Title Decided on Goal Differential

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

They would have had calculators. Mechanical ones, for a start, and I've seen photos of banks of women at an aeronautical lab employed simply to do sums

I might be wrong, but sums is the word. I'm not sure these mechanical jobbies could divide.

Maybe they were actually taught how to do division without using a calculator. Long division is something kids used to be expected to have mastered by the age of 8, not something that requires a computer.

[Chairman Maodejski]

Unless I've misunderstood goal average, isn't it just goals scored divided by games played?

Probably something the average 8 year old could do.

I hope to God that 1960 is taking the piss, if not, I fear for the health of the nation.

[papereyes]

Unless I've misunderstood goal average, isn't it just goals scored divided by games played?

Probably something the average 8 year old could do.

I hope to God that 1960 is taking the piss, if not, I fear for the health of the nation.

Goals scored over goals conceded.

So potentially hard but if you limit it to a few DP, then not too bad.

[1960]

I'm not taking the piss, but you miss my point. Nowadays you know exactly what you need in the final game and you are exhilirated if you make it and devastated if you don't. In those it was hold on, now you've won 2-0 and you lot have won 3-2, can you wait a minute while we get a pen and paper out and work out where that leaves us?

And I got an A at O Level maths btw. Anyone remember O Levels?

[Platypuss]

There's always the faint possibility that they might have worked out the various calculations in advance.

[shadesrwrf]

Play-offs are a bad idea. I wish they would scrap it in the championship as it usually allows a really poor team to sneak into the prem

I know as I get older my memory is increasingly failing me, but didn't we win The Championship?

[Skyline]

Unless I've misunderstood goal average, isn't it just goals scored divided by games played?

Probably something the average 8 year old could do.

I hope to God that 1960 is taking the piss, if not, I fear for the health of the nation.

Goals scored over goals conceded.

So potentially hard but if you limit it to a few DP, then not too bad.

So it wasn't an 'average' at all, but a ratio.

I will confess (having never really looked into it) that I always thought it was goals/games, so couldn't see why they didn't just use the goals-scored number, but if it was a ratio that explains it.

[sheshnu]

I'm not taking the piss, but you miss my point. Nowadays you know exactly what you need in the final game and you are exhilirated if you make it and devastated if you don't. In those it was hold on, now you've won 2-0 and you lot have won 3-2, can you wait a minute while we get a pen and paper out and work out where that leaves us?

They have computers for that sort of thing these days, we don't need pens or paper. Or indeed brains.

Since I'm not using my brain (or at least don't know how to) I can't seem to decide, but wouldn't the same team be top with goal average as with goal difference anyway?

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Since I'm not using my brain (or at least don't know how to) I can't seem to decide, but wouldn't the same team be top with goal average as with goal difference anyway?

Not necessarily - Goal average rewards miserly defending far more than goal difference does. For instance:

Final Table (both teams level on points):

Team A - Scored 75 goals let in 25 - Goal Diff +50, Goal Average 3.00
Team B - Socred 60 goals, let in 18 - Goal Diff +42, Goal Average 3.33

[sheshnu]

Not necessarily - Goal average rewards miserly defending far more than goal difference does. For instance:

Final Table (both teams level on points):

Team A - Scored 75 goals let in 25 - Goal Diff +50, Goal Average 3.00
Team B - Socred 60 goals, let in 18 - Goal Diff +42, Goal Average 3.33

Oh ok, thanks. In that case GD is a much better idea, especially with the tie-breaker being goals scored. Better than any head-to-head nonsense as well (in a long league).