Our story began in 1998 when Mark Dixon, a university statistics lecturer, decided to set up a one-man-band consultancy, offering statistical modelling and research services. Featuring near the top of a Yellow Pages listing was a priority at the time, and led to Mark opting for ‘Advanced Training and Statistical Services,’ or ATASS for short. Increasingly, his love of football led him to take on more and more sports-related work, and, by 2001, he and a handful of colleagues were working under the new identity of ATASS Sports.