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From their headquarters located in the historic city of Exeter the research team controlled electronic devices placed along the county's land and sea borders to block electronic radio, TV and Internet land line/wireless transmissions about football.

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The residents of Devon were kept in the dark about football, so to speak. The research team collected statistical data during the football blackout period and the subsequent return to normalcy. Data analysis showed that major crime rates in Devon approached the levels of London, Liverpool and other large UK cities. However, fist fights, rival team muggings and football stadium riots decreased.

A side effect of the football-less period was that the Devon birth rate doubled, obesity went down as walking/running increased and junk-food consumption decreased, and the insanity rate went up. Beer and ale consumption remained flat. Following the return to normal football activities, all observed changes were quickly reversed.

The study was paid for by the Cricket Association of the UK.

Both the insanity and the beer results are contrary to what I would have expected.

The editors of this publication, The Spoof, appear to be well aware of Swift's Law.  For the inevitable few who don't get it, there is a footer that says, "The story above is a satire or parody. It is entirely fictitious."