Make home advantage really count
Oct2420115:34 p.m.
I predicted at the start of the Rugby World Cup that New Zealand would triumph and that home advantage would be the decisive factor. Now it didn’t really take a genius to predict the winners as it was obvious the eventual victors would be a southern hemisphere side but it made me think how frequently home advantage is a decisive factor.
New Zealand won on home soil in 1987, South Africa won in front of Mandela at home in 1995. If we look at football World Cups, Uruguay in 1930, Italy 1934, England 1966, Germany 1974, Argentina 1978, France 1998 are all example of hosts enjoying success. So then, there really has to be something in it. The law of averages says that the tournament hosts have to win it at some point, but the sheer volume of teams winning a tournament at home suggest that it is a mighty advantage.
Of course, some teams collapse under the sheer weight of expectation and the pressure of playing at home. Sometimes the hosts are only in the tournament because they are hosting it i.e. they would be unlikely to ever qualify for it in their own right. (Qatar 2022 being a prime example of a nation unlikely to ever win even when hosting it!)
Looking ahead to 2012 and London Olympics, does this mean that Team GB Olympians are destined for success? Chinese athletes certainly excelled in Beijing in 2008 so we can only hope that 2012 brings a flurry of medals and a golden lining for many of our athletes.
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Comments (2)
Johnf 'The stats are pretty convincing when it comes to playing at home. Fingers crossed next summer for team GB' added 24th Oct 2011
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twammers 'It's got to be an advantage, no doubt. Hopefully GB athletes will raise their games sufficiently for next summer as they'll be keen to perform well in front of home crowds...no pressure then!' added 25th Oct 2011
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