Wednesday 28 August 2013

Choosing from 82 FA Cup Ties

There is no obvious way of choosing among 82 alternatives other than the "draw from balls in a bag" method but that is way too sensible and straightforward for this blog.  A quick bit of research reveals that there are 82 games for each team in a regular NBA season, and this provides an ideal opportunity to let my fate be sealed by the retrospective performance of one team.

Which team? Well, I choose Charlotte Bobcats simply because that was the last place that my feet were in contact with American soil.  Arbitrary enough for my purposes.  I have never seen a Charlotte Bobcat, but no matter.


Charlotte, North Carolina, from the airport as I was leaving, July 2010
I will arrange my ties in alphabetical order of home team (which mixes up the geographical regions in the FA listing) and then look at the Bobcats record for the last complete season, 2012-13.   I will look for the highest number of POINTS SCORED in any individual game by the Bobcats (win or lose) - if this turns out to have been the 24th game of the regular season, then I will go to game number 24 in my list.  If the Bobcats score the same number of points in more than one game, I will take the one with the best winning margin (or lowest losing margin).  If that doesn't produce a unique winner, then all ties go on a shortlist and I will toss a coin or roll a die to make the final play.  Hope that is clear.  It's probably not random in the pure sense, technically speaking, but it is random enough and I have no idea at the time of writing what the outcome will be.

Enough small print, here we go... the ties are here, these are all grounds that I have not visited before that are hosting an FA Cup tie on Saturday:

1
Atherton Collieries
v
Radcliffe Borough
2
Bamber Bridge
v
Staveley MW
3
Basildon United
v
Heybridge Swifts
4
Bedfont Sports
v
North Leigh
5
Belper Town
v
Retford United
6
Billingham Synthonia
v
Brighouse Town
7
Bootle
v
Barton Town Old Boys
8
Boston Town
v
Dereham Town
9
Bournemouth
v
Hallen
10
Bridport
v
Merthyr Town
11
Brislington
v
St Blazey
12
Bristol Manor Farm
v
Lymington Town
13
Brockenhurst
v
Folland Sports
14
Brocton
v
Ellesmere Rangers
15
Cammell Laird
v
Salford City
16
Carlton Town
v
Borrowash Victoria
17
Chessington & Hook United
v
Sittingbourne
18
Chipstead
v
Rye United
19
Cinderford Town
v
Aylesbury United
20
Clapton
v
Mildenhall Town
21
Clevedon Town
v
Bishop Sutton
22
Corinthian Casuals
v
Erith Town
23
Corsham Town
v
Sherborne Town
24
Coventry Sphinx
v
Lye Town
25
Cray Valley (PM)
v
Redhill
26
Croydon
v
Whyteleafe
27
Desborough Town
v
Loughborough University
28
Dunkirk
v
Rainworth MW
29
Durham City
v
Morpeth Town
30
Eastbourne Town
v
Corinthian Casuals
31
Eastbourne United
v
Herne Bay
32
Evesham United
v
Bolehall Swifts
33
Farnham Town
v
Camberley Town
34
Faversham Town
v
Worthing
35
Folkestone Invicta
v
Molesey
36
Formby
v
Northwich Victoria
37
Frimley Green
v
Cove
38
Goole AFC
v
Bishop Auckland
39
Gorleston
v
Thetford Town
40
Guisborough Town
v
Bridlington Town
41
Harrogate Railway Athletic
v
West Auckland Town
42
Hebburn Town
v
Marske United
43
Horley Town
v
Holmesdale
44
Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA
v
Dunston UTS
45
Kings Langley
v
Newport Pagnell Town
46
Long Eaton United
v
Shepshed Dynamo
47
Loughborough Dynamo
v
Eastwood Town
48
Mangotsfield United
v
Bitton AFC
49
Market Drayton Town
v
Kidsgrove Athletic
50
Merstham
v
Deal Town
51
Moneyfields
v
Longwell Green Sports
52
Newcastle Town
v
Shawbury United
53
Newport (IW)
v
Fareham Town
54
Newton Aycliffe
v
Spennymoor Town
55
Ossett Albion
v
Runcorn Linnets
56
Ossett Town
v
AFC Emley
57
Padiham
v
Clitheroe
58
Peacehaven & Telscombe
v
Ashford United
59
Petersfield Town
v
Horndean
60
Plymouth Parkway
v
Ilfracombe Town
61
Prescot Cables
v
Congleton Town
62
Ramsbottom United
v
AFC Liverpool
63
Raynes Park Vale
v
Alton Town
64
Runcorn Town
v
Glossop North End
65
Scarborough Athletic
v
Ashington
66
Shildon
v
Penrith AFC
67
Shoreham
v
Walton Casuals
68
Shortwood United
v
Egham Town
69
St Ives Town
v
Soham Town Rangers
70
Street
v
Paulton Rovers
71
Swaffham Town
v
Huntingdon Town
72
Taunton Town
v
Bridgwater Town
73
Totton & Eling
v
Sholing
74
VCD Athletic
v
Burgess Hill Town
75
Wakefield
v
New Mills
76
Warrington Town
v
Winsford United
77
Wells City
v
Bodmin Town
78
West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC
v
Burscough
79
Whitehaven AFC
v
Team Northumbria
80
Wimborne Town
v
Hamworthy United
81
Winchester City
v
Swindon Supermarine
82
Yate Town
v
Cowes Sports

So, now to:

for a list of the Bobcats' results.  We find that their biggest points haul came in Game 67 of the regular season, against Washington Wizards, and this is the only time they scored 119 points.  Gerald Henderson Jr scored 27 of them as they won, at home, 119-114.  I even found this clip - little did they know that one day their efforts would have a greater significance ...




This is the perfectly reasonable explanation as to why I will be heading to Shoreham in Sussex for their FA Cup Preliminary Round tie against Walton Casuals on Saturday 31 August.  Sorted.