Ashes pundits warm to scarf
Reporter: CHRIS LYNHAM
Date published: 22 December 2010
FOR most people, a scarf would be pretty low down the list of items to pack for a trip Down Under, even at this time of year.
No surprise then that Chadderton Park under-10s manager Darren Shaw was chastised by David Gower for taking one along to sweltering Australia!
Wife Liz and son Joel (nine) accompanied Darren on a trip to the Ashes, joining the Barmy Army for the first two Test matches.
They saw it as a perfect opportunity to enter the annual Chadderton Park scarf competition — the challenge is to get the club’s winter warmer pictured with someone or something famous.
Darren explained: “We were staying in the same hotel as the Sky Sports commentary team.
“When we were having breakfast David Gower saw it and said ‘you’ve brought suntan lotion, shorts and a scarf, what’s that about?’ and we were laughing our heads off.
“Next minute, he is posing for a picture and pretending to shiver.
“It just goes to show how much of a good sport he is.
“We had a drink with David Lloyd, who is so down to earth. I read his book on the plane and he signed it for me.
“I had a chat with Michael Vaughan, who is from Manchester originally, and a few minutes later I turned around and Sir Ian Botham was there.
“He was sound too. They were all happy to have their picture taken with the scarf.”
Darren even found time to play for the Barmy Army against Australia’s ‘Fanatics’ supporters in Brisbane.
“They won comfortably,” he said.
“I’m not making excuses but a lot of their lads were Grade One cricketers, which is just below professional level, so we didn’t stand a chance.
“It was good for sledging though. I was fielding, which gave me plenty of opportunities to have a bit of banter with the Aussies.”
Darren believes the spirit shown by the players and pundits he came across demonstrates the difference between cricket and football these days.
“There is a lot of interaction between the current England players and us supporters, which you just don’t see in football.
“We saw them at their hotel and they all said ‘hello’ to Joel.”
