QL Poolswinner

QL Poolswinner was a program sold by Yorkshire Media (Software) in Barnsley, South Yorkshire (who also appear to have advertised the program under the trading names Xenon and Techsoft) designed to help you to win the Football Pools. It was based around a database of 22,000 matches over 10 years, including all English and Scottish teams.

Using this database, the program attempted to predict the outcome of forthcoming fixtures - both scoredraws and no scores.

Advertised features for v1 (June 1985) included:

• Massive database - Poolswinner is a sophisticated Pools prediction aid. It comes complete with a large database (22000 matches over 10 years. All English and Scottish team names are in the database.
  
• Predicts not just scoredraws, but no scores as well.
  
• Successful - we guaranteed that Poolswinner performs considerably better than chance
  
• Unique - the prediction formulae calculate the efficiency of every team with present and past results.
  

Advertised features by December 1985 included:

• Database upgraded to include 25,000 matches over 12 years
• Ease: Rather than having to tpye in each team name, which can be up to 16 characters long, you simply type in up to 3 figures and the teams are displayed on your screen

Advertised features for v3.3 (Feb 1989) included the following additional comments:

• Improved massive database - complete with all matches played since 1960
  
• Forecasts score draws and no score draws with built-in perm generator
  
• Mark your coupon direct from screen / printer
  
• Successful - we guarantee that Poolswinner performs considerably better than chance. If you can prove otherwise we shall reimburse you.
• No tedious typing - uses single key team entry
  

We have only managed to find v1.16 of the software to preserve at the moment.

Title: QL Poolswinner
Language: SuperBASIC
Author: Techsoft
Publisher: Yorkshire Media Software and Xenon
Year of Publication: 1985
Platforms Suitable for: All Sinclair QLs
Commercial Status: Unknown
Price in June 1985: £14.99
Reviewed: Unknown
Sources Available from: n/a
Latest Version available from: Unknown