Lockdown scuppered footballers home advantage according to Coventry University study

The 2020-21 football season was like no other. Empty stadiums on game day were unheard of, that was - until lockdown.

But according to a new study from Coventry University, fans absence had an unimaginable impact on game day - and not just the pie sales.

A group of mathematics students claim that the absence of fans in stadiums actually led to the loss of the famous home advantage. It's been known throughout the history of the sport that if you're playing at home, you've got the heart and soul of the fans on your side.

Whilst it's pretty clear that rows and rows of plastic chairs don't quite create the same atmosphere as 20,000 roaring voices - this study claims that the game itself took a hit.

Josh Pym, Nisha Patel and Tharshan Balamuralee are the three students behind the study, all working towards a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics at Coventry University. This study was part of the students final year project.

The results:

• The 'home advantage' when it comes to goal difference, fell by 50% on previous seasons. This was not down to the away team scoring more goals - rather, the home team taking fewer shots at goal.

• The 'home advantage' when it comes to red and yellow cards was hit too, apparently. The students found that in previous seasons, the away teams typically received more cards than the home team. But, throughout lockdown, this balanced out too. 

• The 'home advantage' when it comes to fouls changed too. When fans are present, more referee decisions typically sway in favour of the home side. Without fans, fewer fouls were awarded against away teams.

The students findings have been presented at the Mathsport International Conference, to an audience with professionals from sports modelling, sports betting and other academic backgrounds.