Survival Sunday is almost upon us and my earlier post on the number of scenarios appears to have stirred up feelings – see The Premier League: predicting who will go down (and the strange case of scenario no. 55). To recap, there are 5 teams separated by only one point who could all get relegated to […]
The Premier League: predicting who will go down (and the strange case of scenario no. 55)
As a Blackburn Rovers season ticket holder I can’t believe that it’s come down to the last game of the season. By 5.45pm on Sunday 22nd May 2011, two of five teams currently separated by only a single point will have been relegated from the Premier league (Table 1). Comments from mates like “you’ll be […]
Using sport to teach science: interactive exhibits, Teachers TV and maths in sport
We have known for quite some time here at Sheffield Hallam University the value of using sport to teach science. Sport is ideal for grabbing people’s attention and getting them interested in science, engineering and technology. We often do public lectures which are always packed out by people interested in sport who also want to know more about […]
Wimbledon in 3D!
Sony and the All England Lawn Tennis Club have signed a deal to allow TV viewers to watch Wimbledon in 3D. Along with their partners SuperVision Media, Sony will use their special filming techniques to capture and broadcast live in 3D.
World Cup 2010: did altitude affect tactics?
Ok, I admit it – I’m a stats nerd. I love nothing better than perusing the league tables in the back pages of the Sunday papers, so imagine my delight when Prozone offered me the chance to analyse their data from the 48 games of the Group Stages of the 2010 World Cup. In a […]
FIFA on the line: the case for video technology
Come on FIFA – get a grip! A clear refereeing mistake like the one that denied the goal by Lampard (see the video if you missed it) must surely give the ruling body of international football the courage to implement video technology. Poor rules lead to poor decisions and in the case of goal line […]
Jabulani, a ball in crisis? -Update!
Update! It seems that everyone has something to say about the Jabulani. As the official ball for the 2010 World Cup, it has a lot to live up to, but seems to be attracting more criticism than jubilation. It is now a World Cup tradition that the new ball should be roundly slated before the […]
Is it really possible to engineer the perfect football?
On 4th December 2009 the new ball for the World Cup in South Africa was unveiled. The product of years of research and development, the ‘Jabulani‘ was the most highly engineered football the world had ever seen. Prior to the launch adidas had even gone to the extent of testing the ball in the Bundesliga, […]
Does altitude affect football tactics?
Last November, I proposed that for this Summer’s world Cup Altitude will be key, the thinner air in Johannesburg will cause the ball to behave significantly differently than at sea level. Less air resistance means faster shots and straighter trajectories. As part of a feature for the New Scientist (p35-37, June 5th 2010) we created […]
What’s wrong at Wembley?
What’s wrong with the pitch at Wembley stadium? A question on the mouths and typing fingers of football pundits and forum dwellers alike. It’s also a concern of many Sports Engineers, having recently attended a conference on sport surfaces I thought it was appropriate to write a few words on the recent revelations on the […]
Engineering Sport 