Tickets to the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground will go on sale to the public today and while local demand remains high Cricket Australia is expecting a dip in the number of fans travelling from England.

Four years ago a record 42,000 English fans, including 20,000 members of the Barmy Army, invaded Australia for the five Ashes Tests, won 5-0 by the home side.

But the global financial crisis and the weakness of the pound are expected to be a major deterrent this time.

''One of the main songs we sing is: 'We're fat, we're round, three dollars to the pound','' a Barmy Army spokesman, Paul Burham, told The Guardian newspaper.

''We can't really sing that one any more.''

Mr Burham insisted demand for tickets remained high in England and many sporting fans had been left with a fistful of cash after their country's disappointing exit from the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

''Quite a few people had said they would only be going to the World Cup if England reached the semi-finals. If not they were saving it up for the Ashes,'' he said.

Cricket Australia said that although it expected the number of English fans to be down, thousands would still make the journey and the Barmy Army, as always, would have a notable presence.

''We are still expecting their trumpeter,'' a spokesman, Peter Young, said.

''And we still expect all the noise and colour that is part of the SCG experience.

''But we don't expect 42,000 this time. The exchange rate has made it just so much more expensive.''

Pre-sale tickets for those who signed up to be part of the Australian Cricket Family went on sale last week and there had been strong interest, particularly for the Sydney Test.

Mr Young said while general admission prices remained unchanged from the last England tour, cricket purists were opting for the premium seats.

He said the first two days of the Sydney Test, which begins on January 3, were expected to sell out quickly.