Quote: mat "just as a side note wonder if burgess was given 29 shirt or if specifically asked for it?. would have thought next logical number to assign would be 27. pretty big statement of intent on Toms part if he's requested Fieldens old number and a big pair of boots to fill. Pretty impressed with him yesterday, put himself about a bit and looked pretty composed too.'"
The numbers were issued back along with the others. The clue was there when they gave Briggs number 32 instead of the logical 26. It suggested there was 6 other players that had been issued squad numbers but not actually announced. Coincidentally, there were 6 players that everyone expected in there that weren't. (Burgess, O'Brien, Finigan, Southernwood, Bateman & McAvoy). Also the training video that was shown at one of the Pre-Season evenings (and temporarily on YouTube until the club realised and made it private), showed Burgess training with a number 29 on his training top, as well as Vinny Finigan with a number 28 on his.
He may have asked for it pre-season (although I think it's more likely it's just coincidence), but they certainly haven't just been issued with squad numbers now.
(Incidentally, none of that is "FACT", but I don't believe in those sort of things being coincidence!)
Besides, Adam O'Brien wore Number 27 at Huddersfield, so he couldn't have been given that.