Manchester United's Old Trafford and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium were the most popular venues, both receiving 109,000 international visits followed by Anfield (99,000), Stamford Bridge (89,000), Wembley (51,000), White Hart Lane (40,000), The Etihad (33,000) and Fulham's Craven Cottage (30,000).

All those zeroes dancing about the report sent some indigenous fans into a xenophobic tizzy.

Among the upset natives was the Manchester United Supporters Trust - which snootily reminded the foreign invaders: "Manchester United has been built by generations of local support and we deserve that recognition."

They and other supporters' groups claim the figures added weight to their claim that the make-up of fans is changing fast and foreigners are pushing up ticket prices, creating subdued atmospheres and altering a club's identity.

True, there does need to be an equilibrium between welcoming overseas fans and maintaining a club's heritage. And fans have to be ever vigilant against greedy club owners who happily increase prices and exploit flushed overseas visitors.

And yes, of the 800,000 foreigners who went to a game in 2014, 40,000 were "business travellers" - those corporate types not known for their whooping, animated remonstrations or for drumming up original, witty terrace chants. But the zeitgeist claim that too many foreign supporters are killing the ambience falls rather flat, given that the country at the top of the overseas fans table was the Republic of Ireland with 121,000.

The Irish are as vocal in their love of sport as the British are, if not more so - and just a shade louder than the noisy Norwegians, who took the runner-up spot with (93,000) visitors, followed by the Swedes (58,000).

Next came US fans, the Dutch, Spanish, French and Germans, in that order. Arguably, Americans could be deemed the quietest of the bunch, but then anyone who has experienced the wrath of LA Galaxy fans - case in point, former player David Beckham - might tell you otherwise.

Besides, all-seater stadiums are seen as the main killer of ambience, not the foreign supporters who come to sample and join in the atmosphere, not ruin it.

There are other benefits to be had besides the £700 million (HK$8.3 billion) stuffed into the United Kingdom's economy.

With only heritage canals, a busy port, the birthplace of The Beatles and some pleasant countryside going for it, the northwest region of England might not bleep particularly brightly on the average tourist's radar screen.

But football holidays booked by "Jonny Foreigners" are putting otherwise regional backwaters on the map, according to the report.

Ten per cent of visitors to the northwest, home of Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool - headed there specifically to watch football, compared to 5.6 per cent in the northeast and just 1.3 per cent in the southeast - proof indeed of the positive role football plays in showcasing alternative UK destinations and boosting local economies.

Tore Hansen, of the Norway branch of the Liverpool Supporters' Club, said the increase in flight routes to the UK had made it easier for fans to travel and experience for real the matches they once could only witness on television.

"The standard of football in Norway wasn't that great and British football has always been popular in Norway, and it's also a nice country to visit," he told the media.

Foreign fans cannot be blamed for lack of seats on matchdays.

The onus is on the clubs to reinvest to cope with demand and build more capacity, just as Liverpool are seeking to do.

Like the colour of blood, team loyalty runs as thick and constant no matter where you are from.

Bars and living rooms across the planet will be packed as Manchester United and Liverpool fans huddle around TVs for today's clash at Old Trafford.

Short of holding up welcome signs and offering them beds, we indigenous fans should applaud the effort of those overseas supporters who make such great effort and investment to attend our country's football matches, because if that's not loyalty, what is?