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This is a computerised approach to picking score draws for football pools. The program assesses a database of past results and gives 22 forecasted results. On running and after entering your password, you are offered five options. Two of these save and load the database to cassette.

When starting a new season, you obviously need to start a new database. There is an option which allows this and you are requested to enter the data and the numbers of the score draws. On subsequent weeks, you use the update/ amend database option. The final option gives you the prediction.

In spite of some thought, I find it difficult to decide how the program does it's stuff. If you input only a single result to an empty database, it gives 22 forecasts. This implies some form of resident database. The system is, however equally applicable to Australian football. Perhaps early forecasts where data are scant is based on random factors.

The forecasts generated were compared with several weeks results and the forecasts of the experts in the papers. The result ... inconclusive. The program seemed to have about 50010 accuracy.

The program is available only by mail order and it contains your own password. The insert requests that if you win, a donation 0 f 10010 to the company would be appreciated. If the donation is big enough, you'll even get a self-updating version of the program. Overall, I found no evidence to show that the program is any better than a blindfold and a pin.

M.W.