Keep your distance

An unfortunate coincidence, but the day after CMJ wrote in The Times about the extraordinarily rude measures that England's security men are taking to keep the public away from the players at their friendly match in Sri Lanka, an e-mail was sent out by the ECB, trying to drum up membership of the official England Supporters Club (a snip at £45).

"We have managed to repackage our offering in a way that you will appreciate, allowing you to get much closer to the England team," the e-mail says. Just so long as you stay on your side of the fence and don't dare to ask for autographs at a friendly match...

Why are England so terrified of engaging with their fans? I can understand a distance being kept at the Tests, when their focus should be on the game, but surely the whole point of tour matches is for fans to meet their heroes and get autographs? I well remember as a youngster being able to go and shake hands with guys like Malcolm Marshall or Kepler Wessels during intervals at tour matches against Essex.

One of the nicest players I met was Hansie Cronje, who I saw as a 16-year-old when South Africa came to Chelmsford. "Will Essex beat you?" I asked. "Sure, kid," he said. "Slip me a tenner and consider it done."

(Hat-tip for the e-mail to the esteemed photographer Graham Morris)

Comments

[Angus]

Were you called as a witness at Cronje's trial?