Bad behaviour highlights loss of silent witness

The Daily Telegraph's Michael Henderson, who had a pop at crowd behaviour at Old Trafford last week, widens his brief and lambastes the way that crowds approach cricket-watching. While the first half of his article is about football, he then turns to cricket, quoting one spectator:

"My family were appalled by what went on at Old Trafford," writes Graham Phipp, of Little Sutton, Wirral, noting the drunkenness, shouting, endless standing-up, and constant use of beer trays (and anything else that came to hand) as missiles. Also (and why is nobody not surprised?), the inability of stewards to do anything about it. Mr Phipp has written to the Lancashire club, outlining the many incidents that marred his family's day, and has asked for his money back.

Phipp continues: “There isn't the will in the England and Wales Cricket Board and the media to do so, except by the management at Lord's. It seems to be the culture these days … to glorify much of this appalling activity as necessary and appropriate fun! Perhaps we have to wait for a major fight to break out or for someone to get seriously hurt by flying debris before something is done."