Harrogate Town is new to this division, so the rank comparison rests on less than a shared season. Against the block the other keeps: Hartlepool United takes 1.00 points a game, Harrogate Town 0.89 -- nothing between them.
Hartlepool United: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season. Harrogate Town: 50 league matches in the bank, 10 from this season and the rest from last season in the League Two.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Hartlepool United -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 21st of 24 after 10 games, with 9 points. Last season it finished 9th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (9th to 16th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 10 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 1, drew 0, lost 2 of 3 -- 3 points of 9. At home against them: won 1 of 2. Away against them: won 0 of 1.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 2, lost 9 of 16 (1.06 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 4, lost 5 of 13 (1.23 a game); against the bottom block won 8, drew 5, lost 5 of 18 (1.61 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 0, lost 2 of 3 (1.00 a game).
Harrogate Town -- away
Where it stands
Stands 4th of 24 after 10 games, with 19 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the League Two, where it finished 23rd of 24.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (9th to 16th). Against that block it has won 5, drew 1, lost 12 of 18 -- 16 points of 54. At home against them: won 3 of 10. Away against them: won 2 of 8.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 3, drew 4, lost 7 of 14 (0.93 a game); against the middle block won 5, drew 1, lost 12 of 18 (0.89 a game); against the bottom block won 6, drew 2, lost 8 of 16 (1.25 a game); against sides new to the division won 0, drew 1, lost 1 of 2 (0.50 a game).
Built 19:01 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.