31-05-2015, 17:13
If I have a quibble with the scoring system, it's that awarding a point to teams knocked out in the third round means sides who've competed in the top two divisions most of their history get an immediate and unearned head start. For instance, hypothetically, a team who've played in the top two tiers for 125 years but have never progressed past the third round would have 125 points despite having lost every single cup match they've ever played!
The fairest system would be to award points for progressing through each round, with a large bonus for winning the trophy (being able to rise to the occasion, etc). Ideally, points should also be weighted in earlier rounds to reflect divisional differences between teams and reward upsets (i.e. Hereford/York/Woking should get more points for knocking out Newcastle/Arsenal/Albion than one team beating another in the same division). That way you can reward historical minnows and giant-killers for their relative achievements too.
However, that would obviously be a much bigger and more complex project, so don't take it as a challenge!
The fairest system would be to award points for progressing through each round, with a large bonus for winning the trophy (being able to rise to the occasion, etc). Ideally, points should also be weighted in earlier rounds to reflect divisional differences between teams and reward upsets (i.e. Hereford/York/Woking should get more points for knocking out Newcastle/Arsenal/Albion than one team beating another in the same division). That way you can reward historical minnows and giant-killers for their relative achievements too.
However, that would obviously be a much bigger and more complex project, so don't take it as a challenge!
"I would rather spend a holiday in Tuscany than in the Black Country, but if I were compelled to choose between living in West Bromwich or Florence, I should make straight for West Bromwich." - J.B. Priestley