I first started property following football. Makes me feel a bit nostalgic. Has anyone ever retired a squad number in honour of a legendary player they have had? Perhaps they could add this feature to FM2010

It's obviously not the biggest part of a game on FM but I personally enjoy selecting squad numbers for my players.

I like developing a history for particular shirts, especially like the number 9 or 10, and passing them onto new signings or youth players who should be honoured at taking on that particular squad number.

In England, we have the tradition of numbering our players in the following way (assuming a 4-4-2 formation): four defenders - 2, 5, 6, 3; four midfielders - 7, 4, 8, 11; two forwards - 9, 10.

I tend to stick to this and I feel that my most important squad numbers are my number 8 (attacking midfielder), number 10 (most creative forward) and number 9 (best goalscorer).

In other countries, the number 10 shirt is often given to the most creative player who can be an attacking midfielder or a supporting striker. I believe this is particularly true in Italy, where to wear the number 10 shirt is a great honour. Other superstitions involve not registering a number 13 (something I tend not to do).

Obviously, in modern football squad numbers are all over the place these days, but you do still tend to find certain shirts having more honour, history and tradition attached to them.

So what do you tend to go for when selecting your squad numbers? Perhaps you have a different tradition at your club or in your country?

And which shirt do you consider most significant to your team?

C.

I am glad to see that i am not the only one who has the obsession with numbers. Every team i manage i change the numbers. I always give these numbers to the players:

Goalkeeper - 1, 13, 30

Right back - 2, 12, 26

Left back - 3, 24, 25

Centre back - 5, 6, 15, 16

Right wing - 7, 17, 18, 20

Left wing - 11, 21, 27

Centre midfield - 4, 8, 22, 23

Strikers - 9, 10, 14, 19

I number my players by their IQ number:

GK 23

DR 44

DL 45

DC 52

etc...

I tend to do auto numbers, but thats only becuase i'm building my team up from the BSS and now in the championship. Once i get a strong team i will do the usual gk -1 dr-2 etc, but i woul dlike to see people give their players a number on how good they think they are like thier amazing striker 1, and their pretty good GK 9 and so on. Would look good on the pre match screen.

I used to do this with my team:

1 GK

2 DR

3 DL

4 DM

5 DC

6 DC

7 MR

8 AMC

9 ST

10 ST

11 ML

12 DEF

13 GK

14 MID

15 MID

16 ST

17 DEF

18 MID

19 ST

20 DEF

21 MID

22 DEF

23 MID

24 ST

25 GK

Their number was to show where they were on the subs bench etc. I'd even drag the positions on the tactics screen so they are in number order

Everybody using number 3 for LB? Mine's always has number five.

Being from holland and an Ajax fan I am used to using the same method as Louis van Gaal did in the mid nineties with Ajax.

1 GK

2 RB

3 CB

4 CB

5 LB

6 RCM

7 RF

8 LCM

9 ST

10 AMC

11 LF

Van Gaal even used to anounce his squad selection by number in the pre match interviews: "On 1 van der Sar. In defence Reiziger is playing on 2, Blind on 3, de Boer on 4 and Bogarde on 5" etc etc