Lauren Wood spends the day with The Barmy Army and it’s an experience to remember
IT ALL started at a hostel in 1994-95, some 30 backpackers singing some songs, watching some cricket and sinking some beers. The birth of the Barmy Army. Lauren Wood joined them for an unforgettable day at the MCG.
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THEY are the army. The Barmy Army.
They are mental, and they are mad.
Each day in Australia begins the same for the travelling party of English cricket supporters who have become synonymous with the Three Lions.
As the second ball is bowled, “Jerusalem” rings out across the MCG as Josh Hazlewood steams in toward Alastair Cook.
Some are in full voice, raising fists to the sky with eyes closed.
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Some mumble it into their first beer of the day while clearly still shaking off the effects of a few too many the night before. Their best work will come later in the day.
Some just stand and film. It’s special.
The Army first started in 1994-95 as a group of 30 backpackers.
Now, there’s fathers who have toured before returning with sons, entire families, and retired couples “on the trip of a lifetime”.
A day with them is an experience – one that some of them live for almost three months as they follow the team around Australia.
And it’s bigger than David “The General” Peacock – one of the founding members – could have ever imagined.
“It all started spontaneously,” he said.
“We started singing some songs, others joined in.
“We would forward plan which hostels we were going to stay in, which parts of the ground we would sit in, which pubs we would drink in.
“Winning the one in Adelaide (in 1994), all the fans ran onto the pitch, all the players invited us up to the players’ balcony. I don’t think that would ever happen today.
“We were on the balcony … belting out all the songs. We had an impromptu party that night and all the players turned up until the early hours. Now there’s a curfew on the players. There’s certainly not a curfew on the Barmy Army. You roll forward 23 years, still the same things are happening.
“The songs are a hell of a lot better. And it’s a whole cross-section of fans. Now, really, the Barmy Army is probably made up of more people in their 50s and 60s on the trip of lifetime, living the dream as we were then. It’s been brilliant.”
Things took little while to get going, but when skipper Joe Root hit the half-century mark on Thursday, they erupted.
After Root did his wicket, caught by a full-stretch Nathan Lyon, Dawid Malan failed to review when he was dismissed LBW by Hazlewood just before lunch. They were enraged.
He hit it – the hot spot doesn’t lie.
“That’s two now,” one Barmy member fumes, with James Vince having fallen in similar fashion on Day 2.
“Absolute joke. That was a massive edge.”
Another can only exclaim, after an expletive.
“It’s so obvious!,” he cried.
The daily pilgrimage to Richmond’s Precinct Hotel for lunch had plenty of DRS discussion after Malan’s non-review, but then there was Cook, en route to 200.
Cook said the Army’s support has been there “in every tour I’ve ever been on”.
“We are so lucky everywhere we go with the Barmy Army and the English supporting us through thick and thin,” he said.
“They know the efforts we put in. We know a few of them off the field as well ... they’re very proud of their support and we’re very lucky and thankful.”
It’s not just beers, banter and a few questionable costumes. The group also raises tens of thousands of dollars for charity – this year’s being the PCA Benevolent Fund.
It’s a family, first-timer Toby Marriott says. He’s taking care of the mob’s social media this tour, having initially only planned to come Down Under for the first two Tests. He stayed. His voice is gone, but he loves it.
Peacock’s mate Monty was there, too. He was there in 1994-95, and on Thursday was wearing the shirt he bought for $2 in Sydney on that tour. Like him, it’s aged, but his grin and clear elation in Test cricket remained.
A lot has changed in 23 years. Peacock’s 12-year-old son has joined him, and “The General” says that “bringing on the new generation of Barmy Army cadets is ultimately what it’s all about.”
Caleb St Arthur is 25, English and has lived in Sydney for three years. But having been part of seven previous Barmy Army tours, he wasn’t missing this one.
“I’d never done a Boxing Day Test match … it was always a bucket list kind of thing,” he said.
“You sit together, you sing together, you go to the pub afterwards and at lunch. I’ve got friends for life from the Barmy Army.”
Then there’s “The Cage” at the back of the Barmy bays where the football fans fire up at about 4pm, singing and chanting until after play. There’s plenty of police, but it’s mostly all just good fun, with some of the constabulary even joining in song.
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“There’s been great friends made, but there’s so many people coming along on their first tour and just having a brilliant time,” Peacock said.
“Bear in mind we’re 3-0 down, but listening to the singing and hearing everyone having a good time, you wouldn’t know.
“We’ve won twice here in Melbourne and it’s an amazing ground to win at. If we can win here, it would be absolutely superb.”
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