I do love a bit of cricket, and I do love the Barmy Army. For years they had nothing to celebrate but celebrated anyway. That's dedication for you. There's a lot of talk a lot of the time about Australia being a sports-mad nation, and the Barmy Army shows that those crazy Poms aren't all that different.

I wish more Australians were happy to smile in the face of defeat. No sooner had our World Cup (yep, soccer) draw been announced than the comments sections on the news.com articles started filling with 'fans' demanding to know why we bother wasting money on a team that is sure to be defeated. They should take a leaf out of the Barmy Army's book and watch, celebrate and enjoy themselves anyway.

Though I suspect from the constant bitterness and negativity there that those comments sections draw on a very selective pool of Australians anyway.

O I share your thoughts here.
Including those about the odd angry Aussie fool, Poms have their share too.
Such folk do not like sport, well do not even understand it.
Barmy Army are just like us stirrers who love a dig.
We could never ever add to world cricket in the way they have.
NOW
Well, yes it hurt to see us down and out for so long.
And if any Barmy Army tourist see,s our thread, well great ball!
That first one in your second innings, the one that bowled your Captain first ball!
Love it even if its me doing the stirring.

Hello there Belly...

I too share your opinion and deference for the game of cricket, and pretty well everything incidental to the sport. Moreover, my absolute favourite matches would have to be against our principal antagonists, the Poms and for the 'revered' Ashes series !

I'm also convinced that any appearance of the 'Balmy Army' does add an immense amount of colour to the overall atmosphere of the game. As well as generating an undercurrent of fierce competitiveness between the two teams, by their good natured, and boisterous behaviour !
After all, aren't the Aussies and the Poms the original adversaries in the game of Test Cricket ?

Furthermore, I still think Cricket as a sport is (perhaps) the final bastion of respectability for gentlemen ? I suppose many might well disagree, when one is constantly witnessing escalating levels of 'sledging' insidiously creeping into the game ?

For me at least, if I could ever have my sporting aspirations repeated, I'd still choose cricket. I honestly believe it's the last sporting bulwark for gentleman ?

Belly, I, like yourself love cricket, have been watching since the 70's Lilly, Thomo, Capellie brothers, tangles the WIndies etc etc.

How good was Warnie, and who could every forget the famous Gatting ball.

I love the barmy army and it is said that just two hundred of them can completely drown out a crowd of many thousands.

Harmless fun.

Besides, it's far less annoying than those things they use in South Africa, in fact, they turned me away from watching that series.

As fir the Aussies, bravo I say, and a huge bravo for Clarke, he is becoming a real hero captain.

Pointing left a huge pair of boots to be filled and I think he's filling them well.

Love my cricket Belly, and footy, and would love to share a beer with you one day watching our beloved games.

Goodonya bloke! me too, we are watching the birth of a great Australian team.
In the past such as Alan Border was our savior and only months ago it was Clark.
We are seeing the impact of Dave Warner now and that his hit it hard way is catching.
Today we may or may not win back the urn but we are watching two good batsmen begin great and long service for England.
enjoy it today I will mate.

LOL...belly, this why so many Australians are so fat:)...instead of going to the game or playing it, the vast amounts of convicts (passports or not;),just sit glued to there sets, with a frequent trips to the ice box for beer, and lets not forget that bucket of chicken etc....Being the 4th fatest nation on the planet, the Barmy Army at least get off their fat arses by getting involed every time a mexican wave or a six is hit, but poor old norm in his chair....well...life be out of it seems to be the home run:)

Oh...and maybe some OLO people might want to peel their fat butts off the chair once in a while and get some exercise yourselfs:)

HO HO HO......

Planet3