'People keep ribbing me' over the Ashes being over ahead of my trip.

England supporters in Australia

Golden sun, savory pies and iconic stadiums - what more could an Three Lions follower possibly want?

Well, perhaps an contest for the urn in Australia where they remain in contention to reclaim the urn once the opening games are done.

That will not be happening on this occasion, however, after the hosts' dominant triumph in Adelaide left the home side leading three-nil for the fourth successive Ashes series on their own soil.

The loyal traveling fans, England's supporters' group, have 3,000 fans traveling for the last two matches in the SCG and MCG.

There are also organized trips who will celebrate the holidays down under, as well as families and friends heading for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

The Ryding Siblings

The Ryding siblings are among those affected.

The four siblings had their flights and tickets arranged for the fourth and fifth Tests "well ahead of time", anticipating a rare England series success.

Sadly, they've observed Australia dismantle the tourists in just under two weeks from their house in Penwortham, Lancashire.

"Everyone at work has been giving me grief about it being over for the last two weeks," said Sam.

"The hope was that we would have something to play for upon our arrival."

Fading Positivity

Optimism was high about England's chances of ending their 15-year wait for a victory down under ahead of the tour.

But they are now staring down the barrel of prolonging a streak without victory in the country to 19 consecutive Tests when the fourth Test gets under way in Melbourne this week.

The England team - and their supporters - will be hoping to sidestep a dreaded 5-0 scoreline.

One sibling noted the "entertainment" of head coach the positive style of play in the past couple of seasons had "brought fresh energy to" the five-day game for English supporters.

However, the group said they had minimal hopes for the fourth and fifth Tests - and all they are requesting from the players is "some resilience".

"Every pundit references this, but it all hinges on psychological strength. 'Bazball' has been become a phrase now that is just, like, impractical batting," commented another sibling.

"Over the course of five days, you should dig in. Wafting outside 'outside the line has never featured in the fundamentals, and that is mainly the fault the batting lineup."

Looking Ahead

When questioned if he believed England will win a match in this Ashes series, one fan responded: "The evidence suggests the Aussies are just too good currently."

"It will require several individuals that stands up for England and makes a big impact."

Even with the series lost, the siblings are still looking forward to the trip.

"We are going to have a fantastic experience anyway," said Katie. "We must adopt that mindset."

"Obviously it is disappointing we can't contest the series, but we have spent so much money as it is."

"We'll enjoy celebrating the holidays out there. This will be mine and Rory's first time traveling at this time of year."

An educator, Katie is determined to make the most of the 21,000-mile round-trip as part of her seasonal break.

"If all else fails, I've got golf to rely on," Katie concluded.

Stephanie Perez
Stephanie Perez

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering casino trends and strategies.