Idrissa Gueye - now gone

[Damo70]

Didn't Belgian amuso-named 1980s keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff used to wear short sleeves sometimes? Think he was an early contributor to what is a very poor state of affairs.

EDIT also that arse of a Donald Pleasance lookalike Fabien Barthez did a lot to encourage that nonsense, too.

A very long time ago I was told the fascinating fact that a goalkeeper rolling up his sleeves was a bookable offence in the days before gloves being commonplace as if a sleeve wasn't visible, the referee might have no way of knowing whose hand had made contact with the ball in a crowd. Presumably this has since been rescinded.

I think short sleeves or rolled up sleeves started to be allowed around the early nineties. Prior to that it was a favourite trivia question of mine that someone had told me. What can every player do except the goalkeeper. The answer being wear short sleeves due to the ref wanting to identify an arm going up n the area and who it belonged to.

[Exeter 77]

The first non Brazilian use of a nickname I can remember was a Norwegian at World Cup '94, who delighted in the pseudonym 'Mini' when his name was John something. I thought he was a cock then, and he didn't have the kind of career which would make me change my mind.

Jahn Ivar Jakobsen  - according to the font of all knowledge that is Wikipedia he changed the spelling of his first name as a teenager, adding the 'h', to feel more like a Norwegian singer.

[TheMalandro]

If I ever rise to the peak of English (or European or World, why not think big?) football by means of a violent coup, I'll be bringing in new laws regarding stupidly coloured boots.

However, the first thing I'll be cracking down on is the use of anything other than the player's surname on the back of the shirt.

The only case in which this is ok is for Brazilians, where that is the single word name they are always referred to (Zico, Pele) etc, AND said Brazilian is of an extremely high quality (ie not Fred or Jo).

Ideally dispensation to have a nickname rather than a surname on your shirt would be decided by an oversight panel which would accept and decide on applications. The only member of the panel would be me, thinking about it.

I am thinking of the likes of Chica-fucking-rito here. That's not your name. Get it off your shirt, and get your actual name on.

Brazilians have got an excuse in that they often follow the Portuguese convention of having 4 surnames, and that on the whole they rock at football, so can call themselves what they like, but everybody else I fully agree with you.  Jordi fucking Cruyff with his first name on his shirt.  I know why he did it but he was still a ponce. And Hernandez at Man U has no excuse.  Little Pea indeed, the massive bumder.  I'm sure most parents have pet names for their kids when they're growing up, but wouldn't expect to see "Daddy's little prince" on the back of a shirt should their son succeed as a professional footballer.

Up against the wall come the Walnuts revolution:
Chicarito
"Ravel" Morrison
Jordi Cruyff
Kun[t] Aguero

All of the above will be shot, but the following person will be given an ambassadorial role for always having his full name printed when a shortened version would actually have been excusable:

Vennegoor of Hesselink

So, come on, are you getting Idrisso on your shirt?

[Mister E]

If I ever rise to the peak of English (or European or World, why not think big?) football by means of a violent coup, I'll be bringing in new laws regarding stupidly coloured boots.

However, the first thing I'll be cracking down on is the use of anything other than the player's surname on the back of the shirt.

The only case in which this is ok is for Brazilians, where that is the single word name they are always referred to (Zico, Pele) etc, AND said Brazilian is of an extremely high quality (ie not Fred or Jo).

Ideally dispensation to have a nickname rather than a surname on your shirt would be decided by an oversight panel which would accept and decide on applications. The only member of the panel would be me, thinking about it.

I am thinking of the likes of Chica-fucking-rito here. That's not your name. Get it off your shirt, and get your actual name on.

Brazilians have got an excuse in that they often follow the Portuguese convention of having 4 surnames, and that on the whole they rock at football, so can call themselves what they like, but everybody else I fully agree with you.  Jordi fucking Cruyff with his first name on his shirt.  I know why he did it but he was still a ponce. And Hernandez at Man U has no excuse.  Little Pea indeed, the massive bumder.  I'm sure most parents have pet names for their kids when they're growing up, but wouldn't expect to see "Daddy's little prince" on the back of a shirt should their son succeed as a professional footballer.

Up against the wall come the Walnuts revolution:
Chicarito
"Ravel" Morrison
Jordi Cruyff
Kun[t] Aguero

All of the above will be shot, but the following person will be given an ambassadorial role for always having his full name printed when a shortened version would actually have been excusable:

Vennegoor of Hesselink

So, come on, are you getting Idrisso on your shirt?

Idrisso? - who he?
I'm considering getting Idrissa on mine, though.

[PeterWithesShin]

The "risso" bit may be a clue!

[edgysatsuma89]

If I ever pull off a violent coup then there will be no numbers or names at all. On the back of shirts will just be multiple images of my head super imposed onto other famous images or landmarks. The referees will be required to learn everyone's names off the top of their heads. Any signs of hesitation from them will be punished. All referees shorts will be laced with 'Xtreme Catnip 5000' and on hesitation a tiger will be released. 20 referees a game will be required to attend all matches. Phil Dowd may not make it through the warm up though.

Also all tigers will be called 'Jon'. Don't ask. If you do I'll send Jon.

As it's slighyly off thread if Gueye signs he can have his name on his shirt for one game of his choice but it will have to be spelt phonetically. He can also choose which image of me he has as well.

The flaw in your plan is that once the Tigers have munched their way through Dowd, they'll all be full, fat and bloated and too tired to chase the remaining refs when they cock up. It'll be anarchy and you'll have the RSPCA on to you for keeping Obese tigers.

Shit. That fat prick ruins everything.

[Mister E]

The "risso" bit may be a clue!

Doh - it's a fair cop.

[Percy McCarthy]

DER BOMBER is perhaps the only nickname in football history that it might have been acceptable to have printed on a shirt. Or maybe PONGO.

and of course....GOD

UTV
The Doc

Sid.
Sir Brian.

[mr underhill]

so back to the actual topic, no news then.

[cdbearsfan]

Sherwood said it's pretty much a done deal, we're just waiting on a work permit.

[Ron Manager]

I am now fully confident we have our player. He wants to play in the Premier League and we have put up the required fee so that's it. Lets hope we get the others Tim Sherwood is after. I fully expect Benteke to go but I think we have a chance of keeping Delph.

[cdbearsfan]

If both release clause stories are true, I reckon we have more chance of keeping Benteke than Delph. If I was a Man City manager, I'd sign Delph just in case, £8-£10 million is loose change and it'll be worth it to them even if he only plays half their games.

[mr underhill]

ho hum, how long does it take to produce a piece of paper, sign, and post/fax/email it?

[Des Little]

I have visions of the work permit request being jammed in the fax machine and no one realising. 

[dekko]

I have no idea how these things work - is it literally a case of faxing something through or is has there got to be some sort of tribunal process?