Ground selection controversies and spreading the Ashes

IT’S ASHES WEEK. One of the biggest occasions of the sporting year is here, and with it we have a special show unlike any other we’ve done before. The Barmy Army is so influential it has made it into the Oxford Dictionary: to quote…it is a term for a group of passionate, noisy, and dedicated fans who support the English national cricket team, especially during overseas tours. For over 30 years, they’ve built incredible atmospheres by leveraging trumpets, original songs and bucket hats so fashionable they’re found all over Glastonbury. 

But did you know behind this infamous group sits a hugely successful business, with a responsibility to bring the best experiences to the thousands of touring fans under their banner. Chris Millard is the man in charge of the Barmy Army, and in a 6 week period that will no doubt have them front and centre of sports news as 40,000 England fans descend on Australia, we thought it was the perfect time to take a look at the organisation that defines fandom and community. This is a side of the Barmy Army you will not have seen before.

It’s time to build the hype for as we enter the ultimate cricketing Christmas. We’re delighted to welcome Chris to the Business of Sport

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

03:22 What the Barmy Army Has Planned for the Ashes

09:20 What the Barmy Army Is Today

12:15 The Revenue Streams

14:41 How Bazball Has Boosted Test Cricket Demand

16:39 How Touring Groups Collaborate in Cricket

23:39 Did Commercial Growth Threaten the Barmy Army’s Values?

27:07 How Barmy Army Merch & Licensing Works

31:14 How Fan Culture Can Help Strengthen County Cricket

34:20 Why Test Cricket Survives Only in a Few Nations

37:52 How Packed Calendars Impact Player Welfare

43:08 How Iconic Grounds Were Left Off the Ashes List

46:03 Predicting the Ashes Outcome

51:43 The Long-Term Vision for the Barmy Army Business

On today’s show we discuss: 

The Business Behind the Barmy Army:

• How a grassroots fan group founded in 1994 has grown into a multimillion-pound sports business.

• Why the Barmy Army now operates with full-time staff, global partnerships, and a sophisticated travel, merchandise, and events model.

• The operational challenge of managing over 3,500 official tourists, and more than 40,000 fans, on a single Ashes tour.

• How it evolved from a group of England fans into a global movement with over two million social followers.

Partnerships & Governance in Cricket:

• Inside the economics of a modern fan brand. From travel packages to apparel, partnerships, and social media monetisation.

• How collaborations with TNT Sports, retro kit lines, and bespoke tour collections have turned the Barmy Army into a fashion and lifestyle label as much as a supporters’ group.

• The Barmy Army’s evolving relationship with the ECB, from being seen as a rival to becoming an ally and trusted partner.

• How the group now collaborates with governing bodies across the world to influence tour schedules, ticketing, and fan logistics.

Test Cricket, Tourism & the Global Game:

• Why the Barmy Army believes Test cricket is still the sport’s heartbeat and how their tours generate up to $750 million in host-country impact.

• The critical link between tourism, culture, and cricket’s survival, from Barbados to the Ashes.

• The fight to preserve the long-form game amid scheduling chaos and private league dominance.

• The obstacles of perception, access, and tradition when expanding into new territories.

• Why the future of fandom will be driven by authenticity, emotion, and the fans who live the game, not the corporations who sell it.