14 comments

• 

  The Gaffer

  10 months ago

  It's a fantastic idea Phil and it's a feature I've already used to great success and will plan on using throughout the season for those times when I can't watch games live.
  
  How is the match ratings calculated? Is it done manually or is it automated - and if the latter, is this something you'll be revealing (somewhat similar to the algorithms that Google uses for its search engines)?
  
  Congrats Phil on a revolutionary idea.
  
  Cheers,
  The Gaffer
  reply
• 

  Phil McThomas

  10 months ago

  Cheers, Gaffer.
  
  The ratings are completely automated. The method is fairly simple right now - it just looks at the number of goals and how close the game was. I can refine this over the course of time.
  reply
• 

  Chris

  10 months ago

  I think this is a great idea. I won't have to resort to asking my girlfriend or friends to give me a vague idea if I should watch the match. If you do this for Champion's League matches too, I'll give you my first born.
  
  I'm definitely going to check this out.
  reply
• 

  Phil McThomas

  10 months ago

  I'll definitely see if I can add Champions League matches. It shouldn't be difficult.
  
  Hey...I think you should sign-up for the mailing list, so I can let you know if it's available. :)
  reply
• 

  DublinerInKentucky

  10 months ago

  Great idea....count me in...I'm heading over there to sign up right now...plus I'll send your link to my football forum mates an all..nice one
  Dave
  reply
• 

  Weston

  10 months ago

  Good idea...now I just need the channels that actually carry the games!
  reply
• 

  Martin

  10 months ago

  Fantastic idea. I've read epltalk for years, never wrote here, but this is a great tool for determining which game to watch that doesn't involve your team and with Murphy's rule going strong, I always seem to pick the wrong game on DVR. Can't wait to use it! Well done. Cheers.
  reply
• 

  jm

  10 months ago

  Though I have no means of taping matches, if I did, I would use this website! Kudos on an excellent idea!
  
  What about adding a second score, a user score, for each game? Particularly as you build a fan base, your readers can vote on the strength of the games they've seen by the same scale. That way your readers will get the objectively derived score, and the user score, both of which could be useful, but tell you something different. Anyway, best of luck with the continued development of your site!
  reply
• 

  Todd

  10 months ago

  my only concern is i try and over think these things. i dont even like someone telling me it was a good game, because if its 2-0 in the 75th minute, i know somethings about to happen. if i see man utd v hull is rated an 8 does that mean united scored 5 goals or it was a thrilling 1-1? what is the standard ya know? either way, excellent idea and i hope its successful
  reply
• 

  DublinerInKentucky

  10 months ago

  Want to add...
  The purist in me is shocked that I would agree that something like this is good...after all, I have been telling my American naysayers that some of the best games of football I have watched over the years have been 0-0 or 1-0 games (ie to an american LOW SCORING)
  BUT
  with 3 kids and coaching games on the weekends...the trouble and strife gives me the evils sometimes when I disappear for the Saturday or Sunday afternoon to watch 3 games and there she is outside in 100 degree weather, 8 months pregnant and mowing the grass....nahhh just kidding...it was only 98 in the shade
  reply
• 

  AtlantaPompey

  10 months ago

  What a fantastic idea. I do like the idea that jm added of a user score. If you've seen a match, log in and rate it yourself. More info can only help. I'm signing up immediately. I frequently record several matches in one weekend and want to see the most entertaining one, in addition to the Pompey match. Adding Champions League matches would be great too. I always record those and watch them that night.
  reply
• 

  Phil McThomas

  10 months ago

  User ratings is something I'll add in the future when this hits a critical mass.
  
  The problem is that if very few people vote, the ratings are not very useful - mostly colored by whether your team won or not! It would be hard to give an 8 or 9 to a game where your team lost a two goal lead in the final minutes.
  
  But a human element would be great to help differenciate between boring or enthralling low-scoring games.
  reply
• 

  SSReporters

  10 months ago

  So I guess Bolton will be getting 2s and 3s forever? :D
  reply
• 

  The Gaffer

  10 months ago

  Phil,
  
  Any chance of expanding this idea to La Liga and Serie A also? This way, football fans can look across all of the major leagues on telly and pick and choose which would be the best matches to watch.
  
  Cheers,
  The Gaffer
  reply