"Barmy and nasty too"

Today's Australian publishes a letter from Margaret Lindley of South Hobart complaining about the Barmy Army :

Throughout the fourth Test, I was forced, along with thousands of others, to endure its repeated insults to Australia and Australians, particularly to Australian women.

I invite the army’s admirers to listen, for example, to its version of Waltzing Matilda. Probably the only repeatable line in this foul-mouthed parody is the first, “We all shag Matilda”. If a group of Lebanese youths gathered in a public space to chant precisely the same words as those sung by these visiting Englishmen, there would be a national outcry.

I was interested to hear the speakers in today's post match presentation ceremony praise the Barmy Army. Even Mr Creagh O'Connor, the Cricket Australia chair, paid tribute to them. This is a bit twofaced given all the trouble that CA and its affiliates went to to exclude the Barmy Army trumpeter (the least offensive member of the army since they don't sing along when he plays) . CA has also, as I've previously posted, put the boot into its media competitor (and generally more reliable source of information) Cricinfo over its relatively mild comments about Justin Langer. In comparison with the BA's chant about Langer, which makes some very scurrilous claims about him, this is small beer indeed.

Commonsense prevails over pettiness: Barmy Army trumpeter to play at MCG

The Herald Sun reports that a sensible compromise has been reached about the Barmy Army's bugler. Not only will Bill Cooper be allowed to play during the test subject to certain conditions, eg stopping if other patrons complain, but he has been invited to perform at the pre-match breakfast.

This is eminently sensible and once again reminds us of the pettiness of the ground authorities at the Gabba and the Adelaide Oval. Are SACA and the QCA able to learn something from their counterparts in Perth and, now, Melbourne?