| Article ID: | iaor20042727 |
| Country: | Netherlands |
| Volume: | 148 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Start Page Number: | 247 |
| End Page Number: | 256 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2003 |
| Journal: | European Journal of Operational Research |
| Authors: | Goddard John, Dobson Stephen |
| Keywords: | simulation: applications |
An empirical investigation of persistence in sequences of consecutive match results in (association) football is presented. A Monte Carlo analysis is used to generate sequences of simulated match results for heterogeneous teams under assumptions of zero persistence. A comparison between the simulated results and 30 years of observed match results data for the English Premier League and Football League provides evidence of a negative persistence effect.