So many of us complain that the (relatively) new phenomenon
of email has changed our lives. I am
taking this to a new level today by using my email inboxes to determine a small
part of my destiny. This weekend is one of my favourites - it's the start of the 2015-16 FA Cup - the Extra Preliminary Round.
Here below is a randomised numbered list of 103 FA Cup ties which
(as far as I know at the moment) are taking place on Saturday at grounds that I
have not yet visited. The list was
produced using the RAND() function in Excel and sorting by the random
number. My choice of game for Saturday
will be decided by incoming traffic to my email inboxes for 10 August 2015. You could in theory influence this by sending
me emails. Don’t you dare.
Here's how it works. I have three operating email addresses – one is for all my fairly
important financial, house, car, shares in Bolivian zinc etc etc stuff. One is for the really important social
network stuff. The other is my work
email address for the unutterable joy of work stuff.
Thus, let the number of emails appearing in each inbox for
the calendar day of Monday 10 August 2015 be f, g and h respectively. f,g and h must of course be integers.
The formula which will determine my FA Cup Extra Preliminary
Round Destiny to game X is:
X = ( f x g x h ) MOD 103 + 1
The effect of the MOD function is to send the counter back
to the top of the list once the product f x g x h gets past 103. The “+1” is to cover the unlikely event of
one of these inboxes staying empty today otherwise I would be trying to go to
match zero which must be in a black hole somewhere without a postcode for Doris
the SatNav.
So, for example, if I get 2,4 and 6 emails in the inboxes
then I will work out (2 x 4 x 6) + 1 = 48 + 1 = 49 and head off to Cribbs v Bristol Manor Farm. If I get 22, 44 and 66 then the sum is (22 x
44 x 66) +1 which is 63889, and then the MOD operation
will give the remainder after division by 103.
That is 29 and off to Westfields v Pegasus Juniors I will go. If I get no work emails then I will be going
to match 1 at Hamworthy.
We will know my FA Cup fate at one minute past midnight. It’s random.
Thank you for your interest. No,
I don’t need medical help.
Small Print: Emails that have been filtered to the Junk or Spam folders do NOT count. If the
formula produces a match that is subsequently switched to a ground I have
already been to, or is moved to a different date, then I will go to the next
one on the list instead. The same applies in the case of a previously unidentified "tenant" groundsharing home club or other unknown factor such as alien invasion.
1
|
HAMWORTHY UNITED
|
v
|
HALLEN
|
2
|
BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS
|
v
|
SQUIRES GATE
|
3
|
SWAFFHAM TOWN
|
v
|
THETFORD TOWN
|
4
|
QUORN
|
v
|
OADBY TOWN
|
5
|
BRADFORD TOWN
|
v
|
UNITED SERVICES PORTSMOUTH
|
6
|
KNAPHILL
|
v
|
HIGHWORTH TOWN
|
7
|
AFC BRIDGNORTH
|
v
|
WOLVERHAMPTON CASUALS
|
8
|
BARNOLDSWICK TOWN
|
v
|
COLNE
|
9
|
SEAHAM RED STAR
|
v
|
MARSKE UNITED
|
10
|
AFC DARWEN
|
v
|
WASHINGTON
|
11
|
AMESBURY TOWN
|
v
|
BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS
|
12
|
HULLBRIDGE SPORTS
|
v
|
HADLEIGH UNITED
|
13
|
GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE
|
v
|
RUNCORN LINNETS
|
14
|
VERWOOD TOWN
|
v
|
NEWPORT (IW)
|
15
|
BODMIN TOWN
|
v
|
BRISLINGTON
|
16
|
SHEPTON MALLET AFC
|
v
|
PLYMOUTH PARKWAY
|
17
|
DEEPING RANGERS
|
v
|
BOSTON TOWN
|
18
|
HYTHE & DIBDEN
|
v
|
MONEYFIELDS
|
19
|
CONGLETON TOWN
|
v
|
NOSTELL MW
|
20
|
SHERBORNE TOWN
|
v
|
NEW MILTON TOWN
|
21
|
ASHINGTON
|
v
|
ALBION SPORTS
|
22
|
LONG EATON UNITED
|
v
|
HARROWBY UNITED
|
23
|
ODD DOWN
|
v
|
ASHTON & BACKWELL UNITED
|
24
|
HEATON STANNINGTON
|
v
|
NORTON & STOCKTON ANCIENTS
|
25
|
BISHOP AUCKLAND
|
v
|
SHILDON
|
26
|
ABINGDON UNITED
|
v
|
BRIMSCOMBE & THRUPP
|
27
|
ALSAGER TOWN
|
v
|
ATHERSLEY RECREATION
|
28
|
HOLBEACH UNITED
|
v
|
ELY CITY
|
29
|
WESTFIELDS
|
v
|
PEGASUS JUNIORS
|
30
|
SUNDERLAND RCA
|
v
|
GUISBOROUGH TOWN
|
31
|
WOOTTON BASSETT TOWN
|
v
|
BRACKNELL TOWN
|
32
|
TADLEY CALLEVA
|
v
|
GUILDFORD CITY
|
33
|
LONG MELFORD
|
v
|
LONDON BARI
|
34
|
CHELTENHAM SARACENS
|
v
|
WINTERBOURNE UNITED
|
35
|
BANSTEAD ATHLETIC
|
v
|
ROCHESTER UNITED
|
36
|
CHINNOR
|
v
|
HARTLEY WINTNEY
|
37
|
RADFORD
|
v
|
SLEAFORD TOWN
|
38
|
BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA
|
v
|
CONSETT AFC
|
39
|
GARFORTH TOWN
|
v
|
MORPETH TOWN
|
40
|
BOOTLE
|
v
|
ATHERTON COLLIERIES
|
41
|
CHESSINGTON & HOOK UNITED
|
v
|
CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC
|
42
|
BRIDLINGTON TOWN
|
v
|
NORTH SHIELDS
|
43
|
ST ANDREWS
|
v
|
CLIPSTONE
|
44
|
WITHERIDGE
|
v
|
WELTON ROVERS
|
45
|
SHEPSHED DYNAMO
|
v
|
RETFORD UNITED
|
46
|
CROYDON
|
v
|
SUTTON COMMON ROVERS
|
47
|
NELSON
|
v
|
NEWTON AYCLIFFE
|
48
|
CHADDERTON
|
v
|
AFC LIVERPOOL
|
49
|
CRIBBS
|
v
|
BRISTOL MANOR FARM
|
50
|
WORTHING UNITED
|
v
|
DEAL TOWN
|
51
|
POTTON UNITED
|
v
|
BEDFONT SPORTS
|
52
|
THAME UNITED
|
v
|
FARNHAM TOWN
|
53
|
READING TOWN
|
v
|
CHERTSEY TOWN
|
54
|
TEAM SOLENT
|
v
|
BLACKFIELD & LANGLEY
|
55
|
PENRITH AFC
|
v
|
JARROW ROOFING BOLDON CA
|
56
|
BARNSTAPLE TOWN
|
v
|
WILLAND ROVERS
|
57
|
ALMONDSBURY UWE
|
v
|
FAWLEY
|
58
|
RINGMER
|
v
|
BECKENHAM TOWN
|
59
|
HORNDEAN
|
v
|
SHOLING
|
60
|
BOTTESFORD TOWN
|
v
|
RAINWORTH MW
|
61
|
BROCTON
|
v
|
STOURPORT SWIFTS
|
62
|
MAINE ROAD
|
v
|
ST HELENS TOWN
|
63
|
FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED
|
v
|
BARKING
|
64
|
WELLINGBOROUGH WHITWORTHS
|
v
|
NORTHAMPTON SPENCER
|
65
|
DEBENHAM LC
|
v
|
IPSWICH WANDERERS
|
66
|
CROOK TOWN AFC
|
v
|
DUNSTON UTS
|
67
|
CLEETHORPES TOWN
|
v
|
BRIGG TOWN
|
68
|
ELLISTOWN & IBSTOCK UNITED
|
v
|
HOLWELL SPORTS
|
69
|
BEDLINGTON TERRIERS
|
v
|
WEST AUCKLAND TOWN
|
70
|
SEVENOAKS TOWN
|
v
|
SEVEN ACRE & SIDCUP
|
71
|
DURHAM CITY
|
v
|
THACKLEY
|
72
|
BEDFORD
|
v
|
COGENHOE UNITED
|
73
|
ASHTON ATHLETIC
|
v
|
MALTBY MAIN
|
74
|
ABBEY HEY
|
v
|
WORKSOP TOWN
|
75
|
RUNCORN TOWN
|
v
|
BACUP & ROSSENDALE BOROUGH
|
76
|
CLAPTON
|
v
|
STANWAY ROVERS
|
77
|
HAILSHAM TOWN
|
v
|
EASTBOURNE UNITED
|
78
|
ALVECHURCH
|
v
|
HEATH HAYES
|
79
|
HEBBURN TOWN
|
v
|
TADCASTER ALBION
|
80
|
SHOREHAM
|
v
|
ST FRANCIS RANGERS
|
81
|
WHITCHURCH UNITED
|
v
|
WINCANTON TOWN
|
82
|
BISHOP SUTTON
|
v
|
STREET
|
83
|
FAKENHAM TOWN
|
v
|
HUNTINGDON TOWN
|
84
|
COVE
|
v
|
SHRIVENHAM
|
85
|
SALTASH UNITED
|
v
|
AFC ST AUSTELL
|
86
|
SOUTH NORMANTON ATHLETIC
|
v
|
AFC MANSFIELD
|
87
|
MELKSHAM TOWN
|
v
|
COWES SPORTS
|
88
|
PENISTONE CHURCH
|
v
|
PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES
|
89
|
BROCKENHURST
|
v
|
FAREHAM TOWN
|
90
|
BUCKLAND ATHLETIC
|
v
|
CLEVEDON TOWN
|
91
|
BOURNEMOUTH
|
v
|
AFC PORTCHESTER
|
92
|
SILSDEN AFC
|
v
|
WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC
|
93
|
BEXHILL UNITED
|
v
|
LOXWOOD
|
94
|
HOLKER OLD BOYS
|
v
|
LIVERSEDGE
|
95
|
WINSFORD UNITED
|
v
|
AFC BLACKPOOL
|
96
|
HORLEY TOWN
|
v
|
WICK & BARNHAM UNITED
|
97
|
CRAY VALLEY (PM)
|
v
|
ASHFORD UNITED
|
98
|
ROTHWELL CORINTHIANS
|
v
|
THRAPSTON TOWN
|
99
|
HEMSWORTH MW
|
v
|
ARMTHORPE WELFARE
|
100
|
HOLMESDALE
|
v
|
MILE OAK
|
101
|
KIRBY MUXLOE
|
v
|
HEANOR TOWN
|
102
|
LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY
|
v
|
BARROW TOWN
|
103
|
HANLEY TOWN
|
v
|
SHAWBURY UNITED
|
No comments:
Post a Comment