New look for England Cricket's Barmy Army

The Barmy Army, acknowledged as England Cricket's number one supporters' group, has unveiled a new logo which no longer includes the Cross of St George to reflect the fact that its fan base comes from all parts of the United Kingdom.

The Barmy Army’s newly-appointed Managing Director Chris Millard says: “The English flag has been on our logo ever since the Barmy Army was formed more than 20 years ago. We are extremely proud of our flag and you can be rest assured you will still see us waving it passionately in the ground. We now feel the time is right for a subtle change as our membership comes from all corners of the United Kingdom — we have a fair few Scottish, Welsh and Irish fans coming together to support the England team and therefore we feel we need a logo that is inclusive to all.”

Chris, who was formerly the Barmy Army’s Operations Director, adds: “We’ve given this a great deal of thought and have ultimately decided it’s time for a fresh look to modernize and move the Barmy Army company forward to keep pace with the digital age. Our re-branding is all about showing that our fan base extends beyond England but you can be assured our fabulous members will continue to be as passionate and supportive of our team as they always have.”

Indeed, the Barmy Army has received plaudits from across Australia following the recent Ashes series. Says Chris: “I have received letters from the Lord Mayors of cities where England played this winter all praising our behaviour and our contribution to this great game.”

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane Graham Quirk said: “Test cricket certainly would not be the same without the atmosphere provided by the Barmy Army. While the overall result was in our favour, I acknowledge the good-natured banter provided by the Barmy Army throughout the series. I also commend the Barmy Army for raising funds for charities during the 2017/18 Ashes Tour.”

The Lord Mayor of Adelaide Martin Haese said: “It is a pleasure to see passionate sporting fans such as the Barmy Army supporting their team through high spirits and entertaining banter, creating a great atmosphere for all in attendance. The Barmy Army is also to be complimented on their wonderful charity efforts where funds have been raised for numerous international causes. I wish the English cricket team all the best (outside of any matches against Australia) and I look forward to the presence of the Barmy Army once again in 2021 during The Ashes Tour.”

The Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said: “I commend the Barmy Army on setting an example of friendship and true sportsmanship. As Ricky (Ponting) said, the Barmy Army is a wonderful band of supporters of the England team. I congratulate you also on your outstanding international charity work, and on your contribution to the culture and enjoyment of the great game of cricket. Thank you for the memories.”

Says Chris: “The comments from the Lord Mayors in Australia underpin what the Barmy Army stands for — that sports fans can support their team with passion and fun while being respectful to their opponents and their hosts. We like to think that England Cricket’s Barmy Army is an example to other sports supporters that you can cheer on your side loudly and passionately with good natured banter. At the end of the day, whether we at home or abroad, we are all ambassadors for our country and the way we behave reflects on us all.”

Paul Burnham, former Managing Director and co-founder of the Barmy Army, is taking a step back from the business but will continue to work with Chris to develop the Barmy Army brand. The new arrangement also sees the Barmy Army move its headquarters from Middlesex to Sheffield — home town of current England Cricket Captain Joe Root.

Paul says: “It’s been an incredible journey over the past 23 years since we formed the Barmy Army and it is now time to try and take the organisation on to the next level. I truly believe that England’s fantastic cricket fans are a great example of the correct way to support your team. I’m keen to see the Barmy Army engaging with schools and cricket clubs around the UK in the future to promote how to have great fun watching sport without engaging in bad behaviour and being disrespectful to rival supporters. It’s all about humour and sportsmanship…even when you are losing.”

Great Branding Company- Europe’s Leader in Sports Merchandise
The removal of the St George’s flag will see the introduction of the Barmy Army crest which may have elements of the St Georges flag in and is due to be unveiled later this summer. The Barmy Army has formed a partnership with Great Branding Company who will be running Barmy Army merchandise in the UK over the next four years. They are Europe’s leader in Sports Merchandise and for 17 years have been the official supplier to Adidas, Reebok, Warrior & hold exclusive UEFA rights for UEFA, Champions League and FIFA World Cup 2018.

Chris says: “Great Branding are a fantastic company and it is a pleasure to be partnered with them for the next four years. I am excited about what is in store for our journey together. We have been working on this project for the last five months and cannot wait to show you over the next few months the great new merchandise we will have on offer.’

Pino Grillo, Managing Director of Great Branding says: “We are delighted to welcome BA to the world of Great Branding and very excited to launch new collections of official Licenced Products to worldwide followers”.

For more information on the Barmy Army visit: www.barmyarmy.com
You can also visit the new webstore for new products at: https://barmyarmy.com/shop/
For Great Branding Company visit: www.greatbranding.com

About the Barmy Army
The Barmy Army is a limited company originally set up to make watching cricket fun and more popular. It was founded during the 1994-95 Ashes series when Australian Media dubbed followers of the England team the ‘Barmy Army’ for travelling so far in the near-certain knowledge their team would get beaten — but carrying on to loudly support England even when they were losing. Paul Burnham, a former British Airways executive and one of the fans on that tour, created clothing bearing the Barmy Army name as mementos. After selling nearly 2,000 items in 20 days he and co-founders David Peacock and Gareth Evans trademarked the term. The Barmy Army, which now has 2,500 First Class members, over 18,000 subscribers and more than 235,000 followers on social media, organises overseas tours for supporters through its Barmy Travel operation.

Media Contact:
Chris Millard: Tele: +44 (0) 7966913213; email: chris@brmyarmy.com

PAUL SMITH ASSOCIATES
3rd May 2018