🔗 Share this article Even England's Aggressive Cricket's Implosion, this Loyal Fan Group's Band of Seasoned Tourists Is Unmoved. Courage, soldier. Ben Stokes's team may be heading into the third Ashes Test already 2-0 down, however not all within the England setup is fazed. There is one unit tailor-made for such a situation, a unwavering unit who consider themselves the ultimate experts in defeat. Is optimism crushed? Do you feel the weight beneath the burden of failed hopes? Then it's time, enlist with the Barmy Army. Advance Guard Converge on an Historic Location As we speak, their early arrivals are gathering in Adelaide, the city where they first came together 30 years ago. England's best-known – and by headcount noisiest – tourist followers will be hoping for an celebratory against-all-odds victory, similar to the one they saw on that mid-90s tour. But no matter the outcome on the pitch, off it the revelries will be long and loud. "England's performance been very, very disappointing," one founder concedes, "yet we're the fortunate few, because we're on holiday. It's probably harder for the people at home." Despite a dramatic batting collapse doesn't trouble this group of battle-tested followers. They've been observing England's batting collapse since prior to many current players started playing. They've witnessed more fielding errors than key pacemen have career scalps. Their personal stats as an Ashes touring group is: played 37, lost 27, won 6. If anyone knows how to survive a clean sweep, they are the long-standing fans. A Ever-Present Force At the Ground Indeed, if you're watching, the Barmy Army do seem to be ubiquitous this series. Host broadcasters at the grounds often appear keener to feature the Barmies than on their own fans. TV partners often use them as banter-primed buildup to a day's play. Even the cricketers on the field give them a wave, with a fan dressed as a king leading a chorus of a patriotic song. From Travellers to Institution One could argue that the Barmy Army's mix of history and ubiquity has now obscured quite how extraordinary their takeover of travelling fandom has been. In the early 1990s a handful travelling fans were drawn together in good-natured humour about failure at England's poor away record. In the present day their story is so intertwined with the national team that their boisterous, "unique" crowd is virtually an accepted institution. They've definitely come a great distance since the initial chants. One founding member still remembers the eager expectation of the series start of that pioneering tour. After the Australians on top, he started a modest conga in the stands, provoking the Australian supporters with a tune about historical figures. "The Aussie fans jeered at us, then threw plastic cups – the kind of thing that we still get today," he recalls. "Yet when we got back our little group of England followers had all joined in." Earning Acclaim From Players Following a loss, England's tour suffered more defeats. Any supporter backing the team around the country was considered truly dedicated. By the time the Melbourne and Sydney matches their ranks had swelled to the hundreds. Those on the field, however, genuinely enjoyed their presence at the grounds. When England secured a consolation win, a team captain summoned a supporter up to the victory celebration to lead the celebrations. This connection has endured. An Evolving Institution Additionally, the large crowds the Barmy Army can muster are as attractive to the English game as they are to host grounds. On this tour alone, their organised trips will accommodate thousands of paying travellers. A variety of events are organised for the 30th anniversary. This is, ultimately, an entity born of fan enthusiasm and business acumen. The explanation they date themselves to a specific Test is because that was when they started selling merchandise. The limited early stock was so quickly sold out – and profitable – that it launched a lasting enterprise. From that point, the driving forces have helped turn a pub-based supporters into an respected tour operator. Modern Considerations That brings its own issues, especially at a time when sport is looking to shed some of its lads-lads-lads image. The Barmy Army's management are keen to point out that a sizable minority of their supporters on tour are now women. As times have changed, the songs have had to get cleaner, too. "Comments that were acceptable 30 years ago you cannot utter today, and that's correct," says a spokesperson. "It's not possible to tell someone how to behave within the confines of their seat, but we won't support songs that are offensive." {A Natural Mellowing? Will the Barmy Army become more sedate? The demographic is now approaching middle age – mirroring the original members, who have been pleased to distance themselves from the day-to-day running. One founder is enjoying this tour purely as a punter – leaving young professionals to manage the Barmy Army's digital presence. "You forget how difficult it used to be to organise with each other," he laughs. "We used to do it all by meeting up – 'everyone's going to the pub!'" As for this Ashes series, the faint hope of a historic comeback still lingers, which is very mid-90s indeed. And if England are defeated in Adelaide … well, South Africa next Christmas awaits.
Courage, soldier. Ben Stokes's team may be heading into the third Ashes Test already 2-0 down, however not all within the England setup is fazed. There is one unit tailor-made for such a situation, a unwavering unit who consider themselves the ultimate experts in defeat. Is optimism crushed? Do you feel the weight beneath the burden of failed hopes? Then it's time, enlist with the Barmy Army. Advance Guard Converge on an Historic Location As we speak, their early arrivals are gathering in Adelaide, the city where they first came together 30 years ago. England's best-known – and by headcount noisiest – tourist followers will be hoping for an celebratory against-all-odds victory, similar to the one they saw on that mid-90s tour. But no matter the outcome on the pitch, off it the revelries will be long and loud. "England's performance been very, very disappointing," one founder concedes, "yet we're the fortunate few, because we're on holiday. It's probably harder for the people at home." Despite a dramatic batting collapse doesn't trouble this group of battle-tested followers. They've been observing England's batting collapse since prior to many current players started playing. They've witnessed more fielding errors than key pacemen have career scalps. Their personal stats as an Ashes touring group is: played 37, lost 27, won 6. If anyone knows how to survive a clean sweep, they are the long-standing fans. A Ever-Present Force At the Ground Indeed, if you're watching, the Barmy Army do seem to be ubiquitous this series. Host broadcasters at the grounds often appear keener to feature the Barmies than on their own fans. TV partners often use them as banter-primed buildup to a day's play. Even the cricketers on the field give them a wave, with a fan dressed as a king leading a chorus of a patriotic song. From Travellers to Institution One could argue that the Barmy Army's mix of history and ubiquity has now obscured quite how extraordinary their takeover of travelling fandom has been. In the early 1990s a handful travelling fans were drawn together in good-natured humour about failure at England's poor away record. In the present day their story is so intertwined with the national team that their boisterous, "unique" crowd is virtually an accepted institution. They've definitely come a great distance since the initial chants. One founding member still remembers the eager expectation of the series start of that pioneering tour. After the Australians on top, he started a modest conga in the stands, provoking the Australian supporters with a tune about historical figures. "The Aussie fans jeered at us, then threw plastic cups – the kind of thing that we still get today," he recalls. "Yet when we got back our little group of England followers had all joined in." Earning Acclaim From Players Following a loss, England's tour suffered more defeats. Any supporter backing the team around the country was considered truly dedicated. By the time the Melbourne and Sydney matches their ranks had swelled to the hundreds. Those on the field, however, genuinely enjoyed their presence at the grounds. When England secured a consolation win, a team captain summoned a supporter up to the victory celebration to lead the celebrations. This connection has endured. An Evolving Institution Additionally, the large crowds the Barmy Army can muster are as attractive to the English game as they are to host grounds. On this tour alone, their organised trips will accommodate thousands of paying travellers. A variety of events are organised for the 30th anniversary. This is, ultimately, an entity born of fan enthusiasm and business acumen. The explanation they date themselves to a specific Test is because that was when they started selling merchandise. The limited early stock was so quickly sold out – and profitable – that it launched a lasting enterprise. From that point, the driving forces have helped turn a pub-based supporters into an respected tour operator. Modern Considerations That brings its own issues, especially at a time when sport is looking to shed some of its lads-lads-lads image. The Barmy Army's management are keen to point out that a sizable minority of their supporters on tour are now women. As times have changed, the songs have had to get cleaner, too. "Comments that were acceptable 30 years ago you cannot utter today, and that's correct," says a spokesperson. "It's not possible to tell someone how to behave within the confines of their seat, but we won't support songs that are offensive." {A Natural Mellowing? Will the Barmy Army become more sedate? The demographic is now approaching middle age – mirroring the original members, who have been pleased to distance themselves from the day-to-day running. One founder is enjoying this tour purely as a punter – leaving young professionals to manage the Barmy Army's digital presence. "You forget how difficult it used to be to organise with each other," he laughs. "We used to do it all by meeting up – 'everyone's going to the pub!'" As for this Ashes series, the faint hope of a historic comeback still lingers, which is very mid-90s indeed. And if England are defeated in Adelaide … well, South Africa next Christmas awaits.