"Alright lads, let's have a warm-up." Arthur called, the cross of St. George tied around his neck. The man next to him put a trumpet to his lips, and the sea of Englishmen in pink shirts around them began to sing.
"The Aussies love the English, you might find it quite strange
'Cos we sent them all down under, with only balls and chains
And when they see the English, they always shout and scream
But when they had the chance to vote they voted for the Queen!"
Arthur grinned and closed his eyes, savouring this moment.
"God save your gracious Queen
Long live your noble Queen
God save your Queen (you're a convict)
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over you
God save your Queen."
Click.
Arthur's eyes snapped open to see a cameraphone in front of him, Australian grinning as he held it.
"Pink is def your colour, mate. Reckon Freddie'd like ta see?" Robbo smirked.
"Don't you dare even thi-"
"Facebooked it."
Arthur scowled at his former colony. Robbo just grinned wider.
"I did half-think you might've worn pink too, you know. For Jane."
Robbo made a face. "Wouldn't catch me dead in a pink shirt, Artie." He sat down right across the stairs from Arthur, among a sea of green and gold afros and sombreros. Arthur turned back to the trumpeter.
"Everywhere we go, on three!"
"Everywhere we go
Everywhere we go
The people want to know
The people want to know
Who we are
Who we are
Where we come from
Where we come from
Shall we tell them
Shall we tell them
Who we are
Who we are
Where we come from
Where we come from
We are the England
We are the England
The Mighty Mighty England
The Mighty Mighty England
We are the Army
We are the Army
The Barmy Barmy Army
The Barmy Barmy Army"
Robbo sat through the display with an amused grin on his face. They were nothing if not entertaining, and, he had to admit, it wouldn't really feel like an Ashes test without them. As the song finished, Arthur turned back to look at Robbo with a triumphant grin. Robbo, in turn, looked away to grin at the Australian fans.
"Aussie Aussie Aussie!
Oi Oi Oi!
Aussie Aussie Aussie!
Oi Oi Oi!
Aussie!
Oi!
Aussie!
Oi!
Aussie Aussie Aussie!
Oi Oi Oi!"
"Just one chant? I had hoped you would be able to come up with more than that." Arthur said.
"Don't need more when you've got one that's perfect." Robbo countered. "But, if you say I need another, I can think of somethin'."
"Farewell to old England forever
Farwell to my rum culls as well
Farewell to the well-known Old Bailee
Where I once used to cut such a swell
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i ay
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
For we're bound for Botany Bay
There's the captain as is our commander
There's the bo'sun and all the ship's crew
There's the first and the second class passengers
Knows what we poor convicts go through
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i ay
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
For we're bound for Botany Bay
'Taint leaving Old England we cares about
'Taint 'cos we misspells wot we knows
But becos all we light finger'd gentry
Hop's around with a log on our toes
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i ay
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
For we're bound for Botany Bay
Oh had I the wings of a turtle-dove
I'd soar on my pinions so high
Slap bang to the arms of my Polly love
And in her sweet presence I'd die
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i ay
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
For we're bound for Botany Bay
Now all my young Dookies and Duchesses
Take warning from what I've to say
Mind all is your own as you touch-es-es
Or you'll find us in Botany Bay
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i ay
Singin' too-rall-i oo-rall-i addity
For we're bound for Botany Bay"
Arthur huffed and crossed his arms. "Ungrateful git."
Several hours later, after a more exciting morning than usual, the Australians were on their feet cheering a hat-trick. Arthur sat low in his seat, looking straight forward. He could feel the concrete stands vibrating.
He wasn't going to look at Robbo.
He wasn't going to acknowledge him.
He peeked.
His eyes went wide.
"…Bruce?"
"Nigel! Wasn't that a beaut?"
"No, I mean, well, yes, I suppose it was, but…" Arthur snorted. "Your boxers." Robbo had been bouncing around madly and Arthur had clearly the band of his boxers.
Robbo blinked. "Whadda 'bout 'em?"
"They're pink, you goose! I thought you said you wouldn't be caught dead wearing pink!"
"Nope."
"…What do you mean, 'nope'?"
Robbo's grin grew mischievous. "I said I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a pink shirt. It takes a real man to wear pink boxers."
Arthur blinked. Then he smiled.
"'Sides," Robbo said, looking away. "'S for Jane."
Arthur watched as his former colony sat down. "It was a wonderful hat-trick. Happy birthday to him." Robbo looked around in surprise. "But none of your boys have birthdays tomorrow. Don't get too excited, lad!" Arthur said with a grin. Robbo matched it and held his plastic beer cup aloft.
"To a good game, mate!" he said. Arthur knocked his own cup against the other's.
"To the best game!"
Author's Notes:
"But when they had the chance to vote they voted for the Queen!" - In 1999 Australia had a referendum as to whether it should leave the Commonwealth and become a republic, to which Australia voted no.
"I did half-think you might'v worn pink too, you know. For Jane" - Jane McGrath was the English wife of Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath. She died in 2008 from breast cancer. In 2007 the McGrath's set up the McGrath foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to raising money to fund more Breast Care Nurses in rural and regional Australia and educate young women to become 'breast aware'. Glenn has continued the work of Jane in her memory. The foundation has so far raised over $12 million. The second day of the Boxing day Test match has since become 'Jane day', and fans attend the match dressed in pink. In the 2010 Ashes series, the English fans, instead of their usual red and white, came in pink shirts in support of the McGrath foundation.
They were nothing if not entertaining, and, he had to admit, it wouldn't really feel like an Ashes test without them. - The Ashes is a series of five cricket Test matches (Test matches are games that go for 4-5 days) between Australia and England approximately every eighteen-thirty months, alternating between the two countires hosting. It's called the Ashes because, in 1882, the Australian team beat the English team for the first time, and the English were so depressed one English newspaper printed an obituary for English cricket, saying "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". The following Engish tour of Australia was then called "the quest to regain The Ashes". Whilst in Melbourne on that tour, a group of Australian women presented the English captain with a small urn containing probably the ashes of a cricket ball. It is probably the fiercest sporting rivalry between Australia and England, but also a friendly one.
Several hours later, after a more exciting morning than usual, the Australians were on their feet cheering a hat-trick. - A hat-trick is when a bowler gets out three batsmen on three consecutive balls.
"Nigel! Wasn't that a beaut?" - An in-joke between English and Aussies - all Englishmen are called 'Nigel' and all Aussie blokes are called 'Bruce'. Even funnier to me because my Australia's first name actually is Bruce, but pretty much every guy in Australia has a nickname that everyone knows him by and calls him, to the point where you might not remeber what his real name actually is.
I wrote this actually sitting in the stands watching the Ashes. The atmosphere there was really great, even if I was sitting right above the Army XD