Friday 9 August 2013

Barmy Army looking to give Shane Watson another scare

Barmy Army trumpet player Billy Cooper is planning a special surprise for Australia all-rounder Shane Watson when he comes out to bat the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground.

Watson hit the headlines in 2005 when the Australian side stayed at Lumley Castle ahead of their One Day match against England at Durham.

The all-rounder was reportedly spooked by the ghost of Lily Lumley, who allegedly still haunts the castle to this day. As a result the Barmy Army are preparing their banter ahead of his innings at the Emirates ICG.


Cooper said: "The best tunes we've created this summer were for Agar and Pattinson and they're not playing anymore.

"But, Shane Watson was the one that was freaked out by the ghosts in Lumey Castle. So I'll be doing Ghostbusters for him or Phantom of the Opera or Rentaghost."

Billy is relishing giving the Aussies some stick after taking years of punishment while traveling with the Barmy Army over the years and is looking to continue that at Durham.

"When I was growing up we were useless against Australia, so we were always getting clobbered by the Aussies. It means a lot for us to beat Australia and now we're reveling in it.

"It's hard to judge the atmosphere at some grounds and it also depends on the acoustics, hopefully we'll make some noise."


Billy, a freelance musician from London, joined the Barmy Army in an unconventional manner when deciding to watch England on their tour of the West Indies in 2004.

"I saved up saved some money to go to the Caribbean, and I took my trumpet out with me, playing it for a living I couldn't go three weeks without playing.

"I lost my trumpet in a taxi and at the Antigua Test match I could hear a noise a bit like a trumpet, I looked through the binoculars sure enough it was my trumpet.

"A member of the Barmy Army, who I didn't know at the time, had picked it up and taken it to the ground. He was trying to get a note out of it, I stormed over say 'that's my trumpet', he said 'prove it by giving us a song. So I played the Great Escape and now I start with that tune wherever we go."

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