THE Japanese tourists flashed their cameras as those in red and white shirts headed towards the Houses of Parliament

There were looks of sheer bewilderment on their faces as they listened to a chorus of the 'Greasy Chip Butty Song' from the banks of the Thames.

What on earth was going on? they must have been asking.

But it is not every day that an army of football fans descend on Westminster to protest over a sense of injustice.

It happened yesterday because Sheffield United needed help from MPs in their quest to stay in the Premier League.

With Hollywood actor Sean Bean leading the delegation, the protest had captured the imagination of the national media.

Photographers took a series of snaps against a backdrop of the London Eye. Those who should normally have been at work or, in some cases, taking GCSE exams were having radio microphones thrust into their faces. Taxi drivers pipped horns and shouted approval. Occasionally, an irate West Ham fan would shout obscenities out of a passing van window.

Bean, a lifelong Blades fan and club director, hardly spoke a word outside the corridors of power. Once inside, however, he delivered a speech that received a standing ovation and apparently raised the hairs on the necks of those in attendance.

Journalists were not allowed to hear the exchanges between fans, club officials and politicians, but were invited to join the supporters who embarked on their crusade at the crack of dawn.

Those living adjacent to Bramall Lane were woken by chants of "We are Premier League" instead of the alarm clock shortly before 5am. Two coaches, packed with supporters of all ages, snaked down the M1 for nearly five hours before arriving in the shadow of Big Ben. They had called off at Toddington services and sat in silence as chairman Kevin McCabe spoke on Radio Four.

On his arrival in the capital, Captain Blade, the club's mascot, pulled on his foam head and fastened his cutlesses to his hips. Unfortunately, the Captain was prevented from entering the House.

After removing scarves, hiding their shirts, and disposing of the red, white, and black balloons, the fans passed through security and headed inside.

Martin Brock had taken his daughters Hanneke and Becky out of school to take part in the trip. Tina Gage, from Filey, allowed her teenage son Joe to skip a GCSE exam in order to join the fight. Shaven-headed fan Anthony Hill, 26, sacrificed a day at work.

Pensioners Alan Wragg and Peter Whitney had gone to bed early after preparing a a selection of tasty butties and filling their flasks. All were united in a common goal.

For Richard Batho, chairman of the Blades Independent Fans Association (BIFA), this was an opportunity to protest on behalf of the club rather than against it. Yet another sign of the times after leading campaigns for change prior to the McCabe era.

When the lobbying was finally over, many of the United fans emerged into the blazing sun and headed straight for a pint in the nearest watering hole they could find. It was just a shame about 'those bloody London prices'.

On the gardens normally reserved for political interviews, the issue of fairness in football was the only talking point.

Some people objected, shouting angrily about 'genocide' being far more important than a game of football. Across the road, another group of campaigners – seeking help in the fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – was waiting to enter the Commons. Their presence put things into perspective.

But while football should never be regarded as a matter of life or death, it does have a significant impact on people's lives.

The fans who travelled to London yesterday did so because football is their passion and they have a love for their football club.

They behaved impeccably, caused offence to no one, and played a key role in the club's legal battle with the Premier League.

As they headed back to Yorkshire and prepared to resume their normal daily routines, they could look back on a job well done.

Now they must simply hold their collective breath and wait for independent arbitrators to study the evidence next week.