Chris Millard: The Barmy Army Story
The Barmy Army started 2020 by celebrating their 25th birthday, ended the summer with official recognition from the England captain but will see out the year, like so many of us, ‘battening down the hatches’ for a difficult 2021.
The story of this supporters’ group is well-known. Paul Burnham, Gareth Evans and David Peacock were part of a cluster of doughty fans watching Mike Atherton’s men slide to another inglorious Ashes defeat in Adelaide in the winter of 1994/95. They sang and drank with gusto, seemingly oblivious to the score, the opposition or the need for sun-block. The Australian press branded them “the Barmy Army”, a name that the trio were shrewd enough to copyright in the UK and Australia. They printed and sold 100 T-shirts with their new name. By the next Test, they would need 3,000. Since then, the Barmy Army have followed England though thin, thinner and occasionally ‘thick’, providing loud, passionate support from the stands. Outwardly they conform to the stereotype of the travelling English sports fan, however, their ethos has always been different. Aware of their behaviour and self-policing, they have raised £500,000 for charities in the countries they visit. Their funds helped to rebuild a Sri Lankan village destroyed by a tsunami. It was renamed in the group’s honour.
Managing director Chris Millard told the Barmy Army story to Sports Content Strategy - its past, its Covid-hit present and how it is trying to shape the future of international cricket supporting.
TOPICS
The original story of the Barmy Army
The tour of Australia in 1994/95
The culture of positivity and the notion of self-policing
Chris Millard
Hoggy’s Rules - the code of conduct
The streaker in Sri Lanka
The Barmy Army trumpeter and 'Barmy's got Talent'
The entertainment and atmosphere - how much is organic?
The tour business side of the Barmy Army
“We are part of the occasion and the economics of the game”
The criticism of the corporatisation and being against the spirit of the game
Covid and the travel industry
The difference between the many cricketing countries they visit
The charity works and the events outside the cricket
The relationship between the England team and the Barmy Army
The use of the Barmy Army as a playing tool for the team
The Fanatics (Australia) and the Bharat Army (India) - the response to the Barmy Army
How supporter groups could work to even up the power in the game
The secondary ticket market and the problems at the 2019 World Cup
Taking tours to Brazil and Argentina and beyond
His favourite song and why Mitchell Johnson's 'sh*te' bowling breaks an important rule
My Cricket Writing - Columns and Features for the Cricket Paper
