Friday 30 November 2007

Finally: an attendance prediction


Well, it's reached December (it will have by the time the match I'm predicting takes place), and finally I've updated the dataset for the new season, and am predicting gates. I knew it would be a big job, and indeed at 8pm on a Friday night, having just spent three hours updating the dataset, my suspicions have been confirmed.


However, tomorrow afternoon Oldham entertain Crewe Alexandra (interestingly enough Crewe to go Oldham while I go to (near) Crewe for a family get-together tomorrow) in the FA Cup Second Round. Signs are Oldham are finally getting their act together. Hopefully in the weeks to come, the score prediction modelling will get back online too.


Attendances this season, well they have begun pretty much as they did last season - the Oldham public don't seem that convinced after the disappointment of missing out in the play-offs last season, and perhaps they've been right - so far Oldham have lost twice as many home matches as they've won. Thankfully a few away wins have meant Oldham are roughly mid-table now.
Anyhow, the prediction for the gate tomorrow is a slightly underwhelming 4587. I wonder how close it'll be... it certainly seems a roughly right ball-park figure - gates have been about there, the opposition is Crewe, they are local but not hugely well supported, it is the FA Cup, but then Oldham haven't won a home match for quite a while now - in fact since Crewe last visited Boundary Park at the end of September. Here's hoping for another win!
Update: this was supposed to be on my work blog website, but I posted it on the wrong one...

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