Yet the reality is somewhat different. For those who study the culture of football know only too well that behind the squeaky clean corporate image being fed to the public via Rupert Murdoch’s media empire lie some dark and unpalatable truths.

Compiled by best-selling author and world-renowned hooliganism expert Dougie Brimson, Kicking Off exposes those truths and paints a disturbing picture of what lies ahead for the game if the culture of hate, racism and violence remains unchecked.

Using research compiled during the intervening period and following the same style and format of the original book, Kicking Off picks up the debate where Barmy Army left it, in the spring of 2000.

A year that was to drag the reputation of the great game down to new depths with the horrific murders of Kevin Speight and Chris Loftus at the hands of Turkish hooligans and the riots involving England fans in Charleroi.

 Controversial points examined include:

* The issue of racism and in particular the idea that the anti-racist groups have exploited football to further their own objectives. It also examines the thorny issue of Asians within football and for the first time explores the reasons why so few Asian players have made the grade.

* Policing football. This includes an explanation into how the game has been manipulated to allow the development of ever more intrusive and subversive surveilliance techniques as well as to place increasingly draconian legislation onto the statue books.

* The media’s role in the continued existence of hooliganism and an explanation as to why the problem looks certain to increase if the game continues to do nothing.

Finally, the book lays out a unique and totally workable long-term solution to the issue of football related violence.