SOCCER: For the average die hard Macclesfield Town fan a football match lasts 90 minutes and is played between the corner flags on the hallowed turf at Moss Rose.

But, for the boys wearing the blue of Macclesfield police, the job of making sure games pass off peacefully and safely is a far more complex and time consuming operation.

During the club's exciting Worthington Cup encounter with Bradford City, our bobbies had to contend with potential flashpoints and deal with a gang believed to be Bradford hooligans infiltrating the home end.

Earlier on, Express reporter Gareth Tidman had joined up with the police - under match commander Inspector Linda Clancy - to discover what life on the terraces is like from across the thin blue line:

5.30pm. "Kick off" for the bobbies is a whole two-and-a-half hours before the game starts. In the North Stand, a team of fifteen officers, who will police the game, meet up for a briefing.

Second in command, Sgt Frank Marshall tells the group he only expects around 300 Bradford fans to make the trip.

Next, he warns his officers to search everybody entering the ground. He also reminds them that no alcohol is allowed inside Moss Rose and that racist and indecent chanting will not be tolerated.

The Macclesfield team are introduced to two "spotters", PC Jamie Smith and PC Michael Cheetham, of Yorkshire police, who will identify any known Bradford trouble makers during the game.

The pair go to every Bantams game and are well acquainted with the hard core element.

After the briefing, PC Smith says: "We know each of the trouble makers personally. Bradford have got a hooligan element of around 40 or 50 fans. They know us and we know them.

"What usually happens on match day is that we watch them, then they lose us and then we will catch up with them later. In between they will have had a fight with a rival firm. It is quite childish really."

7.45pm. The game kicks off to a roar of encouragement from both sets of supporters. Police are surprised to discover that over 1,000 Bradford fans are among the 2,500 strong crowd.

Not long into the game the "spotters" alert officers and stewards to five hard core hooligans from Bradford's notorious 'Ointment' firm.

Within seconds CCTV cameras buzz into action and the gang's faces appear live on the screens of the ground's watch tower.

Cameras and officers will watch their every move until they leave the precincts of the ground after the match.

A quick check with stewards on the turnstiles reveals the gang got in with complimentary tickets provided by a Bradford player.

8.10pm. On the pitch the Silkmen are holding their own and off it officers are facing a potential flashpoint.

Stewards have reported a group of unknown men on the London Road terracing.

Insp Clancy is concerned the group could be Bradford fans who have infiltrated the crowd with the intention of "running" the home fans out of the stand. The potential for violence and injury to innocents is all to obvious.

Cameras quickly locate the group while stewards spark up conversation with them.

To the relief of all it is soon discovered the men are locals who have come to enjoy the game.

8.35pm. It is half time and Insp Clancy says she is happy with the operation so far. "We are very lucky because Macc Town have such brilliant fans," she says.

"They have an exemplary track record and we don't have any problems with them. We only have to police around 40 per cent of games at Moss Rose and the rest are left in the hands of stewards.

"Unfortunately, some away teams do bring a small hard core gang that want trouble and the best way to deal with trouble is to stop it before it starts."

8.49pm. The second half kicks off and tensions on the terracing rise as first the Silkmen take a shock lead and then Bradford equalise.

As the game goes into extra time Bradford stars Lee Sharpe and Gunnar Halle become the target of the home fan's verbal banter.

9.55pm. Just minutes before the final whistle and disaster strikes for Macc.

Substitute Stuart McCall fires home from outside the area and Bradford go through to the next round.

As the Silkmen trudge off beaten but with their pride intact, some fans attempt to wind the away players leaving the pitch.

Anger spills over into aggression as Bradford's Wayne Jacobs and an irate Macclesfield fan violently grab each other near the tunnel. The fan yanks at the goalie's shirt as the pair front up to each other exchanging insults.

Fortunately, PC John Pritchard is on hand to separate them and with some stern but calming words he sends them away in opposite directions.

All around fans filter out of the stadium ruing missed chances in front of goal blissfully unaware of the action behind the scenes that has ensured another night to remember at Moss Rose.