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The
Barmy Army
I've
just returned from a three-week trip to Australia where
I saw our so-called cricket team suffer what can only
be described as total annihilation at the hands of the
rampant Aussies. Quite frankly it was an embarrassment
and the less said about it the better. Not even our
opponents, who let's face it, have witnessed some pretty
feeble English attempts on regaining the Ashes in recent
years, could believe their eyes. Their national press,
like our own, slated the hapless and hopeless English
but where they were full of praise was in their observations
of the Barmy Army - that vociferous and ever-optimistic
band of English supporters who follow their team to
the four corners of the earth and back.
I
saw the matches in both Adelaide and Perth and was astounded
at both the size of the English support and the level
of noise at both grounds. They out shouted the Australian
supporters throughout and seemed to be present on all
sides of the grounds. It was good to see so many English
flags representing almost every shire and town in England
and football shirts from virtually every club in the
football league. As we all know, football fans often
get a bad press over the behaviour of a minority but
the Barmy Army, although having the appearance of football
fans, are quite different.
There
was an air of friendship and camaraderie amongst them
and their relationship with the rival Aussies was one
of wit and good humour. The name "Barmy Army"
evidently dates back to an England tour of Australia
in the early nineties. Apparently the England fans referred
to themselves as "The Army" and rival fans
said they must be barmy to spend all that money and
follow a team as bad as England. The name stuck.
The
spontaneity of chanting fans in English football grounds
is always impressive but the Barmy Army are on a different
level. A game of football lasts ninety minutes but a
cricket match lasts five days (well, it does if you
have two evenly matched teams!). Throughout the days'
play the pace of the Barmy Army was relentless. They
never let up and this in spite of (or is it because
of?!) the constant beating down of the sun and the endless
supping of beer.
They
sang and danced and their chanting was always cheerful
and witty (if at times a little earthy) irrespective
of the fact that English wickets were falling faster
than rifles in a surrendering Italian army. They hardly
paused for breath and even rival fans applauded their
efforts. In fact one Australian newspaper praised the
quality of the Barmy Army's singing and the wit of the
lyrics and berated the Aussies for their monotonous
and unimaginative chant of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.
Oi oi oi!"
Yes,
our cricketers may come a distant second behind the
Australian team but the Barmy Army are without equal
and in a league of their own. Can you imagine what they
would be like if the English team actually gave them
something to cheer about?
JE
Dec 2002
(The
Barmy Army have their own website www.barmy-army.com.
It's excellent and well worth a visit.)
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