Most numbers are odd when it comes to soccer shirtshirts

Manchester United versus Charlton Athletic in the sixth round of the FA Cup in March 1994 – a game likely long forgotten by the rest of the 44,437 at Old Trafford but it remains fresh in my memory.

Stuart Balmer, a Charlton defender, wore No. 1 on his shirt, center back Alan McLeary sported 10 and left back Scott Minto wore 11. This was the first season of squad numbers in England and Charlton, then in the second division, decided to hand them out alphabetically based on players’ surnames.

It’s a trend that has thankfully died out but South London can make no claim to being a hotbed of innovation on that score. More than a de- cade earlier, Ossie Ardiles was No. 1 as Argentina turned up to the 1982 World Cup with squad numbers dished out in alphabetical order, while the Dutch had kicked it off almost a decade before that at the 1974 tournament.

There have been a handful of outfield players who have worn No. 1 since. Edgar Davids stands out because the playermanager took it off goalkeeper Graham Stack to wear while attempting to get his recently relegated Barnet side back into the Football League.

Whether it was ego or superstition that drove Davids, shirt numbers clearly matter.

Every summer it seems someone is having the num- bers taken from their backs. A year ago Anthony Martial was being urged to vacate his No. 9 shirt for Zlatan Ibrahimovic while earlier this month the Swede allowed Romelu Lukaku to take it. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s record signing Mohammed Salah has taken his No. 11 shirt from Roberto Firmino.

But not everyone can get what they want. Antonio Cassano wore 99 when he moved from Real Madrid to Sampdoria. His first choice 18 was taken, as was 10, his second choice, but two nines are 18 so Cassano was happy.

It was also a tribute to Ronaldo – the Brazilian was wearing 99 at Milan at the time.

Aside from Cassano and Ronaldo, Inter striker Ivan Zamorano wore “1+ 8” in the late 1990s after Ronaldo took the Chilean’s No. 9 because Roberto Baggio took his No. 10. More recently, Mario Balotelli wore 45 at both Inter and AC Milan – again, the numbers adding up to the more traditional No. 9 of a striker. You know the world has gone mad when Balotelli is made to look traditional.