Duncan Alexander

Under the pseudonym of 'OptaJoe', Alexander was the Chief Data Editor for football statistics company Opta. As 'OptaJoe' Alexander was a football commentator and pundit who live-tweeted during football matches with statistics and jokes.{{cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/duncan-alexander/1078604/|title=Duncan Alexander|website=www.penguin.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.tbrfootball.com/exclusive-interview-with-duncan-alexander-author-of-opta-joes-football-yearbook-2016/amp/|title=Exclusive: Interview with Duncan Alexander, author of Opta Joe's Football Yearbook 2016 - The Boot Room|date=4 September 2016}} His first book, OptaJoe's Football Yearbook was published in 2016. His second book Outside the Box: A Statistical Journey through the History of Football was published in 2017.{{cite book|url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1111074/outside-the-box/#K6JILbb1r2HGWrb3.99|title=Outside the Box, A Statistical Journey through the History of Football by Duncan Alexander|publisher=www.penguin.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wsc.co.uk/reviews/63-General/13961-outside-the-box-a-statistical-journey-through-the-history-of-football|title=When Saturday Comes - Outside The Box: A statistical journey through the history of football|first=Gordon|last=Cairns|website=www.wsc.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.goal.com/en-gb/amp/news/opta-stats-guru-releases-new-book/1ckvqubwv3l7z1tvotkam02ye6 |title=Opta stats guru releases new book! |publisher=Goal.com |access-date=2018-06-27}}

Alexander has also written for the BBC,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/45077567|title=Opta Insight: Premier League Trends|work=BBC Sport}} the Premier League,{{cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/489392|title=Sequencing unmasking true creative forces}} The Football Association,{{cite web|author=Tuesday 31 Jan 2017 |url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/jan/31/opta-emirates-fa-cup-team-of-fourth-round-310117 |title=Opta Sport provide their Emirates FA Cup team of the fourth round |publisher=Thefa.com |date=2017-01-31 |access-date=2018-06-27}} The Guardian,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/feb/11/louis-van-gaal-sam-allardyce-long-ball|title=Louis van Gaal v Sam Allardyce: who is right and what is a long ball anyway? - Duncan Alexander|first1=Duncan|last1=Alex|last2=er|date=11 February 2015|website=the Guardian}} The Daily Mirror,{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/duncan-alexander/|title=Duncan Alexander - Mirror Online|website=www.mirror.co.uk}} and Sky Sports.{{Cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11661/10705116/bournemouth-to-upset-chelsea-in-opta-joes-super-6-1m-predictions|title=Bournemouth to upset Chelsea in Opta Joe's Super Six £1 million predictions|website=Sky Sports}}

He is a regular contributor on The Totally Football Show,{{cite web|url=https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/episodes/spy-cold-nose-zlatans-galaxy-quest-memories-7-1/|title=The Spy with the Cold Nose, Zlatan's Galaxy Quest, and memories of that 7-1 - Totally Football Show|website=www.thetotallyfootballshow.com}} and has appeared on BBC Radio Five Live,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p042wl48|title=Football trivia from one of the country's top football statisticians, Duncan Alexander, Essential Phil Williams - BBC Radio 5 live|website=BBC}} The Anfield Wrap{{cite web|url=https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2017/11/taw-special-duncan-alexander-outside-box-statistical-journey-history-football/|title=TAW Special: Duncan Alexander On 'Outside the Box: A Statistical Journey Through the History of Football' - The Anfield Wrap|date=15 November 2017}} and podcasts for The Times,{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/the-game-podcast-where-did-chelsea-go-wrong-against-guardiolas-city-lch6jchrt|title=The Game podcast: Where did Chelsea go wrong against Guardiola's City?|date=2 October 2017|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}} The Independent,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/the-indy-football-podcast-champions-league-liverpool-vs-manchester-city-a8287186.html?amp|title=The Indy Football Podcast: How competitive is the Premier League?}} and The Daily Telegraph.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/12/28/total-football-podcast-toughest-stats-questions-answered|title=Total Football Podcast:Toughest stats questions answered|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=28 December 2017 |last1=Sport |first1=Telegraph }} He has been interviewed by FourFourTwo{{cite web|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/no-seriously-what-heck-expected-goals-xg?_format=amp|title=No, seriously: what the heck is expected goals (xG)?|date=22 November 2017}} and Coca-Cola.{{cite web|url=https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/stories/game-changer-how-the-second-screen-has-revolutionised-rugby#|title=Game Changer: How the Second Screen has Revolutionised Rugby|website=Coca-cola.co.uk}}

In January 2023 Alexander announced that he was joining subscription sports magazine The Athletic.{{Cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/4051286/2023/01/03/duncan-alexander-the-athletic/|title=Why I joined: Duncan Shearer, locked cars and the evolution of football data|website=The Athletic}}

OptaJoe was nominated for the 'online media of the year' award at the 2017 Football Supporters Federation Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.fsf.org.uk/latest-news/view/fsf-awards-2017-shortlists-announced|title=FSF Awards 2017 shortlists announced - Football Supporters' Federation|website=www.fsf.org.uk|date=31 October 2017}}

Alexander studied history at the University of Manchester. When interviewed by FourFourTwo Alexander chose as his favourite ever football book 'Among The Thugs' by Bill Buford (1991).https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fourfourtwos-best-football-books-ever-writers-choices%3F_format%3Damp Alexander is a supporter of Wycombe Wanderers and lives in south London.

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Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:English podcasters

Category:Journalists from London

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