Match Report

    ENGLISH F.A. AND NUMBERING OF PLAYERS

TO BE DISCUSSED AT SCARBOROUGH MEETING

   The Council of the Football Association will hold an important meeting at Scarborough next Saturday, when, in addition to the election of the chairman and vice-chairman for the ensuing year, reports of various various committees will be read.
   One of the most interesting items on the agenda concerns the numbering of players. Brig-General W.R.N. [Maddox], the New Zealand F.A. representative, will move that players, other than the goalkeeper, be numbered from 1 to 10 in the following matches:-
   F.A. Cup semi-final and final ties.
   F.A. Charity Shield.
   International trial.
   England team in internationals.
   In view of the controversy over the question of the numbering of players, the discussion is likely to be a lively one. - 20 June 1938.

SCOTLAND DEFIED

   The most important decision taken by the F.A. at the summer meeting at Scarborough was to number players, other than the goalkeeper, in the F.A. Cup final, semi-finals, international matches, international trial, and the F.A. charity shield match. New Zealand put forward the resolution in the person of Brigadier-General W.R.N. Maddox, and the proposal will bring about the numbering of players from 1 to 10.
   The decision to number players means that England players will be numbered in matches against Scotland, even though Scotland may not adopt the procedure for her own players.
   Mr F.W. Rinder, vice-president of the Football Association, and one of the strongest supporters of the numbering scheme, made this clear in an interview. He said: "I can see no logical objection to the idea. The England team will be numbered against Scotland. Objections arise from old-fashioned sentiment, and the present tendency of interchange of positions calls for numbering to assist even the experienced spectator to identify players. I have always been in favour of numbering." - 25 June 1938.