Home advantage
There was a lengthy but ultimately satisfying article on the "myth" of the home advantage in last week's Observer sport monthly. Its findings?
The fans, the players and the media have merely bought into a myth of their own relative power or powerlessness, one that fits what they want to believe. There is no evidence that home advantage is much affected, if at all, by the size, intensity or commitment of the fans. Instead, home advantage is remarkably consistent within individual sports across different locations and different crowds. Where it varies, the factors that count are the ones that usually count in sport: skill, luck and changes of circumstance.
For related posts, see here and here.
Filed in Sport