A Poms Ashes

Well it is the eve of the second test in Adelaide and I am so looking forward to it!  I know England got a hiding in the first test but I love the eve of the tests and all the talk before a game starts.  A piece of news I found this evening however has made the red mist descend:

Adelaide is banning the Barmy Amy Bugler/trumpeter Bill Cooper from playing his trumpet in the Adelaide tests and this is down to Cricket Australia.  We have all heard of how he had his instrument (no joke folks J) confiscated in the Brisbane test and how he was ejected from the ground.  Since that first day in Brisbane there has been a lot public debate about this and it seemed that common sense had started to prevail and that he would be allowed to play an instrument in future tests – well no.  Cricket Australia have intervened.

Cricket Australia public affairs manager Peter Young has stopped Bill playing because they currently have a ban in place for trumpets and air horns.  I quote the Cricket Australia clown as follows:

“Unfortunately the rules cannot be bent for a small group, as much as we understand and appreciate what they are trying to achieve”.

Speaking to ‘Bruce’ at work today he had told me of the past when people used to just blow horns and that this irritated people.  He has also told me of how at a lot grounds they have sections for drinking and family areas as well.  So here comes my point:

Why when Bill Cooper does more than just blast a noise out of his trumpet (he is trained to play the trumpet) can he be in the same bracket as someone who just blows a noise out of a cheap plastic toy or an air horn?

Why did they say a few days ago that they would re-evaluate the treatment of Bill and his trumpet playing?

Why can’t they allow Bill and the Barmy Army to play and sing their stuff in a trumpet allowed/Adult only/Away Fans zone?

Why did Cricket Australia agree after the first test, after all that happened in Brisbane, to allow a song to be played in the stadium that went as follows:

“In the hostels, the backpack hostels, the pommies whinge tonight.
A whinge away, A whinge away, A whinge away, A whinge away.”

Now I kind of find it funny in a certain way but to ban a trumpet player and allow this is joke.

Could this ban behind the fact they don’t want this ‘small group’ of England fans to support their team and maybe out-sing the Australian fans? 

Could this u-turn in now banning Bill (after initially saying he would be allowed to play after Brisbane) be to do with keeping England fans here as high spending tourists?

Now wouldn’t it be a surprise if they dropped the ban in the last few tests if England (just in case) didn’t have a chance of winning the Ashes tournament? – Wouldn’t that be a nice public affairs solution to the growing row?

I have a message to you Cricket Australia and Peter Young – cricket is for the fans in the ground foremost and then the public.  Not you and your suits at Cricket Australia who have so far made this Ashes the most unenjoyable spectacle going.  You have already made a terrible start to this tournament with the ticket sales and the Brisbane test and now you continue in the same manner…Cricket Australia – you bloody fools!

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