Winning with the Invisible Laws of Chance (Hardcover)
Language: English
Published by Whitefox Publishing Ltd, London, 2026
- Hardcover
- New

Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.Grand Eagle Retail
AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005
Condition: New
£ 29.06
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Hardcover. For over twenty years, one man quietly shaped results up and down the English Football League - and almost nobody knew his name.Neil Lanham was the analyst working behind the scenes: the man managers like Dave Bassett, Graham Taylor, Steve Coppell, Jack Charlton, John Docherty and John Beck turned to when promotion or survival was on the line. Between 1980 and 2000, his methods played a part in eight promotions and relegation escapes - a strike rate no player, manager or coach can touch.Winning with the Invisible Laws of Chance finally lifts the lid on how he did it. Published here in full for the first time, this is the system Lanham built to exploit the "invisible laws of chance" that govern football results - decades before expected-goals models and data analysts became part of the modern game.Packed with sharp, funny, warts-and-all stories from the dressing rooms and boardrooms of English football, this is more than a coaching manual; it's a rare, entertaining glimpse inside the sport from the man who helped to change how the game was played. Essential reading for anyone who wants to know what really wins football matches. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…
Seller Inventory # 9781918661026
- Title
- Winning with the Invisible Laws of Chance (Hardcover)
- Author
- Neil Lanham
- Publisher
- Whitefox Publishing Ltd, London
- Publication year
- 2026
- Condition
- new
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1918661022
- ISBN 13
- 9781918661026
This is the compelling true story of a football performance analyst, Neil Lanham, and his unprecedented success in the English football leagues. Winning with the Invisible Laws of Chance reveals Neil’s innovative methods of analysing football, the details of which have been closely guarded and hitherto unpublished. This book is an essential guide for anyone wanting an insight into match-winning football.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Neil Lanham was born in 1938 and has lived all his life in Suffolk.
After the death of his father at 5 years old, he went into a shell but became extremely observant of the things around him. Following a car accident, he was told that he should not play football again and realised that there was much happening that went unobserved on the football field, so he learned a method of taking every possession down in shorthand and eventually put over 4,000 games onto a computer.
From this, Neil recorded that there are laws of chance that apply equally to all teams at every level however they play. They are the same today and this was used to help obtain back-to-back promotions by Wimbledon, Cambridge United, Sheffield United and success at other football clubs.
Neil has read academic papers on the fit of chance in football at Eindhoven and Lisbon and on the oral tradition in Song and Story at Cardiff, Swansea, Aberdeen and Newcastle Universities as well as writing books on his life as an auctioneer.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Grand Eagle Retail
Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since October 12, 2005
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 6 to 14 business days | 6 to 16 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 0.00 | £ 0.00 |
Payment methods
Seller's business information
APOLLO ONLINE CORP.
605 Geddes Street
Wilmington, DE U.S.A. 19805
Terms of sale
We guarantee the condition of every book as it¿s described on the Abebooks web sites. If you¿ve changed
your mind about a book that you¿ve ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us
and we¿ll respond within 2 business days.
Books ship from California and Michigan.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, Illinois, U.S.A., without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders usually ship within 2 business days. All books within the US ship free of charge. Delivery is 4-14 business days anywhere in the United States.
Books ship from California and Michigan.
If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.