Barmy Army Too Fanatic?

When Ricky Ponting walked to the crease at Edgbaston he was met by a chorus of boos from the England faithful. The Barmy Army, long-time twelfth man of England cricket had, in the eyes of many, taken it too far. It is one thing to sing there’s only Mitchell Johnson as another one of his deliveries sails away for four byes, but to boo one of the world’s leading batsman – well, in the eyes of the purists -  it’s simply not cricket. All eyes were on the Headingley crowd to gauge how they would react to the Australians, having been specifically asked to “roar for England” but to not boo the opposition. In Leeds the Barmy Army were again in full voice, despite the performance of England’s players, and once again Ponting was booed as he made his way to and from the crease. The question is whether this can be counted as good natured banter, or if it is simply unacceptable?

Opinion was divided amongst spectators who were asked of their opinion prior to the Headingley test. Some thought it was not on, while others didn’t see the issue. Ponting is, after all, a professional athlete, and as such is used to mocking, goading and general taunting; especially as an Australian – the country which have almost made sledging an art. Cricket is littered with fiery Australians who will give as good as they get, Merv Hughes, Ian Healy, the Waughs and Shane Warne are just a few recent examples of this. Ponting was the captain of the side that nicknamed Ian Bell “Sherminator” and who told Paul Collingwood he should be embarrassed  for gaining an MBE following his contribution to the 2005 Ashes. The banter in the stands is generally just as, if not more, lively than it is on the pitch. The Barmy Army and their Aussie counterparts – the Fanatics – do not let up on each other, regardless of the match situation. “God Save YOUR Queen” is one of the Barmy Army’s favourite taunts at the Wallabies, while they’re certainly never short of a reply.

While few would question that the Barmy Army have improved the atmosphere of English test cricket, packing out grounds home and away, it could be argued that their domination has become too powerful. Is it possible for young families to enjoy a day out at the cricket without having a beer fuelled supporter nearby shout that so and so is useless, or what’s his name should be dropped – with stronger words of course. It is undeniable that the Barmy Army have had a major impact in the popularity of English Test cricket; while grounds in New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa struggle to half capacity, English venues are regularly packed out, and grounds such as Edgbaston can boast an atmosphere similar to a football match. The same can be said of England’s supporters when they travel abroad, arriving en masse all across the globe to shout and chant in support of their heroes – particularly Freddy Flintoff. Is the line crossed when they begin not only to cheer on their own team but also to boo the opposition. If the boot was on the other foot England supporters would most likely lambast the booing of Andrew Strauss.

Regardless of nationality, commentators and pundits were consistent in their views of the “Pontingboogate” – Jason Gillespie deemed it “disgraceful” while Giles Clarke (chairman of the ECB) pleaded the boo-boys to stop. However both Shane Watson and Marcus North came out in defence of the Barmy Army, with both saying that it is part of the game nowadays. Whether that is the case or not, the Barmy Army will again be in full voice when Andrew Strauss leads out his England side at the Oval tomorrow, you can guarantee they will cheer raucously for the players with three lions adorned of their chest, and the chances are Ponting and co may receive several boos from the crowd – is this right or not? The purists will say no, but come Monday afternoon, if England have won they will probably not give two hoots as to whether the Aussies were booed or not.