Going a bit barmy

I am now back in Dubai following a couple of weeks in Australia. It was very relaxing and actually it was nice to get some warm weather as Dubai has been decidedly cold and wet.

After spending a fun filled week in Perth I headed over to Melbourne to stay with an old friend of mine and also to go and watch the Day 3 of the 4th Ashes Test. A lot has been written about the capitulation of England to Australia in this series and the Melbourne and Sydney tests were about as comprehensive wins could be.

I found solace in that spending a day with the "Barmy Army" was really a great cure all. For eight hours I sang and drank with them. Wickets were tumbling (14 that day) but this only encouraged them to sing louder and longer. The Australian fans were all a bit bemused by it - to be fair English sports supporters have decades of refining their songs to have poke fun with good humor at not only the players and the away support but themselves as well.

Here is a little example of "Jimmy" one of the Barmy Army's Generals leading with his "one song":




After England had suffered an innings and 99 run defeat - the Barmy Army were not to be moved. They stood there and sang their Anthem for 90 minutes till moved on by the police "We are the army, the Barmy Army, we are mental and we are mad, we are the loyalist cricket supporters the world has ever had" and repeat...

However the song is true in so much " we are the loyalist cricket supporters the world has ever had" - I left with the feeling that England's cricket team on their recent run of form are very lucky to retain such supporters. Good on you lads.