Riot police intervene after fans invaded the Ninian Park pitch last year

The number of arrests totalled 149, with 107 of those at away matches - only Manchester United and Sunderland had more arrests.

And the number of banning orders issued to the club's fans was 169 - topping the whole of the football league, including the Premiership - with the club also the worst offenders in their division for alcohol and public order offences.

The statistics cover the period between August 2002 to June 2003, but a 3,000-strong Bluebirds supporters group in the south Wales Valleys, has said that despite the figures, fans are beginning to curb violent behaviour.

Gwyn Davies, spokesman of the Valleys RAMS (Rhondda, Aberdare and Merthyr Supporters) conceded that the statistics were high but believes hooliganism is on the decline.

People assume that we are going to be violent - which is a reputation which we are trying to eradicate - but it can lead to trouble. Gwyn Davies

"These figures just do not reflect the way things are now, Cardiff City has turned a corner," he said.

"We are beginning to police ourselves by taking along video cameras to record things from the fans point of view and of course to gather evidence if there is any misbehaving.

"And if people see other Cardiff City fans behaving badly, very often, other supporters will tell them to wise up because there are certain privileges that we have at the moment that we don't want to lose.

"But we can't seem to shake of the legendary reputation of Cardiff City fans being hooligans," he said.

The government announced on Monday that �5m would be made available over three years to fund targeted, intelligence-led policing operations aimed at gathering evidence and gaining banning orders against known troublemakers.

Crowd trouble at Cardiff's FA Cup tie with Leeds United last year

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said: "Our tough football legislation is working - 1,794 fans are banned from attending matches and this number is set to rise significantly in the run up to Euro 2004.

"The increase in the number of football related offences reflects a tough policing response to a lingering hooliganism problem.

"Football disorder has been significantly reduced in recent decades, but a minority of troublemakers continue to threaten our national game."

These were sentiments Gwyn Davies agreed with and said in Cardiff's case the majority of supporters were well behaved whose reputation was spoilt by a 'volatile few'.

"Sometimes the police operations are run with military precision and we get treated quite badly, which of course will get people's backs up," he added.

"Last week we went to Rotherham and were treated with the utmost respect by the police there. They greeted us as we came off the buses, shook our hands and had a bit of banter with us.

A fan is injured during a stampede in Cardiff

"We even had a letter from the chief of police there thanking us for our good behaviour.

"People assume that we are going to be violent - which is a reputation which we are trying to eradicate - but it can lead to trouble.

"I admit we have had a problem in the past, but people are getting the message and despite the figures, things are getting better," he said.