Killing cricket

Ziggy says:

05:42am | 05/01/10

I long for the past glory days of The Hill. Todays managers would have evicted the entire mob within 2 hours. Authorities seem determined to stamp out anything resembling good natured wit and fun as our tolerance levels sink to a new low. Now we have the bouncer mentality in charge. All hostility and no common sense.

Claire says:

06:31am | 05/01/10

It’s even worse (as you’d expect) in the UK. Even at The Oval, which is situated slap in the midst of a huge ethnic West Indian population, the jobsworths with their cursed walkie-talkies wage constant war on the flags, musical instruments and associated harmless jollities that are a traditional part of any Windies game.

I suppose the rationale is that the corporate champers-slurping nobs nibbling on their prawn sandwiches with their backs firmly turned to the cricket might be offended at the sight or sound of plebs enjoying themselves.

Cricket is not a nobs’ game and never has been but I suppose money, as in every other area these days, speaks louder than the drums and trumpets.

T.Chong says:

06:53am | 05/01/10

Great to see TP doing a cricket edition.
Agree Ziggy, The Hill was great. I believe the hevy handiness is a result of the piss-up excesses that were a feature of the One Dayers of the early 90s, when crowd antics often did get out of hand.
I recall a few years back how the SCG was showing off some of its security measures, they claim that all seats, public areas had multiple cctv.
Now all jays have to be inhaled during the walk up from Central, with an eye out for undercover cops, plus the obligatory beer at “The Bat and Ball”, but this place also draws the narks.
Not easy being a cricket loving Rasta in Sydney.

Brian says:

07:03am | 05/01/10

what kind of a weirdo would get gratification from busting people at the cricket?  Cops and security should get a real job and make a contribution.  Wowserism indeed from the nanny/police state.

John A Neve says:

07:13am | 05/01/10

The one thing that is killing cricket, if in fact it is dying?

Is cricket itself, three umpires, doctored pitches, a virtual closed shop, this is no longer sport. It has become entertainment, played by non drinking, non smoking, always nice to their mums, entertainers on big dollar salaries.

jed says:

07:29am | 05/01/10

went to the first ashes test at the gabba a couple of years back. coppers were out of control; people shouting were being told to zip it, those ignoring were carted out. never seen anything like it, and i’d never go back.

move a few more tests to hobart; cops are more chilled out, fun is tolerated and i’ve only ever seen people thrown for punching on.

Ambo says:

07:38am | 05/01/10

For the last 15 years I have attended the Brisbane and Adelaide Test matches.. I have seen every aspect of the rubbish that the patrons have recieved from the FUN police.
Adelaide Oval & The Gabba are no different.. Security and the Coppers need to chill a bit… as they already have the best working evironment a person could want. I’d love a day at the cricket and get paid for it!

T.Chong says:

07:39am | 05/01/10

JAN 8:13- “closed shop”? how so ?, seems opposite now, with lot more players in and out, plus almost separate Test / One Dayer + 20/20 teams.
A good thing, with more diversity.
As for the beers and ciggies, now they so much more competition, the days of Boonies, Fat Cat Ritchies and Warnies are on the outer.
These guys are now mostly full time athletes. The 150kph ball has been delivered.

Jamers Hunter says:

07:46am | 05/01/10

SCG Managment now that is an oxymoron.

dude says:

07:58am | 05/01/10

It is unbelievable.  This crap has to stop. How do you stop it? How do the f#@kheads that make the rules get to be in charge in the first place. What is wrong with our societal system that allows control freaks, the crap of our society float to the top? Where are our human rights?  Are we forever going to be held to ransom by wowserworld whose only goal in life is to kill it. I wish the “I’ll tell you how to live your life” crowd would just go and get a life or their own. Then they might stop trying to control everybody else’s.

John A Neve says:

08:09am | 05/01/10

T.Chong @0839,

Firstly there is no way they are “full time athletes”, entertainers Yes, “athletes” No.

What we have now is an entertainment that is governed by TV and advertisments.

Regarding the “150Kph ball”, if the ball fails to hit either the stumps of the bat’s edge, who cares how fast it goes?

T.Chong says:

08:24am | 05/01/10

JAN: I would argue that all professional athletes are entertainers to some degree,after all, the pros are paid because we like to watch = entertainment, thats neither good or bad, just the way it is.
Depends on your level of interest in the game,as to the importance of the 150k delivery.
As for TV ruling the games, agree dude,but for your sake, dont watch Gridiron, a game that begins in the a.m., and finishes at night, which has official “sponsors breaks” built into the game (in addition to half times etc)

John A Neve says:

08:46am | 05/01/10

T.Chong @ 0924hrs,

You have missed the whole point, professional cricketers are not “athletes”.
As to my interest in the game, a ball that takes a wicket is far superior to a “150K delivery” that goes through to the keeper.

I repeat, cricket as seen on TV, played by professional entertainers is not sport.

H of SA says:

08:54am | 05/01/10

Oh no you mean yobs will actually have to consider going to a free venue like the beach to behave like 12 year olds?

Oh wait everyone wins. People who are actually interested in cricket can get the tickets and the yobs can stop being charged to enter a venue to do what they could do any dodgy pub - pay too much for poor quality beer, leer at women under the age of consent, laugh at their own jokes and generally be distracted by shiny colourful things like beach balls.

Can someone explain the cricket yobo to me? If you lack the necessary attention span to watch cricket and would rather play with an inflatible ball then why pay to go to the cricket?

Mark says:

09:29am | 05/01/10

How can you be serious when your topline bowlers are bashed around the park by an opening partnership of Sellmy Butt and Mustapha Fart. If Billy Birmingham uses my line I’m going to sue him for 2 million beach balls!

Dale Peterson says:

09:35am | 05/01/10

How times have changed. In the 1974/75 Ashes series the five day Test at the SCG produced 480,000 empty beer cans. This was in the days when you could still buy beer in cans at the groud and also bring your own in.

The following season saw the first onset of the punitive wowserism that now infests cricket - the authorities decided to limit the amount of cans that spectators could bring in to only one slab per person. The two-can limit followed in the early 80s and it’s been all downhill since then - beer in cans was banned outright, the Hill was concreted over and full-strength beer no longer sold. Now we have the sterile, fun-sucking environment of today, where the SCG is the most over-policed place in the world outside Tiananmen Square and you can be thrown out for as little as spilling one drop of (light) beer or standing up during the wave.

Tim says:

10:05am | 05/01/10

H of SA,
have you noticed that there is around a 30 second gap between each ball being bowled at the cricket?
hmmm, what to do during this spare time? 

You sound like one of those old blokes who sits in the stand, gives a polite clap after every ball and fall asleep in their seat by tea time.

How dare those young yobbos have fun at the cricket. Disgraceful.

AFR says:

10:08am | 05/01/10

Gee…some gross exaggeration going on here. It seems some can’t enjoy a day of cricket unless they are shit-faced.

James the Vain says:

10:11am | 05/01/10

Why bother going and then moaning about it.  I stopped going years ago.  I now watch it at home in High-Def, I get to drink full-strength beer if I choose to (which I usually don’t), and I don’t have any cop filth breathing down my neck.  As an additional bonus, I don’t give any money to the shitbags that run cricket and its grounds in Australia.

If you really want to change things, only 1 thing will work .... reducing their revenue and increasing their costs.  The best thing to do is to avoid the grounds altogether.  If you HAVE to go, then don’t buy any of their shitty concession products because by so doing, you are giving tacit approval to their policies.  Oh, and vandalise a couple of seats while you’re there (ideally at the end of the day).

And start a mulit-channelled grass-roots campaign to change.  E.g. Take the high road and start a facebook campaign to make the entire ground alcohol free.  Most people aren’t going to miss “lite” beer, but it would really hit their corporate / prawn sandwich dollars.  Then they’d go broke and someone sensible would have to take over.

idontsay says:

10:26am | 05/01/10

Why is everyone talking like the solution is hard?
Just split the concourse seating up into family areas and the hill. Ban beer cup snakes, beach balls etc in the family areas only. Reintroduce full strength beer. Let the hill have their fun - when I used to go to the cricket it was always the atmosphere there that was drawing me.
And the tills will still ring….

Andrew says:

10:47am | 05/01/10

Sadly, the inability of the minority to use some self-control and common sense have led us to the current situation.
There used to be a big difference between jovial antics (aka the famous mimicking of Merv Hughes stretching)
and all in drunken fights. The brush is tarring anyone not sitting up straight, eye’s facing forward.
Enjoying the cricket used to get about the game, INCLUDING the atmosphere.  That is now history.

iansand says:

10:47am | 05/01/10

I went to one of those “glory days” one dayers on the hill in the 80s.  I haven’t been back to a one day game since.  Pelted with garbage.  Hit by flying cans.  Sprayed with dubious substances…

john jink says:

10:50am | 05/01/10

excellent article that i wholeheartedly agree with. was at the SCG and it was a really dull time. in fact, it’s a pretty good metaphor for what australia is becoming: over-regulated, generic, and BORING. heaven forbid someone go to the cricket and get drunk. heaven forbid someone partake in a mexican wave or knock around an inflatable beach ball! there is a special circle in hell reserved for those that pop a beach ball at the cricket. funless swine.

Justan Oz says:

11:21am | 05/01/10

I stopped going to big matches years ago because of the boozed up foul mouths, who go along only to be as stupid as possible.. Boot them out i say!!

nic says:

11:25am | 05/01/10

@idontsay, I agree. I thought the whole point of havingge stadia was that the yahoos could be placed in one area to do whatever they wanted, providing atmosphere in the process, whilst those who wanted to observe from above could do so, keeping dry in the process.

BW says:

11:28am | 05/01/10

Can’t see any tales from the MCG so far, so here’s my 2 cents.

6 or 7 years ago in the Boxing Day Test against India, some young-ish 20-something sheila flashed her you-know-whats to the crowd, to the inevitable woof-whistles and applause. All light-hearted, I thought. But this was in Bay 13, and the police would have none of it. Within 15 seconds she was being led out of the ground. So much for that attempt.

Bob H says:

11:30am | 05/01/10

@John A Neve
Fully agree - Cricketers are not athletes - they are beer boys selected to renenact a historical village pastime, in the manner of a modern sport.  A game viewed by accountants and played in long trousers and jumpers with meal breaks, hilarious.  No wonder they throw spectators out for being more interesting than the on field tedium.

Matt says:

11:37am | 05/01/10

I was in the same bay with Santa and the guy in Pink. This bay had really zealous security guards.

Even funnier was a security guard tackling a guy in an attempt to get at a beach ball, he failed to the great amusement of the crowd.

I found my self getting angry at the rules the security guards were enforcing.

Early on (prior to play) one young copper threw a ball back from the field and I hope he was not disciplined for using discretion, he saw the PM playing or would have soon after. 

Phew.. Off my chest.

BULMKT says:

11:39am | 05/01/10

It’s a pity the police aren’t this tough on the louts, drunks, bogans, yobbos and dickheads who roam around late on any given Friday and Saturday night. The overall majority of people attending sporting events like the cricket, or NRL or AFL are well behaved.
One of my favourite sporting events is the Hong Kong sevens rugby tournament. I was last there in 2005 for the Sevens World Cup the atmosphere was awesome. There was a real buzz not only on the field but in the Southern stand. There were many people (mainly blokes but a few gals were they too) dressed up as the Incredibles, Smurf’s, Pink Panthers and other “interesting” costumes and there wasn’t a problem at all. Maybe because the Hong Kong police and Stadium mgmt gave the spectators a little respect?.
What the SGC mgmt and the police are doing is the usual overkill. Our Nanny state is alive and well and I say Resist!

Barry says:

11:57am | 05/01/10

Cricket is a long, drawn out game and audiences need distractions to get through the day. Beach balls, mexican waves and beer snakes are all harmless fun - so why ban them.? If they are worried about piss heads serve mid strength beer. I have been to a few test matches at the SCG and vowed never to return after seeing countless fans geeting the boot for very little. Whatever happened to a brand experience.? Fans are leaving test match cricket in droves and it is mainly due to the fun police at the SCG.

HG says:

12:01pm | 05/01/10

I was at the SCG Sunday and my perception watching from the stands was that security/police appeared to be taking a very strict line. Whilst I obviously wasn’t watching the crowd as intently as the security force does, a number of the people I saw asked to leave were simply engaging in a bit of skylarking.  Particularly during the rain delays, the police/security could perhaps have shown a little more discretion surely.

But what’s driving this crackdown? Maybe the move to make the game more “family friendly’. But as other have pointed out,  surely the solution to this would be to have designated alcohol free zones around the ground.

I also wonder if fear of being sued by an injured spectator is part of the motivation.  Nothing like the threat of a $million law suit to get the attention of grounds management. Heck - they might even have been pressured in to it by their public liability insurer for all we (as the general public) know.

I will comment on ‘the wave’ though and say that people need to show a bit more common sense. Fine - do the wave during the breaks in play but sending the wave around whilst the game is in play I do find annoying as a spectator and I assume, also distracting as a player.

p.s. I did however hear that fewer people were being charged. Perhaps the policy is ... be stricter and kick more potential troublemakers out, but let them go without being charged if they go quietly’.?

SM says:

12:17pm | 05/01/10

@BULMKT
Couldn’t agree more.  Overzealous cops tackling people for playing with a beach ball at the cricket.  Underzealous cops allowing drunken drugged up violent maniacs carrying knives to terrorise the city every night.  Laughable

Robert says:

12:29pm | 05/01/10

We should all not go for one year and the Fun police might get the idea.  Cricket used to be my best social event for the year.  Not anymore.  A doctors surgery is less strict.  What next, throw someone out because their baby is crying, or because they may or may not have picked the nose.  Idiots.

Anthony says:

12:29pm | 05/01/10

I went to a game 4 years ago and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Wasn’t drinking just there for the cricket but found I was getting annoyed at the security as the day went on.

I’ll never go back. So what you say? Cricket is a brand competing for my dollar and the brand is in trouble.

I lost count of the number of times the police actually caused a situation by over-policing;
- Asked (by an 18 year old) to take my glasses off in a lite beer queue to see if I was drunk…irony?
- Told to stop booing when the police threw out a young bloke for singing
- Saw 4 English fands thrown out due to bawdy song regarding policeman. The throwing out offended more in the stands than the song

Best spot is in the Olympic pub across the road.

Symptomatic of everything else we’re told not to do…

H of SA says:

12:38pm | 05/01/10

Tim I don’t deny people who have paid a ticket the “right” to have a fun day at the cricket, they can be there precisely because they have a ticket, I guess ensuring they have fun is their own responsibility. Though watching a brightly coloured ball bounce around doesn’t exactly get my adrenaline going - each to their own I guess.  (Though in the case of checking out the “women” who were recently celebrating finishing year 10 I don’t think I can give that the same harmless endorsement you can to a beach ball)

My question is why would anyone pay to get into a cricket venue to play with their beach ball when they can do it for free at say ....the beach?

Tickets for big games sell out, and people who actually wanted to watch the cricket sometimes can’t make it. I just don’t get why people who aren’t interested in cricket go there…...is it because they are embarrassed to say they spent their weekend spending too much for booze and checking out minors so prefer to say “oh I went to the cricket this weekend?” Well I guess they paid for the “right” to get fleeced for their beer so who am I to stop them?

Oh and for the record I’m in my mid 20’s and been to the cricket enough to be aware of the wait between balls. I use this time to practice that thing called “conversation” - personally I find that more stimulating than the beach ball which loses my interest—-oh I dunno if I ever found it interesting.

H of SA says:

12:49pm | 05/01/10

@Andrew 11:47. Exactly mate the minority ruining things for the whole. If it wasn’t for a small number of people then you could probably police a test match with about 4 coppers who would likely only have to tell a couple of people to just relax. That would also free other coppers to be out on the beat…

Maybe thats what the hard line is about, by letting the minority who cause more expense than they bring in know they can’t behave how they want then maybe they won’t be back next year and some people who do like cricket will come.

This is the new world. People who’s hobby is getting obviously drunk in public are no longer being tolerated by people who actually want to be at events. Now that Cricket is getting their act together on policing it drunk yobs will have to find someone else’s passtime to ruin for the majority. Maybe even more southern cross tattoo’s without shirts and loud racism at the big day out this year seeing as its not welcome at the cricket anymore?

Peltroniks says:

01:33pm | 05/01/10

NSW has slowly not only become a ‘nanny’ state, but a more concerning ‘police state’ - it started just before the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the screws got tighter and tighter under the guise of ‘terrorism prevention’, then we again had to endure the bogus laws passed for APEC which were never retracted & now the nsw police can pretty much do as they please. Over policing causes more problems than it could ever solve.

The SCG Trust has forgotten the hand that feeds it is not just the small percentage of income from the elite membership, but US the ticket buying public. - give the police and your security staff the brief of ‘hey fellas, it’s a cricket match in summer, keep people safe, be polite, give warnings, then if that fails, eject them’ - instead of kicking heads and asking questions later.
mexican waves and beach balls, please…...if a few people were not respecting the game of cricket, the crowd would quickly bring them into line.

SCG Trust, you can keep your unhealthy, overpriced food, rubbish light beer, spirit crushing rules, expensive parking and heavy handed public order control orders. I won’t ever attend another event at the SCG or SFS, period…...

The brand of Cricket Australia is in trouble, it’s public perception from this will be tanrnished, so maybe Cricket Australia should protect their brand & move their business from the SCG to ANZ Stadium? with a ‘positive’ attitude toward crowd control and policing,  sure ‘tradition’ would be lost, but stay at what cost?

Paul Hyland says:

02:09pm | 05/01/10

Surely the government could lay down the law by publishing clear guidelines by way of a handy pamphlet which everyone could carry to the game.  It could tell everyone what to wear and what NOT to wear.  It could include a simple chart to tell you how much alcohol to imbibe.  That way, everyone could have just the right amount of fun, without doing anything excessive.  Come on Mr Rudd, sort this out.

Ziggy says:

03:58pm | 05/01/10

TC is right - great phrase ‘the 150k ball has been delivered’. Need more characters on the ptich as well - and I don’t mean the stupid aggro so beloved of our current crop - big mouths. Warnie is a character, Pat Symcox of SA was a character (and Fanie de Villiers before him). Likeable larrakins who brought humour to a game.I recall being present when a famous OZ cricketer said the worst sledger he came across was McMillan who chose to tell very funny jokes as the batsman faced up to the bowling - saving the punchline until the very last minute! The good natured knock about humour seems to have gone out of the game - from spectators and players alike. I’m all for the barmy army, the West Indian crowd music etc. Make the game come alive again. But alas it is now the men in the grey flannel suits that run everything.

John T says:

04:07pm | 05/01/10

Paul Hyland: Cricket Australia does have conditions of entry to grounds on its website see   http://bit.ly/8NvWpZ, Whether they are the “clear guidelines” you’re looking for is another matter.

Condition 3 forbids you contacting a mate by mobile phone to tell them the score.

Much of the security at grounds where important matters, eg interference with play, are concerned is poor. At the Aust - Windies Test at Adelaide Oval in December a spectator managed to get on to the middle of the ground and talk to the players before security intervened: This pic of the incident probably contravenes Condition 2 http://twitpic.com/wqjet

Pearls, swirls, dimonties, and tan. says:

04:16pm | 05/01/10

What about Dance Sport - Ballroom dancing -

I all for tha sport.

Dan says:

05:15pm | 05/01/10

For all those complaining about yobbos behaving like yobbos at the cricket, get over it they are there to act like yobbos (and have fun) as well as watch the cricket.
When I was a younger man/boy I’d go to the cricket sit in the bay 13 area act like a goose all day and have a ball, I’m an older man now (31years) and I don’t feel like acting like a goose (aside from participating in the odd mexican wave) I don’t sit in the “yobbo” areas. I did this on the first day of this years boxing day test and enjoyed watching cricket without any hassles.

Gavin says:

07:55pm | 05/01/10

I went to the cricket for days 1,2 and 3 and my office is in world tower on the george st party strip and what i saw amazed me. The policing methods that are used in both locations are worlds apart. Night time on Goerge St- drink, vomit, piss, bash, carry a knife on a weekend….. all ok.
SCG- hit a beach ball and get frogmarched out and turfed into a paddy wagon.
Stabbings, muggings, murders, fights and abuse are common in the CBD on any friday or saturday night without a police man anywhere to be seen. But don’t you dare have a full strenth beer at the cricket!

rory macneill says:

08:53pm | 05/01/10

You gotta remember, at the end of the day cops are boring public servants; and there is no IQ test for entry.

Matt says:

10:33pm | 05/01/10

Fair shake of the sauce bottle mate. If they are going to kick Santa out, they def should have escorted Kevin 07 from the ground for the beach ball scandal!!

Spanners says:

11:06pm | 05/01/10

I refuse to attend the cricket for the very reasons outlined by the journo. It simply has stopped being a fun event.

S.L says:

07:33am | 06/01/10

Without a doubt the SCG is one of if not the best grounds to watch a sporting event in the world. With respect to the MCC the Sydney ground is more “intimate” and you feel like you are more a part of the action in my opinion. I’ve seen cricket tests, one dayers and league grandfinals there, It is an atmoshere like no other. BUT now league plays at Homebush and with the exception of the new years test and the Swans the joint never gets a crowd that would fill a phonebox these days.
I know alot of people are complaining about the fun police and they can get a bit over enthusiastic but imagine being sober looking at a bunch of drunken nobodys playing up. It ain’t nice. I’ve worked in public transport and have seen the ugly side to all this. On the other hand a bit of tollerence should be the order of the day if no ones getting hurt and the game isn’t affected they could just let the offenders carry on like the dopes they are. But it’s a fine line….......

Mitch says:

07:34am | 06/01/10

I got kicked out for being argumentative after 11 overs of play, when I questioned the decision, they said you can cop it and leave after we “process” you or we will fine you $330.

I’ll never go back.

Booza says:

07:35am | 06/01/10

Honestly, what did they expect 30,000 people to do after 5 hours of rain? The trust wouls have made an abbsolute killing on beer sales om day 1.
Sitting at the front of bay 7 - which sang and cheered and booed and started the waves ALL DAY - was the best day I’ve had for a long time. Very few were there for the cricket but to just have a good time. The ejected man in the main photo was in the bay next door on his buck show, half the bay was pink and the highlight of the afternoon for all of us was two seagulls fighting over a chip. Literally 1000 people in our bay cheering on the junior bird.
Bondy, the Police Officer in front of us, was a champ about the whole thing. Unlike his workmates. We all watched in shock as his mates marched Santa out the gate, followed closely by his new bride, the Virgin.

Warwick Owens says:

08:14am | 06/01/10

The police are paid by our taxes to prevent Crimes.

Playing with a beach ball is Not a crime.
Standing up is Not a crime.
Being drunk is Not a crime.
Singing and playing musical instruments is Not a crime.

The police assaulting people (“frog march”), destroying and confiscating their private property, and other abuses, are in themselves illegal.
If the SCG wants to indulge in petty fascism on their property, then they should hire and pay for their own security goons. The SCG should stop bringing the police into disrepute and destroying the public trust.

We have rights you know. In Australia, all laws are written by our elected parliaments and the courts Only. Laws are not written by corporations.

Shame $CG

Sara says:

08:26am | 06/01/10

Like Booza, I was going to write the exact same thing. I was also at the front of bay 7, and wanted to let everyone know that the virgin was on his bucks day, and not only that, was incredibly well behaved the entire time! I honestly don’t know why he got kicked out, he and his mates were having a great time, and joining in the fun with the crowd (and providing much of the entertainment) and I’m positive that no one - even those of you who hate fun and beach balls - would have had a single complaint about him.

Also, as Booza said, our coppa was cool, I brought 10 beach balls with me and had no problems. What pissed me off was when beach balls were popped for going on the field when there was NO PLAY on the field. I understand why they have to pop balls to keep them off the ground during play, but the covers were on and we were sitting there for hours. Thank god for the Milo Kids! At least we were allowed some fun!

I had a great day on Sunday, there was singing, mexican waves, beach balls, beers, and lots of people having a great time despite the weather. I didn’t see anyone causing trouble. The fun police certainly have cleaned things up from 5 years ago when a mexican wave meant that every single loose item and newspaper scrap and half empty beer were thrown in the air, and that I don’t mind so much, the mexican wave still goes on, but without getting beer in my hair and hit in the head by bottles, so why police it?

Also, some of you have mentioned having a FAMILY AREA. Well, that already exists, and it has for quite a few years now, so go sit there!

Andrew says:

08:33am | 06/01/10

Paul, you have failed dismally to do your homework on this one.  Whether the venue is the MCG, the SCG or the Gabba the rules relating to crowd behaviour are dictated by the organistaions hiring the venue, in this case Cricket Australia.  To blame the ground management shows ignorance on your part.  As an example, if beach balls were being thrown during an AFL match, the persons responsible would not be evicted as under AFL rules this is not an issue.  Posted at each entrance during Cricket matches are a set of rules under the Cricket Australia logo.  Both Police and Security at the ground work under the rules set down by Cricket Australia.  If you want to blame someone for these actions make sure you are directing it at the right body.

Adam says:

08:36am | 06/01/10

I was recently at the Boxing day test and witnessed many people getting kicked out even after the 2nd over for doing no more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s stupid. I was later outside and saw one person who got kicked out who told me he got kicked out for drinking his beer too quickly and was deemed to be Sculling his drink. Really just hoped up, glorified bouncers with too much power who dont understand the good natured larikin Australian tradition. Geeze come to the hill in Adelaide these bouncers would kicked them out in minutes litterally minutes.

julie says:

09:00am | 06/01/10

all this much hyped death of test cricket could well be attributed to the lack of crowds because of these rules!  i was totally embarrassed a few years ago, bringing 4 test virgins with me to watch, after i’d talked up the fun crowds and entertainment. they were bored stupid. i came back this year to the gabba for the first day and was delighted to be in general admission with large groups of boys singing funny dirty songs. a cricket experience can be very hit and miss in more ways than one, that’s why more often than not i’ll save my money and sit on the couch

bigmaxy says:

09:40am | 06/01/10

The 150 km/h ball has been delivered. Unfortunately it was a wide and the keeper missed it and it went for 4 byes.

Cricket is a joke now. It’s dying just like Rugby League. Take me back to the 80’s hill. Huge flags and banners, shirts off, beer carton sleds in the rain… memories.

Steve Smith says:

10:03am | 06/01/10

Killing cricket? If you need to enjoy the sport by pissing up and throwing balls around, well how alive is the game?

Mark says:

10:20am | 06/01/10

In days gone past four friends decided to streak at the SCG simultaneously. They came on the ground from different sections at a pre arranged time. Two of them made it well onto the ground and one to the pitch. They were all rounded up after much laughter and glee. The police locked them into a paddy wagon and left them there naked till end of the game. At the end of the game after everyone was gone they then drove to the back of Oxford street where the Gay Homosexulas ply their trade. They then released the Steaking four still naked to make their own way home! Good days!!

Pablo says:

11:25am | 06/01/10

“where the gay homesexuals ply their trade”..?????????

Fred says:

01:02pm | 06/01/10

Aren’t all homosexuals gay? What other types are there?

Bill says:

01:06pm | 06/01/10

Warwick Owens:

‘The police are paid by our taxes to prevent Crimes.’

Police pay taxes too, so it’s an inane argument.

The police assaulting people (“frog march”), destroying and confiscating their private property, and other abuses, are in themselves illegal.

It’s not assault, they’re executing their duty.

‘If the SCG wants to indulge in petty fascism on their property, then they should hire and pay for their own security goons. The SCG should stop bringing the police into disrepute and destroying the public trust.’

Most of the Police are privately hired and working in their own time.

‘We have rights you know. In Australia, all laws are written by our elected parliaments and the courts Only. Laws are not written by corporations.’

All private venue owners are entitle to run however they want, require you to leave and also without explanation, it’s their property, they set the rules.

Roberto says:

01:48pm | 06/01/10

It’s a vast improvement from previous years when the drunken yobs were everywhere. The SCG authorities do it because they know that’s what the majority (i.e. the non-yobs) want.

Mark says:

09:02am | 07/01/10

Sorry Pablo and Fred please pardon my below pleonasm!  A pleonasm is a use of two words when one will do. Which is almost the opposite of an oxymoron. Half of an oxymoron describes someone who would use their time to pick on one line in a story. I am sure you are both budding sub editors at heart.
To the real stuff. What about Mr Ponting now then? Imagine you are captain on a hiding to nothing. (Pablo and Fred please ignore this exercise it calls on imagination) So you are Australia’s captain, you can see the vultures circling. You have a very tenuous lead. Your spinner has just gone 12 runs which is more than 10% of your lead. You now have just 99 runs up your sleeve and your quickie has served you up a good maiden with a couple of chances. Now do you look to one of your other rested quickies or do you throw the ball back to your spinner? I would be calling on anybody but Hauritz! Ricky I have never been a fan till now!

Mitch says:

10:08am | 07/01/10

Bigmaxy - Wides don’t go for byes, they go for wides.

Bill - Do you think it is fair that you pay $80 for a ticket and can be told to leave for literally no reason and possibly have a fine issued at security’s discretion? The scumbag who spoke to us was only trying to throw his weight around. I asked him a question and he told me to leave for being argumentative although his words were a lot less polite.

They have seriously taken the fun out of the venue, which is ironic seeing they have a monument of Yabba. I’m not going back till I’m at least 65 and as boring as a wet carrot like: H, AFR, Justin Oz, S.L., Steve Smith and Bill

Scoby says:

11:48am | 07/01/10

My skit would involve me defecating on the pitch and then calling out “HOWZAT!!!”

Bob Hay says:

04:53pm | 07/01/10

Wonder when the Police will start frogmarching cricket players off the field for their inane over the top actions when they win. Is it all part of the act to try and make it more interesting or dare I say it, exciting. Watching this crowd of overpaid wankers ‘in the nets’ with their exagerated stances for the cameras (is it panache or elan?) makes me squirm.
Give me someone like Roger Federer anyday. Now there is a sportsman and not some stuck up adult playing a kids game.

Mick P says:

05:06pm | 07/01/10

Really look forward to our “boys in blue” with the barmy army next year. As many have said why cant the police carry this “ZERO TOLERANCE” attitude to the street 365 days a year??
Even stranger to me is the behaviour that police and the nazi security personell were throwing people out ffor is encouraged during the T20 games. It’s not test cricket killing the game, it’s the wowser minority like the SCG trust who think THEY own the game.Afraid not, the public owns it.. The SCG trust should be on notice at the number of games being moved away from their ground and moving west to Homebush

Soot says:

01:11pm | 08/01/10

Simple solution folks…don’t go to the Cricket! All it would take is for the fans to black ban one game and the authorites would think again about their heavy handed policing of fun.

Benny says:

07:13pm | 09/01/10

Same at the WACA mate. Its stopped me from going.