 England's Barmy Army have followed the national side around the world |
England's Barmy Army has hit back at an Australian politician's comments about the possible behaviour of fans during the forthcoming Ashes series. New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has written to Prime Minister Tony Blair requesting intelligence on "known sporting hooligans" before the Ashes.
However, Barmy Army spokesman Paul Burnham said: "Everyone knows the problems England's football fans are.
"But we just go to watch the cricket, and if England win it's a bonus."
Victoria Police superintendent Mick Williams, in charge of policing the Melbourne Test, admitted he was more concerned about Australian fans than English supporters.
"The Barmy Army have been out here before, and we've found that they've always been pretty well-behaved," Williams told theage.com.au.
"They are very well-organised. They actually control a lot of their own people.
 | The ugly stain of poor crowd behaviour can... reflect poorly on national reputations |
"We tend to have more problems with our own local spectators."
Iemma, whose state hosts the fifth and final Test, wrote to Mr Blair after reportedly watching footage of England football fans at the World Cup in Germany last summer.
He wrote: "I am sure you would agree that the ugly stain of poor crowd behaviour can adversely impact the enjoyment of thousands of families who love cricket, and reflect poorly on national reputations.
"Consequently I believe there are opportunities for our law enforcement agencies to work together to enhance security planning."
Iemma said he expects more than 20,000 England fans to travel to Australia for the Ashes.
Supporters from both countries complained about the way tickets were initially distributed, saying the system favoured touts who were then offering seats at hugely inflated prices on the internet.
Tickets for all five days of the first Test in Brisbane sold out within 90 minutes of going on sale, while seats for the first four days of the third Test in Perth and fifth Test in Sydney sold out within 40 minutes.
Burnham added if any trouble did start, Cricket Australia's decision not to give his group blocks of seats would make it worse.
"We're not saying that there is never any trouble at cricket grounds - there are always a few idiots on both sides - but Cricket Australia's ticketing arrangements haven't helped the situation," he said.
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