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08/09/2004: "Football hell"

At the Sports Bar off West End, it's England vs. Poland, World Cup qualifiers, the place is packed: "No Sir, you can't go in, it's full. Wait for people to come out", says the angry-looking bouncer.

After letting in an insistant patron who managed to convince the rather credulous chief bouncer, after waiting 10 minutes with 2 other puzzled people, I was allowed in.

"Sir, you can't stand here, you must stand inside the line", says another angry-looking bouncer.

Puzzled, I look down, and I see a complex network of lines on the floor sketching people-free corridors and compartments for people to stand. And people are mostly sticking to this unspoken rule. Nobody is allowed to stand outside the zones. And the bouncers strictly enforce the rule. Amazing, given how full the pub is. The authority these lines must have over the patrons is stunning. The pub is full of roaring and drinking people, but the corridors are amazingly free.

I walk down the stairs and ask a bouncer is food is still served. The angry-looking bouncer stares down at me, and screams into my ear, "Sir, move off the stairs right now! You can't stand here!" Confused, I step aside, and then leave the bar.