LOI Stats and data

**davidatrb** · 05/10/2014, 10:02 AM

Soccerway publish stats on LOI matches such as shots per games, corners per game, possession percentage, attendance. The data seems unrealistic to me? But not having watched many of the matches I cant tell.

1. Is soccerway's stats realistic?

For example this match Cork beat Sligo 2-1 but soccerway are reporting only one shot on target for cork and zero shots wide. Sligo they reckon had 3 shots on target and 6 shots wide. Anyone see the game? Do those stats represent what happened? Are soccerway not counting goals as shots on target? I see lots of games where a team has scored more goals than they have had shots on target!?

http://ie.soccerway.com/matches/2014...rs-fc/1626139/

2. Where is a good source of stats/match data for LOI? Preferably easy to consume by an automated script!

**Acornvilla** · 05/10/2014, 10:26 AM

Soccerway have Davy O' Sullivan down as a defender, so I wouldn't trust them!

**davidatrb** · 05/10/2014, 10:28 AM

Um. Well from looking at socceways stats on the premier league, it looks like they are just not counting goals as shots on target. And reading the match review of above match it did seem cork scored from very few chanecs. So the true shots on target just need to add the goals.

Any idea where soccerway get their LOI data, is there really someone at league of ireland matches counting shots, or with a stop watch to time the amount of time each team has possession?

**Acornvilla** · 05/10/2014, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by davidatrb

Um. Well from looking at socceways stats on the premier league, it looks like they are just not counting goals as shots on target. And reading the match review of above match it did seem cork scored from very few chanecs. So the true shots on target just need to add the goals.

Any idea where soccerway get their LOI data, is there really someone at league of ireland matches counting shots, or with a stop watch to time the amount of time each team has possession?

I'm pretty sure the likes of BET365 count the shot stats etc. as they have live in play betting. Check their site during the FAI semi's today if you can and you'll be able to see the list of constantly updating stats they have going on while a match is in progress.

So there are people out there somewhere doing it, I wouldn't know where you'd need to look to find where they're grabbing this info from however.

**dundalkfc10** · 05/10/2014, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

I'm pretty sure the likes of BET365 count the shot stats etc. as they have live in play betting. Check their site during the FAI semi's today if you can and you'll be able to see the list of constantly updating stats they have going on while a match is in progress.

So there are people out there somewhere doing it, I wouldn't know where you'd need to look to find where they're grabbing this info from however.

Their is companys who pay people to attend games, and stay on the phone telling them whats happening.

Il find a link to one of them later when im on the laptop

Know a lad who use to do it in Oriel, Sent his ticket after game to them and then they use send him 30euro plus the price of the ticket

Id imagine BET 365 either pay someone or use these companies

**davidatrb** · 05/10/2014, 1:20 PM

Thanks dundalkfc10. But even down to the possession %? It seems soccerway have this info for the League of Ireland. I have seen those guys on the phone at some LOI matches calling out on the phone when there is a dangerous attack or corner. But they never seemed so sophisticated that they were keeping track of possession stats?

Anyway thanks all. I'll just use soccerway's stats - seems good enough for me, just want to do some rough analysis.

**atfconline** · 05/10/2014, 1:26 PM

The guys on the phone would preface everything they said with whichever side was in possession, ie home safe, away danger, home throw-in etc.

**davidatrb** · 05/10/2014, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by atfconline

The guys on the phone would preface everything they said with whichever side was in possession, ie home safe, away danger, home throw-in etc.

Maybe that's it. You could get a good enough approximation on possession like that. Just imagined you would need a stop watch to get any sort of decent possession stats that worth publishing.

**gufcfan** · 05/10/2014, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by Acornvilla

Soccerway have Davy O' Sullivan down as a defender, so I wouldn't trust them!

The team lineups and match events are pretty much spot on usually, so I wouldn't mind that. I know it sounds like a big error, but from a stats point of view, it doesn't make a huge difference.

Originally Posted by davidatrb

Um. Well from looking at socceways stats on the premier league, it looks like they are just not counting goals as shots on target. And reading the match review of above match it did seem cork scored from very few chanecs. So the true shots on target just need to add the goals.

Anecdotally, I haven't found those shots and possession stats to be very reliable, even taking into account what you've said about goals not being counted as a shot on target.

Originally Posted by davidatrb

Any idea where soccerway get their LOI data, is there really someone at league of ireland matches counting shots, or with a stop watch to time the amount of time each team has possession?

I'd be fairly certain they are getting it from another company. Bet365 and all them are probably getting that data from the same place.

**davidatrb** · 08/10/2014, 4:42 PM

shotanalysis_loi_20141008.jpg

Anyway this is based on the soccerway data. I saw a similar chart on http://experimental361.com/english-premier-league/ and thought it was interesting. But after all the work to get the data and chart the data, I realise that it wasnt all that interesting!