Skipper

The term ‘skipper’ in football shares a lot in common with its use at sea. Just as the captain of a ship is informally called a skipper, the captain of a club can share the same title. They are usually one of the older or more experienced players that have been at the club for a long period of time.

Skippers can be identified by the wearing of an armband during matches. Officially, the only duty of the captain is to participate in the pre-match coin flip. However, they are often given other leadership duties. They are seen as the person to lift team morale, lead the team in celebrations if a trophy is won and act as the representative between the team and the referee.

Some clubs name vice-captains, or even third and fourth captains for when the regulars are unavailable. However, these are not called ‘vice-skippers’ and would probably only be referred to as ‘skipper’ for the game by commentators.