Position numbers

[Southcoastffc]

The formation was 2 3 2 3

2 Full backs
3 Centre half and wing halves
2 Inside forwards
3 Centre forward and 2 wingers

Then people started mucking about! 

[The Rational Fan]

My Recollection of the 1982-82 Team was
              1. Peyton
2.Hopkins    5.Brown  6.Gale  3.Lock
              11.Lewington
4. O'Driscoll  8. Wilson  10. Houghton
          7.Davis      9. Coney
With Parker, Carr, Strong, Thomas and Tempest making some appearances.
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Typically positions for these numbers and the formation would be
              1. Peyton
2.Hopkins    5.Brown  6.Gale  3.Lock
              4. O'Driscoll
7.Davis      8. Wilson      11.Lewington
        9. Coney  10. Houghton
which is not the formation that they played.

[the nutflush]

Wasn't the old system in my school days 2-3-5.

Yes.  And if you were a fullback, you stayed back.  None of this bombing down the wing and delivering crosses. You were an out and out defender. 

[Logicalman]

Surely inside right was 8 and outside right (I.e. right winger) was 7

Rightly pointed out, JC & LB were our famous pairing.

[Logicalman]

Wasn't the old system in my school days 2-3-5.

Yes.  And if you were a fullback, you stayed back.  None of this bombing down the wing and delivering crosses. You were an out and out defender. 

.. and the biggest/hardest lad in the team was the #5.

Think of Jackie Charlton, Dave Watson (his stare scared your lunch out of you), Frank McLintock was another, though average height, he was hard as nails, as was Tommy "Quarried" Smith.

[sunburywhite]

Wasn't the old system in my school days 2-3-5.

Yes.  And if you were a fullback, you stayed back.  None of this bombing down the wing and delivering crosses. You were an out and out defender. 

.. and the biggest/hardest lad in the team was the #5.

Think of Jackie Charlton, Dave Watson (his stare scared your lunch out of you), Frank McLintock was another, though average height, he was hard as nails, as was Tommy "Quarried" Smith.

Bobby hard as nails Keetch