Squad number releases are seldom eventful affairs.
Sure, you might get the odd player getting cranky after his preferred shirt number is given to a new arrival (see Anthony Martial) but other than that rare occurrence, it’s often a practice of little import.
But when clubs try to go in a different direction, supporters can often take the new squad numbers very, very seriously.
Sheffield Wednesday found that out when they named goalkeepers as their number 1 and 2 while striker Steven Fletcher will wear the number 6 shirt for the coming season.
Squad numbers for the 2016/17 campaign #swfc pic.twitter.com/O9W7kZabeO
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) August 3, 2016
Oddly, only six players have been given a shirt number between 1-11 while players like Barry Bannan, Fernando Forestieri and Atdhe Nuhiu are all up in the 40s.
It’s weird. And fans didn’t hesitate to let Wednesday know about it.
What the actual FUCK!?
— Lee H 🟨 (@KivoLee) August 3, 2016
Can someone ask Mr Fletcher why he isn't wearing a proper strikers number, please? 6!!! What is he, a centre back?
— Neil Dutton (@ndutton13) August 3, 2016
. @swfc pic.twitter.com/smlMeiiAct
— Victoria (@Victoria1867) August 3, 2016
@swfc pic.twitter.com/jygGk4qbVT
— Tom Doncaster (@TomDoncaster) August 3, 2016
https://twitter.com/dshort9/status/760854189803184128
no, goalkeepers wearing number 2 is still weird.
— Ron Walker (@ronnabe) August 4, 2016
think the real question is why we have a goal keeper playing right back 🙈
— Dan Worthington (@Danworth2509) August 3, 2016
It turns out Joe Wildsmith isn’t the first goalkeeper to be given the number two shirt. That honour goes to former Arsenal loanee Emiliano Viviano who doubled his number upon trading The Emirates Stadium for Sampdoria.
Viviano is just one member of the starting line-up in our wrong number XI.
Have you seen any stranger squad numbers than these? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or email Hello@JOE.co.uk.
