Thirty years of squad numbers

Every number worn in eight leagues since 1993/94, and what changed. Pick a league or a club to ask the same questions of it.

EnglandPremier LeagueEFL ChampionshipEFL League OneEFL League TwoLa LigaBundesligaSerie ALigue 1All leagues
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Accrington StanleyBarnsleyBirmingham CityBlackburn RoversBlackpoolBolton WanderersBournemouthBradford CityBrentfordBrightonBristol CityBristol RoversBromleyBurnleyBurton AlbionBuryCambridge UnitedCardiff CityCarlisle UnitedCharlton AthleticCheltenham TownChesterfieldColchester UnitedCoventryCrawley TownCrewe AlexandraDagenham and RedbridgeDerby CountyDoncaster RoversExeter CityFleetwood TownGillinghamGrimsby TownHartlepool UnitedHereford UnitedHuddersfield TownHull CityIpswichLeedsLeicesterLeyton OrientLincoln CityLuton TownMansfield TownMillwallMilton Keynes DonsNorthampton TownNorwich CityNottingham ForestNotts CountyOldham AthleticOxford UnitedPeterborough UnitedPlymouth ArgylePort ValePortsmouthPreston North EndReadingRochdaleRotherham UnitedRushden and DiamondsScunthorpe UnitedSheffield UnitedSheffield WednesdayShrewsbury TownSouthamptonSouthend UnitedStevenageStockport CountyStoke CitySunderlandSwansea CitySwindon TownTranmere RoversWalsallWigan AthleticWimbledonWolvesWrexhamWycombe WanderersYeovil Town

The drift away from 1–11

In 1999/2000, 34% of the numbers issued were 1–11. By 2025/26 it was 28.7%, a fall of 5.3 points. The average number rose from 17.3 to 23.

0%25%50%75%100%99/0003/0407/0811/1215/1619/2023/2425/2699/00: 34% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.3)00/01: 33.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.4)01/02: 33.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.5)02/03: 35.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.1)03/04: 34.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.3)04/05: 34.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.3)05/06: 36.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.9)06/07: 34.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.7)07/08: 34.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.2)08/09: 33.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.6)09/10: 33.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.3)10/11: 32.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.3)11/12: 33.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.8)12/13: 33.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.8)13/14: 32.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.6)14/15: 33.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.8)15/16: 31.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.2)16/17: 32.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.1)17/18: 31.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.7)18/19: 30.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.3)19/20: 31% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.2)20/21: 31.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.6)21/22: 29.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21.3)22/23: 30.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.4)23/24: 28.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 22.3)24/25: 29.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 21.1)25/26: 28.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 23)34%28.7%
See the numbers
Season1–11AverageNumbers
1999/200034%17.3574
2000/0133.5%17.4535
2001/0233.5%17.5409
2002/0335.3%17.1451
2003/0434.2%17.3395
2004/0534.8%17.3368
2005/0636.2%16.9436
2006/0734.1%17.7460
2007/0834.6%17.2659
2008/0933.8%17.6668
2009/1033.1%18.3747
2010/1132.3%18.3779
2011/1233.6%17.8740
2012/1333.5%17.8698
2013/1432.3%18.6741
2014/1533.7%17.8614
2015/1631.4%19.2577
2016/1732.4%19.1692
2017/1831.9%19.7714
2018/1930.4%20.3641
2019/2031%20.2659
2020/2131.8%19.6758
2021/2229.8%21.3540
2022/2330.9%20.4495
2023/2428.3%22.3880
2024/2529.9%21.1856
2025/2628.7%23892

Which numbers get worn

#8 is the most-worn number in this selection, 527 times. The thinnest end of the tail is #69, worn 1.

110203040506070809099#1: worn 507 times (2.9%)#2: worn 511 times (2.9%)#3: worn 518 times (2.9%)#4: worn 525 times (3.0%)#5: worn 510 times (2.9%)#6: worn 525 times (3.0%)#7: worn 518 times (2.9%)#8: worn 527 times (3.0%)#9: worn 524 times (3.0%)#10: worn 525 times (3.0%)#11: worn 525 times (3.0%)#12: worn 456 times (2.6%)#13: worn 309 times (1.8%)#14: worn 509 times (2.9%)#15: worn 500 times (2.8%)#16: worn 487 times (2.8%)#17: worn 515 times (2.9%)#18: worn 503 times (2.9%)#19: worn 506 times (2.9%)#20: worn 496 times (2.8%)#21: worn 481 times (2.7%)#22: worn 494 times (2.8%)#23: worn 485 times (2.8%)#24: worn 476 times (2.7%)#25: worn 429 times (2.4%)#26: worn 445 times (2.5%)#27: worn 431 times (2.4%)#28: worn 418 times (2.4%)#29: worn 403 times (2.3%)#30: worn 385 times (2.2%)#31: worn 343 times (1.9%)#32: worn 336 times (1.9%)#33: worn 315 times (1.8%)#34: worn 268 times (1.5%)#35: worn 242 times (1.4%)#36: worn 212 times (1.2%)#37: worn 197 times (1.1%)#38: worn 171 times (1.0%)#39: worn 156 times (0.9%)#40: worn 143 times (0.8%)#41: worn 103 times (0.6%)#42: worn 104 times (0.6%)#43: worn 58 times (0.3%)#44: worn 107 times (0.6%)#45: worn 76 times (0.4%)#46: worn 48 times (0.3%)#47: worn 47 times (0.3%)#48: worn 46 times (0.3%)#49: worn 33 times (0.2%)#50: worn 36 times (0.2%)#51: worn 23 times (0.1%)#52: worn 16 times (0.1%)#53: worn 10 times (0.1%)#54: worn 11 times (0.1%)#55: worn 13 times (0.1%)#56: worn 9 times (0.1%)#57: worn 9 times (0.1%)#58: worn 6 times (0.0%)#59: worn 6 times (0.0%)#60: worn 6 times (0.0%)#61: worn 7 times (0.0%)#62: worn 3 times (0.0%)#63: worn 3 times (0.0%)#64: worn 3 times (0.0%)#65: worn 3 times (0.0%)#66: worn 2 times (0.0%)#67: worn 3 times (0.0%)#68: worn 3 times (0.0%)#69: worn 1 times (0.0%)#70: worn 1 times (0.0%)#71: worn 2 times (0.0%)#76: worn 1 times (0.0%)#77: worn 2 times (0.0%)#88: worn 1 times (0.0%)

1–11 in green, 12 and above in blue.

Who leaves out 13

Share of squads that issued 13 at all, since 2000. English lower-league clubs skip it most often.

EFL League TwoEFL League Two: 49.5% of 428 squads used 1349.5%EFL League OneEFL League One: 58.2% of 493 squads used 1358.2%EFL ChampionshipEFL Championship: 62.6% of 609 squads used 1362.6%Ligue 1Ligue 1: 64.7% of 419 squads used 1364.7%Premier LeaguePremier League: 65.5% of 510 squads used 1365.5%BundesligaBundesliga: 75.1% of 382 squads used 1375.1%Serie ASerie A: 75.6% of 505 squads used 1375.6%La LigaLa Liga: 93.6% of 392 squads used 1393.6%

La Liga is shown in a different colour because it isn’t a choice there: Spanish clubs register a first-team squad numbered 1–25, so 13 is issued unless the squad is unusually small. For the same reason, Spain barely appears above 25 and shouldn’t be compared with the rest on the chart above.

The one-number men

Longest unbroken runs in the same number at the same club.

PlayerClubNumberSeasons
Mark GoodladPort Vale#18 (2000/01–08)
Michael WalshPort Vale#57 (2000/01–07)
James HayterBournemouth#147 (2000/01–07)
Stephen PurchesBournemouth#37 (2000/01–07)
Steve FletcherBournemouth#107 (2000/01–07)
Nathan ClarkeHuddersfield Town#67 (2004/05–11)
Adam ChambersWalsall#77 (2011/12–18)
Gavin JohnsonColchester United#46 (1999/2000–05)
Joe KeithColchester United#36 (1999/2000–05)
Jason TindallBournemouth#186 (2000/01–06)

Numbers nobody keeps

Most different players in one number at one club since 2000.

ClubNumberPlayers
Oldham Athletic#2516
Peterborough United#2716
Port Vale#2516
Colchester United#2714
Oldham Athletic#914
Peterborough United#2114
Peterborough United#914
Port Vale#2014

When the big numbers arrived

The first season each of these turns up anywhere in the data.

#69 · 1996/97#66 · 2000/01#77 · 2000/01#99 · 2000/01#50 · 2003/04#88 · 2004/05

How to read this

  • The season in progress is left out of the trends. Squads fill up as a season goes on, and the numbers added last are the high ones.
  • Leagues run different rules. Spain numbers its first-team squad 1–25, which decides both how high its numbers go and whether 13 is used, so it is never averaged in silently.
  • The data is compiled from Wikipedia and is thinner for some seasons than others; a season with fewer than 100 numbers on record is left off the trend.

Why players choose their numbers →