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
Narrow to one club
Accrington StanleyAldershot TownBarnetBarrowBlackpoolBolton WanderersBoston UnitedBournemouthBradford CityBrentfordBristol RoversBromleyBurton AlbionBuryCambridge UnitedCardiff CityCarlisle UnitedCheltenham TownChesterfieldColchester UnitedCoventryCrawley TownCrewe AlexandraDagenham and RedbridgeDarlingtonDoncaster RoversExeter CityFleetwood TownForest Green RoversGillinghamGrimsby TownHalifax TownHarrogate TownHartlepool UnitedHereford UnitedHuddersfield TownHull CityKidderminster HarriersLeyton OrientLincoln CityLuton TownMacclesfield TownMansfield TownMilton Keynes DonsMorecambeNewport CountyNorthampton TownNotts CountyOldham AthleticOxford UnitedPeterborough UnitedPlymouth ArgylePort ValePortsmouthRochdaleRotherham UnitedRushden and DiamondsSalford CityScunthorpe UnitedShrewsbury TownSouthend UnitedStevenageStockport CountySutton UnitedSwansea CitySwindon TownTorquay UnitedTranmere RoversWalsallWimbledonWrexhamWycombe WanderersYeovil TownYork City

The drift away from 1–11

In 1999/2000, 36.5% of the numbers issued were 1–11. By 2025/26 it was 31.4%, a fall of 5.1 points. The average number rose from 16.6 to 20.1.

0%25%50%75%100%99/0003/0407/0811/1215/1619/2023/2425/2699/00: 36.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.6)00/01: 37.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.8)01/02: 35.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.6)02/03: 37.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16)03/04: 38.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.5)04/05: 39.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15)05/06: 39.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 14.9)06/07: 36.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.7)07/08: 36.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.5)08/09: 36.1% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 16.7)09/10: 34.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.6)10/11: 39.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 15.8)11/12: 34.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.6)12/13: 33.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.1)13/14: 35.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.1)14/15: 33.8% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 17.9)15/16: 33.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.1)16/17: 32.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.6)17/18: 32% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.1)18/19: 33.3% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.3)19/20: 33.5% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.7)20/21: 31.6% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.2)21/22: 33.2% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.4)22/23: 32.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 18.8)23/24: 30.9% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.3)24/25: 31.7% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 19.8)25/26: 31.4% of numbers are 1–11 (average number 20.1)36.5%31.4%
See the numbers
Season1–11AverageNumbers
1999/200036.5%16.6200
2000/0137.2%15.8196
2001/0235.5%16.6262
2002/0337.4%16198
2003/0438.5%15.5252
2004/0539.6%15278
2005/0639.2%14.9158
2006/0736.5%16.7353
2007/0836.3%16.5493
2008/0936.1%16.7628
2009/1034.3%17.6565
2010/1139.2%15.8645
2011/1234.8%17.6756
2012/1333.3%18.1694
2013/1435.5%17.1629
2014/1533.8%17.9521
2015/1633.5%18.1647
2016/1732.6%18.6632
2017/1832%19.1647
2018/1933.3%18.3453
2019/2033.5%18.7501
2020/2131.6%19.2655
2021/2233.2%18.4551
2022/2332.9%18.8435
2023/2430.9%20.3792
2024/2531.7%19.8816
2025/2631.4%20.1821

Which numbers get worn

#7 is the most-worn number in this selection, 456 times. The thinnest end of the tail is #57, worn 1.

110203040506070809099#1: worn 450 times (3.1%)#2: worn 442 times (3.1%)#3: worn 443 times (3.1%)#4: worn 453 times (3.2%)#5: worn 444 times (3.1%)#6: worn 455 times (3.2%)#7: worn 456 times (3.2%)#8: worn 453 times (3.2%)#9: worn 446 times (3.1%)#10: worn 453 times (3.2%)#11: worn 444 times (3.1%)#12: worn 380 times (2.6%)#13: worn 225 times (1.6%)#14: worn 434 times (3.0%)#15: worn 419 times (2.9%)#16: worn 432 times (3.0%)#17: worn 441 times (3.1%)#18: worn 431 times (3.0%)#19: worn 437 times (3.0%)#20: worn 428 times (3.0%)#21: worn 395 times (2.8%)#22: worn 422 times (2.9%)#23: worn 424 times (3.0%)#24: worn 423 times (2.9%)#25: worn 387 times (2.7%)#26: worn 382 times (2.7%)#27: worn 374 times (2.6%)#28: worn 330 times (2.3%)#29: worn 328 times (2.3%)#30: worn 314 times (2.2%)#31: worn 255 times (1.8%)#32: worn 221 times (1.5%)#33: worn 247 times (1.7%)#34: worn 185 times (1.3%)#35: worn 168 times (1.2%)#36: worn 121 times (0.8%)#37: worn 115 times (0.8%)#38: worn 105 times (0.7%)#39: worn 119 times (0.8%)#40: worn 100 times (0.7%)#41: worn 60 times (0.4%)#42: worn 60 times (0.4%)#43: worn 34 times (0.2%)#44: worn 71 times (0.5%)#45: worn 39 times (0.3%)#46: worn 21 times (0.1%)#47: worn 24 times (0.2%)#48: worn 18 times (0.1%)#49: worn 13 times (0.1%)#50: worn 10 times (0.1%)#51: worn 4 times (0.0%)#52: worn 5 times (0.0%)#53: worn 4 times (0.0%)#54: worn 3 times (0.0%)#55: worn 4 times (0.0%)#56: worn 3 times (0.0%)#57: worn 1 times (0.0%)#59: worn 2 times (0.0%)#61: worn 1 times (0.0%)#66: worn 1 times (0.0%)#67: worn 1 times (0.0%)#99: worn 3 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
Jake WrightOxford United#66 (2010/11–16)
Tom EastmanColchester United#186 (2016/17–22)
Kevin TownsonRochdale#195 (2000/01–05)
Neil EdwardsRochdale#15 (2000/01–05)
Wayne EvansRochdale#25 (2000/01–05)
Gareth GriffithsRochdale#55 (2001/02–06)
Chris DagnallRochdale#95 (2005/06–10)
Phil EdwardsAccrington Stanley#125 (2006/07–11)
Dale TongeRotherham United#25 (2008/09–13)
Anthony GriffithPort Vale#45 (2008/09–13)

Numbers nobody keeps

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

ClubNumberPlayers
Accrington Stanley#1514
Mansfield Town#1414
Accrington Stanley#1913
Accrington Stanley#513
Accrington Stanley#1613
Accrington Stanley#2013
Accrington Stanley#113
Grimsby Town#2613

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 →