Anti-Australian sentiment is another test

[Beny]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricke...329500305.html

This has been replaced with some deep-felt dislike of Australian players that have not simply been a dominating world force for 16 years, but are depicted as unsmiling bullies. Batsmen have been booed on to the ground, Ricky Ponting booed at the toss and some outstanding play gone unrecognised by any applause.

Any marginal departure from perfect behaviour brings abuse from sections of the crowd. The British soccer mentality has sadly invaded cricket grounds to the detriment of the spirit of cricket. Perhaps it is a virus spreading at one-day cricket the world over.

What do you think?... English oppinions are more than welcome.

[Ernest]

I would doubt if their is very much anti Australian feeling, on this board at least, the worst you will get is Myself and one or two others who are England supporters believing England will win, but that is not anti Australian.

The link you gave was to the north of England, and at Headingly they will heckle any team.

I just can't believe there is anti Australianism in England at large, why should there be?, Ponting does not shoot out at the mouth.

Maybe a little ill feeling between players will not help, does not in soccer grounds, so I hope the players have no public slanging matches.

I hope I am right, as it would spoil what will be one of the best Ashes Series for ages, forums are surprisingy neutral, even the BBC is not that bad, I know you mean crowds, on the whole maybe with an exeption or two, I thing people are looking forward to seeing England playAustralia.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Geoff Lawson

The British soccer mentality has sadly invaded cricket grounds to the detriment of the spirit of cricket. Perhaps it is a virus spreading at one-day cricket the world over.

Interesting post... and not easily dismissed: it's thoughtful and considered and based on clear familiarity with the facts.

Whilst it's self-evident that SOME in the crowds are pretty much the same people (with a similar mentailty) or like-minded souls to those who graced the cricket grounds of this country back in 1981..... two things at least have clearly gone on since.

{i} A great uncertainty has crept into the thought of many of those who would once have felt confident enough to distant themselves from the loutish behaviour of those who refuse to applaud each side's deliveries, shots fielding and landmarks with equal vigor and who lack the common decency to treat visiting players with the courtesy that any guest might reasonably expect from a host.

{ii} A growing indifference on the part of an arrogant section of society that just doesn't give a **** about the offence it causes, doesn't recognise the atmosphere that such behaviour generates is foul and reacts with sneering contempt at any criticism - knowing full well that they, not the critics, are the target grouping for sponsors and for event organisers with a vested interest in turning simple sporting contests into overhyped tribal warfare.

Sadly, I fear even the ECB is pandering to this vile youth culture... not least by tolerating the quite outrageous practice of asking visiting players to run onto the pitch through an avenue of entirely "home" flags. Aggers has been voicing shock bordering on outrage on the radio... and some of the Aussie players have (quite rightly) found other ways onto the pitch.... but it's symptomatic of a state of affairs that just turning crickets most natural audience away from a much loved game.

It's all most unfortunate... but I fear it will take some stopping now: the damage has been done.

* ps. one encouraging sign: the Old Trafford soccer crowd did recently rise to it's feet in appreciation of a visiting Real Madrid side. Took a pretty sensational display to get that response... but it suggests that all is not lost.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by by Rachael

Originally Posted by Geoff Lawson
The British soccer mentality has sadly invaded cricket grounds to the detriment of the spirit of cricket. Perhaps it is a virus spreading at one-day cricket the world over.

Rachael we wont know this for sure until after the cricket,i doubt it is widespread, and confined to a coupel of grounds.
Even so, on way would be to take Test Status from any ground what you would call the "soccer mentality", and that is an unfair generalism, because 99% of soccer fans are well behaved.

I can't see the NF and the BNP intigators of violence in soccer, staying for a 5 day Test.

Lets hope I am right, but one thing Rachael, these are not pro England supporters, nor anti Australia.pakistan et al , they are the dregs of society, just as likely to invade Wimbledon Wentworth, if the coverage is right.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Ernest

99% of soccer fans are well behaved. [...] I can't see the NF and the BNP intigators of violence in soccer, staying for a 5 day Test [...] these are not pro England supporters, nor anti Australia.pakistan et al , they are the dregs of society, just as likely to invade Wimbledon Wentworth, if the coverage is right.

No one is talking of violence Ernest.... just boorishness. As Geoff Lawson puts it "Batsmen have been booed on to the ground, Ricky Ponting booed at the toss and some outstanding play gone unrecognised by any applause [...] Any marginal departure from perfect behaviour brings abuse from sections of the crowd."

I'm sure soccer crowds are not universally incapable of the sorts of "friendly rivalry, light-hearted banter and genuine respect for the skilful efforts of the opposition" that Lawson misses... but as the camera pans around a an excited crowd it's usually pretty easy to tell if it's a tennis or golfing crowd (roaring with approval of ANY great shot) or a soccer crowd (where reaction is almost always divided along lines of tribal loyalty).

Of course... crowds have always had preferences as to who they want to see performing best.... but in the past this was understood as hoping the "home" side play better than the "visitors" in what was first and foremost a contest in which one hoped the better side would win.

Can one say, today, that football crowds attend hoping the better side wins? I think not. Crowds have exchanged the hope that their side will put in the greater performance for a hope focussed only on results.

Any decent crowd should be aggrieved by the injustice of a team that performs better not getting the result it deserves (e.g. Man U in the FA cup final this year). Sadly, this seems to matter not one jot to many football fans.

[Pete]

I'm sure England players have heard worser than boos when fielding out on the boundry in Australia! Is only boos, everyone gets them sometime or another. No-one said much last year when England were booed by the Indian supporters as they went to pick up the Natwest Challenge trophy.

[greg]

So The Hill at Sydney never booed any English player ever?

[Victor Frankenstein]

This isn't about australian crowds though, they've always been partisan, like most cricket crowds, certainly from watching on tv and attending a game at the WACA i've never heard an australian crowd give anything other than a begrudging clap or mute disdain at an opposition player/side doing well.

However, english crowds are meant to be made of better stuff, so to hear these kind of reports is sad. I have to say that the times i've been to the cricket and watched it on tv i've not seen this on any true scale. You'll always get one or two groups of lads that will boo but the vast majority will give a decent applause and a proper applause for a good shot or good wicket.

I think actually a lot of england fans are more appreciative of Pontings style of captaincy, bringing back sportsmanship, walking and toning down the sledging than the much more win at all costs style of Waugh that got a lot of peoples backs up.

[greg]

Crowds at Headingley have had a bed reputation for a while,so it would be no surprise to see it there.I would be amazed if anything happened at Lords and disappointed if it happened at any other of our grounds.

[Ernest]

Well Victor, I am parisan, but having said that, I would never dream of abusing other supporters, or their team players.
Partisan to me, means wanting your team to do well, to win, but I don't begrudge good play from othet teams, in fact without both reams playing at least reasonably well, the cricket would be poor.

We are an international board, and people are partisan, and that can make for good discussion, but at the end of the day, the best team will win, no point in sour grapes.