At the end of 2012, you published a letter of mine with the heading, “It is better to make a pass than force a corner.”

I was therefore quite pleased to receive a book, first published in 2013, for Christmas entitled The Numbers Game in which mention is made of Paul Barber, the chief executive of Brighton and Hove Albion, referring to “the rise in and increased sophistication of video analysis” in football, which can be “like an X-Ray”.

The book goes on to state that “the average Premier League team scores from a corner once every ten games”.

Additionally Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho “was so baffled to find English crowds roaring in delight whenever their team won a corner”.

It is apparent that Spain uses a corner as “an opportunity to retain possession rather than hoist the ball into the box”.

It doesn’t stop here. Quite a few goals have been scored against the Albion when our defenders have been marooned in the opposition’s box and caught out by a counter attack.

It follows therefore that “the value of a corner in terms of net goal difference is close to zero”.

So, all you Albion fans: encourage your team to keep possession and don’t cheer too loudly when a corner is won.

Edward Scalé, Knoyle Road, Brighton