Dead dizzy?

1.8 digifant gti isn't starting.  It was getting harder and harder to start and then now won't start.  I had changed the cap and rotor arm but AA came out and found that the coil was giving spark when the ignition was being turned off rather than on.  We changed the coil and it was still doing this so he's diagnosed as a faulty distributer.  Does this sound about right?

 

i would say ignition switch or wiring, the coil cant spark unless it has power and shouldnt have any with ignition off

If you had a spark then coil is working,the reason a spark occurs when turned off is how a coil works ( collapsing magnetic field) i would check the hall sensor in the dizzy, the three wires going to it should have 12v, 6/5v, 0volts respectivley(not sure on colours).

Thanks guys.  It was somehow actually both!!!