The inquiry will be led by football supporters

The All Party Parliamentary Football Group plans to turn the spotlight on issues such as the spiralling costs of players' wages, and the widening cash gulf between the top clubs and those in the lower divisions.

They will be taking evidence from players, fans, and journalists.

With more and more clubs going into administration, the group will also be talking to the companies which take over the running of club finances when this happens.

The group's chairman, Labour MP Alan Keen, said it was generally agreed that the national sport was in crisis but said the group was not setting out to criticise the Football Association (FA).

We want kids to continue to play football rather than watch Alan Keen All Party Parliamentary Football Group

"It's not about members of Parliament telling the football authorities how they should run the game," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We want to take evidence from everyone involved and we hope the Football League, the Premiere League and the FA will look at the evidence and say ... we need to look at the long term. We need to look towards helping the grassroots in football.

"We want kids to continue to play football rather than watch."

Foreign players

On Thursday, sports journalists, academics and administrators will come before the MPs.

Among the other issues they will be talking about is ticket prices.

"There are already concerns that prices have increased beyond the ability of working class people to pay," said Mr Keen.

"It is pricing people out. But the football authorities don't want it to happen either."

Another problem facing the game is the spiralling costs of players' wages.

Mr Keen said the concern lay with bringing in the "very best" foreign players.

"The supporters want that, but the money is going out of the game," he said.