Dave Jones played as a centre-half for boyhood heroes Everton in the 1970s, an era which saw him take on some of the most fearsome centre-forwards in football history, including Derek Dougan, Malcolm Macdonald, John Toshack and Joe Jordan.

He moved on to Coventry City, but, after picking up a career-ending injury, Jones fell out of the game and, in order to earn extra cash while working towards his coaching badges and coaching at nonleague clubs such as Southport, Workington and Mossley, he found employment in a Merseyside Care Home for underprivileged children.

After spending five years as part-time coach and Youth Team Manager, Jones was offered the opportunity to manage Stockport County in 1995. He propelled the tiny club into the second tier of English football and led them to the 1997 League Cup semi-final, which they lost narrowly to Premier League Middlesbrough. His success earned him rave reviews and the manager’s chair at Premier League Southampton, who he led to a solid midtable position.

But it was then that Jones’s meteoric rise came to a clattering halt as he was arrested as part of Operation Care on suspicion of being involved in systematic child abuse at the care home. Totally innocent of the charges, Dave and his wife Ann fought a long and difficult campaign to clear his name, selling everything but the kitchen sink to fund their battle.

Removed from his job by Southampton, Jones won his case and now takes this opportunity to reveal the indignities he was put through and the appalling police practices which so nearly ended his career and split his family apart.

Driven on by a colossal determination to succeed despite the time spent out of the game, Jones won promotion to the Premier League with Wolves and sparked a revival at Cardiff City which saw the club reach Wembley and the 2008 FA Cup final, and come agonisingly close to winning promotion back to the top flight for the first time in nearly 50 years.

No Smoke, No Fire tells the full story of a remarkable career and an incredible tale of love, intrigue, dignity and honesty.