4.2.14

Goal Average

Since the 1976-77 season the Football League has used goal difference to separate teams that have an equal number of points.It's delightfully simple- goals scored minus goals conceded equals goal difference. 
So:
Team A: for: 71 against: 48 goal difference =+23
Team B: for: 69 against: 61 goal difference =+8

But what about this?

Team A: for: 60 against: 33 goal average=1.818
Team B: for: 61 against: 34 goal average= 1.794

Goal average? Surely 60 goals scored in 42 games (what Team A above achieved) would be calculated as 60 ÷ 42 = 1.428.

1.818 is actually the product of 60 ÷ 33 (goals for ÷ goals against)- more of a ratio. 

Anyhow, until 1976-77 that was the method the Football League used to separate teams equal on points. I'm sure that the cloth capped spectators of yore must have enjoyed hours of calculations over chewed pencil stubs- the right wing press is always grieving over the days of super- numeracy when even four year olds could do 945 ÷ 278 in their heads (and god help them if they couldn't). 
There were faults; for example 1-0 win produces a better goal average than a 10-1 win.
The system was introduced at  the first sub-committee meeting of the Football League on 11.1.1889 (John Bentley in the chair). Point 10 reads:
Averages for the Championship shall be taken from wins and draws (not from the number of goals scored) to be counted as follows: two points for a win and one for a draw. in the event of two or more clubs being equal in points, the best goal average to count. 

In the the second season of the Football League goal average should have been used to decide a very important matter but was waived in what might have been an act of gratitude to the founder William McGregor-  his Aston Villa finished level with Bolton Wanderers on 19 points- whichever club finished lower of the two would have to apply for re election. The goal average computed as:

Bolton Wanderers 0.84375 
Aston Villa 0.84314 
The League decided to allow both sides to share 8th place, neither facing re election. It would have been the smallest mathematical margin in the history of League football. 
At the end of the 1907-08 season 3 second division clubs were on 30 points- Barnsley, Glossop and Grimsby Town- whichever finished lowest would face re election.  Goal average pointed to Grimsby- but, they protested, we're only in the danger zone on goal average - remember what happened to Aston Villa? The League (in the person of Mr John Lewis ) was having none of it. Grimsby were, however, successfully re elected. 
The most famous goal average based decision must be Huddersfield Town's League Championship win at the expense of Cardiff City (1.818 over 1.794) at the end of the 1923–24 season, Cardiff missing a penalty in the final league game. 

Let's take a look at goal averages in the top division from 1888-89 to 1936-37.

Season
Champions
F
A
G A
Best?

12 teams
1888-89
Preston North End
74
15
4.933
Yes

1889-90
Preston North End
71
30
2.367
Yes

1890-91
Everton
69
29
2.172
Yes

14 teams
1891-92
Sunderland
93
36
2.583
Yes

16 teams
1892-93
Sunderland
100
36
2.778
Yes

1893-94
Aston Villa
84
42
2.000
Yes

1894-95
Sunderland
80
37
2.162
Yes

1895-96
Aston Villa
78
45
1.733
No
Derby County (2) 1.943 (68:35)
1896-97
Aston Villa
73
38
1.921
Yes

1897-98
Sheffield United
56
31
1.806
Yes

18 teams
1898-99
Aston Villa
76
40
1.900
Yes

1899-1900
Aston Villa
77
35
2.200
Yes

1900-01
Liverpool
59
35
1.686
No
Sunderland (2)  2.192 (57:26)
1901-02
Sunderland
50
35
1.429
No
Everton (2)  1.514 (53:35)
1902-03
The Wednesday
54
36
1.500    
No
Aston Villa (2)  1.525 (61:40)
1903-04
The Wednesday
48
28
1.714
No
Everton (3)  1.844 (59:32)
1904-05
Newcastle United
72
33
2.182
Yes

20 teams
1905-06
Liverpool
79
46
1.717
Yes

1906-07
Newcastle United
74
46
1.609
Yes

1907-08
Manchester United
81
48
1.688
Yes

1908-09
Newcastle United
65
41
1.585
Yes

1909-10
Aston Villa
84
42
2.000
Yes

1910-11
Manchester United
72
40
1.800
Yes

1911-12
Blackburn Rovers
60
43
1.395
No
The Wednesday (5) 1.408 (69:49)
1912-13
Sunderland
86
43
2.000
Yes

1913-14
Blackburn Rovers
78
42
1.857
Yes

1914-15
Everton
76
47
1.617
Yes








22 teams
1919-1
West Bromwich Albion
104
47
2.213
Yes

1920-21
Burnley
79
36
2.194    
Yes

1921-22
Liverpool
63
36
1.750
Yes

1922-23
Liverpool
70
31
2.258
Yes

1923-24
Huddersfield Town
60
33
1.818
No
Bolton Wanderers (4) 2.000 (68:34)
1924-25
Huddersfield Town
69
28
2.464
Yes

1925-26
Huddersfield Town
92
60
1.533
Yes

1926-27
Newcastle United
96
58
1.655
Yes

1927-28
Everton
102
66
1.545
Yes

1928-29
The Wednesday
86
62
1.387
No
Leicester City (2) 1.433 (97:67), Liverpool (5) 1.406 (90:64)
1929-30
Sheffield Wednesday
105
57
1.842
Yes

1930-31
Arsenal
127
59
2.153
Yes

1931-32
Everton
116
64
1.813
No
Arsenal (2) 1.875 (90:48)
1932-33
Arsenal
118
61
1.934
Yes

1933-34
Arsenal
75
47
1.596
Yes

1934-35
Arsenal
115
46
2.500
Yes

1935-36
Sunderland
109
74
1.473
No
Arsenal (6) 1.625 (78:48)
1936-37
Manchester City
107
61
1.754
Yes


So, what then, about the actual averages? The actual goals scored per game? Goals conceded per game? Which teams have been the most regular scorers? Who has had the best defence? Is it possible that the team conceding least goals all season could finish in bottom place? 


Season
Champions
F
A
Best average  For
Best average Against
1888-89
Preston North End
3.36
0.68




1889-90
Preston North End
3.22
1.36




1890-91
Everton
2.86
1.31


Preston North End
1.04
1891-92
Sunderland
3.57
1.38


Preston North End
1.19
1892-93
Sunderland
3.33
1.20




1893-94
Aston Villa
2.80
1.40
Everton
3.00


1894-95
Sunderland
2.66
1.23
Everton, Aston Villa
2.73


1895-96
Aston Villa
2.60
1.50


Derby County
1.16
1896-97
Aston Villa
2.43
1.26


Sheffield United
0.96
1897-98
Sheffield United
1.86
1.03
Aston Villa
2.03
Sunderland
1.00
1898-99
Aston Villa
2.35
1.17


Liverpool
0.97
1899-1900
Aston Villa
2.26
1.02


Sheffield United
0.97
1900-01
Liverpool
1.73
1.02


Sunderland
0.76
1901-02
Sunderland
1.47
1.02
Everton, Sheffield United
1.55
Newcastle United
1.00
1902-03
The Wednesday
1.58
1.05
Liverpool
2.00


1903-04
The Wednesday
1.41
0.82
Manchester City
2.08


1904-05
Newcastle United
2.11
0.97




1905-06
Liverpool
2.07
1.21
Bolton Wanderers
2.13
Preston North End
1.02
1906-07
Newcastle United
1.94
1.21
Aston Villa
2.05


1907-08
Manchester United
2.13
1.26


Middlesbrough
1.18
1908-09
Newcastle United
1.71
1.07
Everton
2.15


1909-10
Aston Villa
2.21
1.10


Sheffield United
1.07
1910-11
Manchester United
1.89
1.05


Everton
0.94
1911-12
Blackburn Rovers
1.57
1.13
Aston Villa
2.00
Everton
1.10
1912-13
Sunderland
2.26
1.13


Manchester City
0.97
1913-14
Blackburn Rovers
2.05
1.10


Bradford City
1.05
1914-15
Everton
2.00
1.23
Blackburn Rovers
2.18
Manchester City
1.02








1919- 20
West Bromwich Albion
2.47
1.11


Newcastle United
0.92
1920-21
Burnley
1.88
0.85


Liverpool
0.83
1921-22
Liverpool
1.50
0.85
Middlesbrough
1.88


1922-23
Liverpool
1.66
0.73
Cardiff City
1.73


1923-24
Huddersfield Town
1.42
0.78
Sunderland
1.69


1924-25
Huddersfield Town
1.64
0.66
Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City
1.80


1925-26
Huddersfield Town
2.19
1.42
Sheffield United
2.42


1926-27
Newcastle United
2.28
1.38
Sunderland
2.33


1927-28
Everton
2.42
1.57




1928-29
The Wednesday
2.04
1.47
Aston Villa
2.33
Cardiff City *
1.40
1929-30
Sheffield Wednesday
2.50
1.35




1930-31
Arsenal
3.02
1.40
Aston Villa
3.04


1.1931-32
Everton
2.76
1.52


Arsenal
1.14
1932-33
Arsenal
2.80
1.45


Huddersfield Town
1.26
1933-34
Arsenal
1.78
1.11
Huddersfield Town
2.14


1934-35
Arsenal
2.73
1.09




1935-36
Sunderland
2.59
1.76


Arsenal
1.14
1936-37
Manchester City
2.54
1.45


Charlton Athletic, Arsenal
1.16


·        * Bizarrely Cardiff City finished bottom 

Most prolific scorers:
Sunderland (1891-92) 3.57 (93 goals in 26 games)





Responsible for a third of Sunderland's goals in 1891-92 -Johnny Campbell

Tightest defence:
Huddersfield Town (1924-25)  0.66 (28 goals in 42 games)- Billy Mercer conceded just 16 in 27 games, Ted Taylor 5 goals in 10 games  and Len Boot 7 goals in 5 games .

Billy Mercer