Ashes seats free as England collapse disappoints fans

They unleashed below-the-belt insults on the Australians to get under their skin as The Ashes got underway last week.

But as English wickets tumbled and their chances of winning the first test in Brisbane evaporated, the Barmy Army were silenced – or not there at all.

Photos from day four of the match on Sunday show hundreds of empty seats around the Gabba as many disappointed fans took off home early.

English fans left thousands of seats empty in Brisbane as their team collapsed to be within 56 runs of losing the first Ashes test on Sunday

English supporters had plenty to be disheartened about as the match went from a close affair to a demolition as the day went on.

They began the day at 2 for 33 with star batsman Joe Root at the crease but quickly collapsed to be all out for 195 well before stumps.

Australia, set a target of 170 to win, were within minutes of victory when play ended, scoring 114 without losing a single wicket.

The depressing day saw the stands emptied, giving a few tired supporters room to stretch out across several seats for a nap.

The depressing day saw the stands emptied, giving a few tired supporters room to stretch out across several seats for a nap

The depressing day saw the stands emptied, giving a few tired supporters room to stretch out across several seats for a nap

A pair of Australian fans can't believe their luck to have no neighbours in the half-empty stadium

A pair of Australian fans can’t believe their luck to have no neighbours in the half-empty stadium

But it wasn’t just disappointed English fans as only 20,000 tickets were sold for the 42,000 capacity ground and 1,000 of those didn’t even show up.

The scene was much different to the earlier days that saw thousands of English fans flood the oval to cheer the tourists on.

The notoriously loud army got personal in their chants with jabs at Australian players, and even Candice Warner, wife of vice captain David Warner.

‘Davie Warner is over the hill, Came second to Sonny Bill,’ they bellowed in reference to Ms Warner’s infamous toilet tryst in a Sydney bar with cross-code star Sonny Bill Williams.

The scene was much different to the earlier days that saw thousands of English fans flood the oval to cheer the tourists on

The scene was much different to the earlier days that saw thousands of English fans flood the oval to cheer the tourists on

The notoriously loud army got personal in their chants with jabs at Australian players, and even Candice Warner, wife of vice captain David Warner

The notoriously loud army got personal in their chants with jabs at Australian players, and even Candice Warner, wife of vice captain David Warner

'Davie Warner is over the hill, Came second to Sonny Bill,' they bellowed in reference to Ms Warner's infamous toilet tryst in a Sydney bar with cross-code star Sonny Bill Williams

‘Davie Warner is over the hill, Came second to Sonny Bill,’ they bellowed in reference to Ms Warner’s infamous toilet tryst in a Sydney bar with cross-code star Sonny Bill Williams

The supporter group took another low-blow towards Warner, addressing his punch-up with England cricket captain Joe Root in 2013.

Root reportedly held a wig to his face, mocking South Africa’s star batsman Hashim Amla, which angered Warner who is a close friend of the devout Muslim cricket star.

‘He’ll only pick a fight with men in a wig, When he opens his gob, We think he’s a kn*******b, With Root our captain we’ll take the urn home,’ the Barmy Army anthem reads.

Cricket Australia responded by spreading the 4,000 Barmy Army members around the stands on Saturday to make it harder for them to chant as a combined unit. 

They have provided the soundtrack to the Ashes series for decades, but CA have evidently reacted to their increasingly degrading tactics

They have provided the soundtrack to the Ashes series for decades, but CA have evidently reacted to their increasingly degrading tactics

Australia, set a target of 170 to win, were within minutes of victory when play ended, scoring 114 without losing a single wicket led by Warner and Cameron Bancroft (pictured)

Australia, set a target of 170 to win, were within minutes of victory when play ended, scoring 114 without losing a single wicket led by Warner and Cameron Bancroft (pictured)

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