Of course they wouldn't have any qualms about insisting on a special licences to allow people to watch TV in a pub, and then they'd enforce it against watching the Teletubbies - if they thought they could get away with it.

But any attempt to clamp down on TV in pubs would get a lot of people really pissed off with the minister responsible. Which is why he is clearly leaning over backwards not to see any evidence about discord in front of and after watching the box.

Here is a site which might provide ways of getting this information Research into Football Violence (Hooliganism!)

With giant TV screens talking the place of attendance at live football matches, notably during the World Cup, I think this might well be something that could repay investigation. After all, it's a sight easier for an overexcited fan to get tanked up at a virtual football match than at the real ones. And the people who've been banned from the real matches because they are violent nuts have to go somewhere.

But they won't be at the The Red Lion tomorrow.