October 17 Thursday 2002
England's Barmy Army to cheer on Hussain's men

SYDNEY: Organisers of the Barmy Army, following England to Australia, are estimating 8,000 fans will back Nasser Hussain's team in January's fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney.

Paul Burnham, who was there when the Barmy Army began in 1994-95 and now helps coordinate the movement, says it's the dream that England will one day win back the Ashes that drives English cricket supporters to make the long and expensive trip to Australia. "The loyal fans dare not miss a trip Down Under in case the one time they stay at home is when England finally win the Ashes on Australian soil," Burnham said on Wednesday. "People are going on their second or third Ashes tour with the Barmy Army because, although they know we are massive underdogs, they want to be there just in case it is the one where we win.

"England will win in our lifetime and once you've been once and sat through five days of cricket and spent all that money, you want to be there for the good times." Mike Gatting's 1986-87 tourists last won the Ashes in Australia. Burnham will spend more than US$6,000 on his trip, but most fans will travel over for the two back-to-back legs of the tour, Adelaide-Perth and Melbourne-Sydney.

"It is a great way to get away for the winter and particularly after the Olympics people saw what a beautiful place Australia is, so people genuinely want to go over there," he said. "The image we portray has encouraged a lot more people to come over, because the numbers have definitely increased since it all started in 1994-95, we're expecting 8,000 for the Sydney Test." The idea of the Barmy Army, an umbrella tag for England fans who travel the world giving "highly vocal and visual support", emerged as Australia cruised to a 3-1 series win eight years ago. Burnham and David Peacock designed their own cricket shirts and gave England cricket supporters a new identity abroad.

"It evolved naturally," Burnham said. "The Australian press christened us the Barmy Army because of how much money we had spent and the way we carried on singing, even though England were losing."

In between watching the cricket, the Barmy Army have organised six charity matches and will throw giant parties in all the Test cities, raising funds for leukaemia research as they sing, dance and drink their way round Australia just waiting for the day England win back the Ashes.