title: Pandas - read a text file
body: <p>I have a text file that looks like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>************************************************************************************************
   English Premier Division - Saturday 25th May 2002
  ************************************************************************************************
  
  
  ================================================================================================
   2001/2 Assists
  ================================================================================================
  
  Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Asts
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1st   David Beckham              Man Utd                    29       15     
  2nd   Dean Gordon                Middlesbrough              30 (1)   11     
  3rd   John Collins               Fulham                     32       11     
  4th   Ryan Giggs                 Man Utd                    32       11     
  5th   Kieron Dyer                Newcastle                  33       10     
  6th   Sean Davis                 Fulham                     23 (1)   10     
  7th   Damien Duff                Blackburn                  30 (3)   10     
  8th   Alan Smith                 Leeds                      23 (6)   9      
  9th   Jesper Grønkjær            Chelsea                    34       9      
  10th  Andrejs Stolcers           Fulham                     28       9      
  11th  Ian Harte                  Leeds                      37       8      
  12th  Eidur Gudjohnsen           Chelsea                    28 (3)   8      
  13th  Robert Pires               Arsenal                    24 (3)   7      
  14th  Lauren                     Arsenal                    32 (1)   7      
  15th  John Robinson              Charlton                   33       7      
  16th  Michael Gray               Sunderland                 37       7      
  17th  Henrik Pedersen            Bolton                     36       7      
  18th  Anders Svensson            Southampton                34 (2)   7      
  19th  Lee Bowyer                 Leeds                      32       7      
  20th  Craig Hignett              Blackburn                  21 (6)   7      
  21st  Paul Merson                Aston Villa                27       7      
  22nd  Teddy Sheringham           Tottenham                  37       7      
  23rd  Steed Malbranque           Fulham                     16 (14)  7      
  24th  Marian Pahars              Southampton                37       7      
  25th  Muzzy Izzet                Leicester                  28       7      
  26th  Sergei Rebrov              Tottenham                  36 (1)   7      
  27th  Julio Arca                 Sunderland                 32 (1)   7      
  28th  Christian Bassedas         Newcastle                  37       7      
  29th  Juan Sebastián Verón       Man Utd                    29 (2)   7      
  30th  Joe Cole                   West Ham                   32       6 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I'm trying to read it into a pandas data frame like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>df = pd.read_table('assist1.txt',
                         sep='\s+',
                         skiprows=6,
                         header=0,)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This code throws an exception - pandas.errors.ParserError: Error tokenizing data. C error: Expected 7 fields in line 31, saw 8.</p>
  
  <p>I guess that's because of the space between the first and last name of the player (should be the value of the Player column).
  Is there a way to achieve this?</p>
  
  <p>Furthermore, it is a part of a larger text file that looks like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>************************************************************************************************
   English Premier Division - Saturday 25th May 2002
  ************************************************************************************************
  
  
  ================================================================================================
   2001/2 Table
  ================================================================================================
  
  Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1st  C  Man Utd                         38   15   4    0    41   4    10   4    5    34   20   83   
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2nd     Arsenal                         38   15   2    2    38   9    11   3    5    28   14   83   
  3rd     Leeds                           38   15   4    0    33   8    9    4    6    36   37   80   
  4th     Liverpool                       38   13   4    2    25   7    9    2    8    26   24   72   
  5th     Chelsea                         38   16   1    2    44   18   4    5    10   24   33   66   
  6th     Newcastle                       38   11   5    3    40   23   7    3    9    25   33   62   
  7th     Blackburn                       38   11   3    5    36   24   5    5    9    23   30   56   
  8th     Middlesbrough                   38   9    7    3    31   19   5    6    8    20   29   55   
  9th     Sunderland                      38   8    5    6    31   30   8    2    9    22   25   55   
  10th    West Ham                        38   11   3    5    31   17   3    7    9    14   29   52   
  11th    Tottenham                       38   10   3    6    35   26   4    5    10   23   35   50   
  12th    Leicester                       38   7    5    7    23   20   6    4    9    26   28   48   
  13th    Fulham                          38   7    5    7    39   35   5    7    7    33   44   48   
  14th    Ipswich                         38   9    4    6    23   22   3    3    13   14   34   43   
  15th    Charlton                        38   5    5    9    18   26   5    4    10   16   30   39   
  16th    Everton                         38   8    4    7    30   28   1    5    13   11   36   36   
  17th    Aston Villa                     38   2    8    9    19   28   5    6    8    21   26   35   
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  18th R  Derby                           38   6    4    9    25   28   3    3    13   14   39   34   
  19th R  Southampton                     38   5    7    7    34   34   1    4    14   12   35   29   
  20th R  Bolton                          38   6    3    10   25   31   1    4    14   15   40   28   
  
  
  
  ================================================================================================
   2001/2 Goals
  ================================================================================================
  
  Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Gls
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1st   Thierry Henry              Arsenal                    34       25     
  2nd   Alan Shearer               Newcastle                  36       25     
  3rd   Ruud van Nistelrooy        Man Utd                    26       23     
  4th   Steve Marlet               Fulham                     38       20     
  5th   Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink    Chelsea                    30 (1)   20     
  6th   Les Ferdinand              Sunderland                 27 (2)   17     
  7th   Kevin Phillips             Sunderland                 36       17     
  8th   Frédéric Kanouté           West Ham                   32 (3)   14     
  9th   Marcus Bent                Blackburn                  28 (4)   13     
  10th  Alen Boksic                Middlesbrough              36       13     
  11th  Eidur Gudjohnsen           Chelsea                    28 (3)   13     
  12th  Luis Boa Morte             Fulham                     36       13     
  13th  Michael Owen               Liverpool                  32 (1)   12     
  14th  Dwight Yorke               Man Utd                    29 (1)   11     
  15th  Henrik Pedersen            Bolton                     36       11     
  16th  Juan Pablo Angel           Aston Villa                34 (2)   11     
  17th  Juan Sebastián Verón       Man Utd                    29 (2)   11     
  18th  Shaun Bartlett             Charlton                   35       10     
  19th  Matt Jansen                Blackburn                  28 (5)   10     
  20th  Duncan Ferguson            Everton                    28 (5)   10     
  21st  Ian Harte                  Leeds                      37       10     
  22nd  Bosko Balaban              Aston Villa                36       10     
  23rd  Robbie Fowler              Liverpool                  25 (3)   10     
  24th  Georgi Kinkladze           Derby                      36 (1)   10     
  25th  Hamilton Ricard            Middlesbrough              28 (2)   10     
  26th  Robert Pires               Arsenal                    24 (3)   9      
  27th  Andrew Cole                Man Utd                    15 (5)   9      
  28th  Rod Wallace                Bolton                     31       9      
  29th  James Beattie              Southampton                28 (1)   9      
  30th  Robbie Keane               Leeds                      28 (8)   9      
  
  
  
  ================================================================================================
   2001/2 Assists
  ================================================================================================
  
  Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Asts
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1st   David Beckham              Man Utd                    29       15     
  2nd   Dean Gordon                Middlesbrough              30 (1)   11     
  3rd   John Collins               Fulham                     32       11     
  4th   Ryan Giggs                 Man Utd                    32       11     
  5th   Kieron Dyer                Newcastle                  33       10     
  6th   Sean Davis                 Fulham                     23 (1)   10     
  7th   Damien Duff                Blackburn                  30 (3)   10     
  8th   Alan Smith                 Leeds                      23 (6)   9      
  9th   Jesper Grønkjær            Chelsea                    34       9      
  10th  Andrejs Stolcers           Fulham                     28       9      
  11th  Ian Harte                  Leeds                      37       8      
  12th  Eidur Gudjohnsen           Chelsea                    28 (3)   8      
  13th  Robert Pires               Arsenal                    24 (3)   7      
  14th  Lauren                     Arsenal                    32 (1)   7      
  15th  John Robinson              Charlton                   33       7      
  16th  Michael Gray               Sunderland                 37       7      
  17th  Henrik Pedersen            Bolton                     36       7      
  18th  Anders Svensson            Southampton                34 (2)   7      
  19th  Lee Bowyer                 Leeds                      32       7      
  20th  Craig Hignett              Blackburn                  21 (6)   7      
  21st  Paul Merson                Aston Villa                27       7      
  22nd  Teddy Sheringham           Tottenham                  37       7      
  23rd  Steed Malbranque           Fulham                     16 (14)  7      
  24th  Marian Pahars              Southampton                37       7      
  25th  Muzzy Izzet                Leicester                  28       7      
  26th  Sergei Rebrov              Tottenham                  36 (1)   7      
  27th  Julio Arca                 Sunderland                 32 (1)   7      
  28th  Christian Bassedas         Newcastle                  37       7      
  29th  Juan Sebastián Verón       Man Utd                    29 (2)   7      
  30th  Joe Cole                   West Ham                   32       6      
  
  
  
  ================================================================================================
   2001/2 Average Rating
  ================================================================================================
  
  Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Av R
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1st   Ruud van Nistelrooy        Man Utd                    26       8.54   
  2nd   Thierry Henry              Arsenal                    34       8.09   
  3rd   Alan Shearer               Newcastle                  36       7.97   
  4th   Kieron Dyer                Newcastle                  33       7.94   
  5th   Steve Marlet               Fulham                     38       7.89   
  6th   Ian Harte                  Leeds                      37       7.86   
  7th   Andrew Cole                Man Utd                    15 (5)   7.85   
  8th   Roy Keane                  Man Utd                    19       7.84   
  9th   Les Ferdinand              Sunderland                 27 (2)   7.83   
  10th  Juan Sebastián Verón       Man Utd                    29 (2)   7.81   
  11th  Eidur Gudjohnsen           Chelsea                    28 (3)   7.77   
  12th  Jesper Grønkjær            Chelsea                    34       7.76   
  13th  Michaël Silvestre          Man Utd                    32       7.72   
  14th  Dean Gordon                Middlesbrough              30 (1)   7.71   
  15th  Michael Owen               Liverpool                  32 (1)   7.70   
  16th  Patrick Vieira             Arsenal                    29       7.69   
  17th  Robert Pires               Arsenal                    24 (3)   7.67   
  18th  Ryan Giggs                 Man Utd                    32       7.66   
  19th  Dwight Yorke               Man Utd                    29 (1)   7.63   
  20th  Mario Stanic               Chelsea                    29 (3)   7.63   
  21st  Frédéric Kanouté           West Ham                   32 (3)   7.57   
  22nd  Mark Viduka                Leeds                      21       7.57   
  23rd  David Beckham              Man Utd                    29       7.55   
  24th  Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink    Chelsea                    30 (1)   7.55   
  25th  Martin Taylor              Blackburn                  14 (8)   7.55   
  26th  Titus Bramble              Ipswich                    33       7.55   
  27th  Sol Campbell               Arsenal                    20 (1)   7.52   
  28th  Mario Melchiot             Chelsea                    19 (2)   7.52   
  29th  Stephane Henchoz           Liverpool                  29       7.52   
  30th  Rio Ferdinand              Leeds                      36 (1)   7.51   
  
  
  
  ================================================================================================
   2001/2 Man of Match
  ================================================================================================
  
  Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     MoM
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1st   Thierry Henry              Arsenal                    34       8      
  2nd   Ruud van Nistelrooy        Man Utd                    26       8      
  3rd   Kieron Dyer                Newcastle                  33       6      
  4th   Les Ferdinand              Sunderland                 27 (2)   6      
  5th   Steve Marlet               Fulham                     38       6      
  6th   Eidur Gudjohnsen           Chelsea                    28 (3)   6      
  7th   Ian Harte                  Leeds                      37       5      
  8th   Richie Wellens             Leicester                  20 (9)   5      
  9th   Henrik Pedersen            Bolton                     36       5      
  10th  Alan Shearer               Newcastle                  36       5      
  11th  Michael Owen               Liverpool                  32 (1)   4      
  12th  Dean Gordon                Middlesbrough              30 (1)   4      
  13th  Matt Jansen                Blackburn                  28 (5)   4      
  14th  Marcus Bent                Blackburn                  28 (4)   4      
  15th  Kevin Campbell             Everton                    27 (4)   4      
  16th  Titus Bramble              Ipswich                    33       4      
  17th  Roy Keane                  Man Utd                    19       4      
  18th  Frédéric Kanouté           West Ham                   32 (3)   4      
  19th  Patrick Vieira             Arsenal                    29       4      
  20th  Hermann Hreidarsson        Ipswich                    34       4      
  21st  Dennis Bergkamp            Arsenal                    22 (9)   4      
  22nd  Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink    Chelsea                    30 (1)   4      
  23rd  Claus Lundekvam            Southampton                27 (2)   4      
  24th  Robert Pires               Arsenal                    24 (3)   3      
  25th  Shaun Bartlett             Charlton                   35       3      
  26th  Kevin Phillips             Sunderland                 36       3      
  27th  Lucas Radebe               Leeds                      31 (1)   3      
  28th  Ragnvald Soma              West Ham                   27 (3)   3      
  29th  Dean Richards              Tottenham                  34       3      
  30th  Wayne Quinn                Liverpool                  25 (4)   3      
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Ideally I would like to run a function that creates a data frame out of each table above, but can't figure it out.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>