As 2024 draws to a close, we are reflecting on a hectic twelve months which included cricket, travel, events, retirement, new partnerships, records, Ashes planning and loads more!
We are incredibly grateful for the support the Barmy Army has received from our members, fans and followers this year. Whether you were with us in the stands at a home fixture, joined us on a tour or pridefully adorned some Barmy Army merchandise, you have played a huge part in another memorable year.
So, in no particular order, here are the Barmy Army’s Top 10 moments from 2024…
India Test Tour
Over 100 travel members joined us in India for the Test series against England. Our group visited nine cities during the tour, with some members spending 52 days on the road! We also saw 350 people attend our pre-tour party, with more than £9,000 raised for two amazing charities. And that’s without even mentioning a breathtaking visit to the Taj Mahal!
The ‘Hyderabad Heist’ – which saw Ben Stokes’ side go 1-0 up in the five-match series – is a Test that will live long in the memory of England fans. Evidently, the following four Tests didn’t go to plan, as the Three Lions fell to a 4-1 series defeat. However, the 28-run victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium was certainly a highlight of 2024.
Without a doubt, though, the best part of the India tour was our travel members playing on the pitch in Dharamsala the day after the fifth Test had finished! It was an incredible and unforgettable experience for the travelling Barmy Army contingent and one that played a part in unanimous 5* feedback across the board.
Barmy Army Membership
Membership of the Barmy Army affords fans a wide range of amazing benefits, such as priority access to England tickets, access to great discounts with a wide range of partners and money-can’t-buy opportunities.
We are constantly striving to help our members get the most out of their membership so they can enjoy more time doing what they love – supporting England at home or overseas! Earlier this summer, we launched a brand new Member Rewards Platform – providing access to fantastic deals from over 100 leading cricket, travel, sports, lifestyle, and nutrition brands.
All Barmy Army supporters have access to select offers with the brands we work with. Barmy Army members will get access to an extra level of savings on a host of well-known brands, including Nike, Sixes Cricket, Crocs, The North Face and loads more.
Barmy Bingo
If you’re reading this and have absolutely no idea what we’re talking about, Barmy Bingo is essentially a night of non-stop fun – bingo but with a Barmy twist, all while singing famous cricket songs.
After England’s thrilling cricket matches, the fun doesn’t stop at the stadium! Whether you’ve been cheering on the boys or you’re just looking for a night of laughs and excitement, Barmy Bingo is the place to be. Regardless if you’re a bingo pro or a first-timer, it is the perfect way to spend your evening. We guarantee a night full of cheers, fun, and unforgettable memories.
Our Barmy Bingos have gotten bigger and better since the creation of the popular event during the 2023 Ashes summer. In 2024, we hosted events in Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. All three were incredible, with plenty of laughs and camaraderie. For newcomers, we hope it wets the appetite ahead of a mammoth 2025!
Jimmy’s Retirement
It says a lot about Jimmy Anderson that he simply wanted to be remembered as a “decent” bowler after he ended his legendary England career against West Indies at Lord’s in July. For a man who finished on 704 wickets and third on the all-time list of Test bowlers, the Lancashire great is an incredibly humble guy. His talent and dedication might never be seen again.
Fittingly, after receiving an official ticket allocation for the first time in history, Barmy Army members were in attendance at Lord’s for Jimmy’s send-off. He was given a well-deserved guard of honour by both teams at the beginning of the day, then later appeared on the England balcony as spectators were allowed onto the outfield.
He also had the chance to take the winning wicket – just as his good mate Stuart Broad had done when he himself retired from cricket in the final Ashes Test at The Kia Oval last summer – but he dropped West Indies’ Gudakesh Motie in his follow through! He has since been working as a Bowling Consultant with the Test side and is showing signs of being a more than capable coach.
Successful Summer
As always, the Barmy Army was in attendance at cricket grounds up and down the country to support England – whether that be during the Test series’ or the white-ball showdowns with the Aussies!
With series victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka, Ben Stokes’ side almost delivered a perfect summer, albeit for the defeat to the latter in the final Test match at The Oval. Meanwhile, the white-ball side experienced more of an up-and-down summer – with some impressive showings, but also some underwhelming results and performances.
Regardless, it was amazing to see so many Barmy Army members – new and old – supporting the Three Lions amid a hectic UK schedule. Moreover, as previously mentioned, the Barmy Army made history after receiving an official ticket allocation at Lord’s Cricket Ground for the first time ever, marking a monumental moment for England’s Original Supporter’s Club.
Chance to Shine
The Barmy Army was delighted to announce Chance to Shine as our official charity partner earlier this summer. The collaboration sees two of cricket’s most iconic organisations join forces, raising funds to help inspire more young people to play, learn and develop through cricket.
The partnership also offers a unique platform to highlight the impact of Chance to Shine’s work, with the Barmy Army boasting nearly two million followers across all social media platforms, alongside our extensive membership base.
Fundraising is already underway and we are, as always, incredibly grateful to our loyal supporters and followers for their support with our charity initiatives.
Returning to Pakistan, West Indies & New Zealand
The 2022 tour to Pakistan was special. For the small contingent of travelling fans who witnessed the first Test series England had played there in 17 years – it was just ‘one of those tours’. Admittedly, the series defeat this time around put a bit of a dampener on the 2024 tour, but it was just awesome to be back in the land of biryanis, Afridis and all-round cricketing carnage.
As is often the case with the cricket schedule nowadays, the West Indies white-ball tour began just a matter of days after the Pakistan one had finished. Despite this, it was great to see so many new faces out in the Caribbean to support England. Although it was frustrating to lose the ODI series, the Three Lions were excellent in the T20I series and put on a show for the large travelling contingent.
With the last England vs New Zealand tour in 2023 ending in a pulsating draw, fans were eager to see what the 2024 series between New Zealand and England had in store. Stokes’ men were superb in the opening two Tests and ultimately took an unassailable lead in the series. It was certainly disappointing to lose the third and final Test, but the emergence of Jacob Bethell, the excellence of Harry Brook and the brilliant bowling options ensured it was a tour mostly full of positives!
Joe Root Record Breaker
One of the highlights of the Pakistan tour was being in attendance to see Joe Root overtake Sir Alastair Cook to become England’s highest Test run-scorer of all time, and cement his position as the Three Lions’ greatest ever batter.
Root, who reached the landmark score in 14 Tests fewer than Cook, currently sits fifth on the all-time list and is now only behind India’s Rahul Dravid, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, also of India.
In typical fashion, the 34-year-old was incredibly humble after moving past his former teammate and captain. For Root, the team always comes first and he, more so than anyone, will be frustrated that England came away from Pakistan having lost the series 2-1.
Despite this, being there in Multan to watch him break the record is a memory that will be cherished by those who made the trip to Pakistan.
Finchy Tours Australia
While the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance Ashes series doesn’t get underway for another 11 months, we have been incredibly busy preparing for what promises to be the biggest and best tour in the history of the Barmy Army!
Part of that preparation saw our trumpeter, Finchy, travel around Australia in partnership with Tourism Australia! Our talented musician visited several of the stadiums and a host of famous landmarks Down Under – not going anywhere without his trumpet, of course!
It was amazing to kick off our Ashes campaign in Australia, and it was a privilege to work closely alongside Tourism Australia as we do everything possible to ensure the travelling England contingent has the best experience Down Under.
Ashes Travel Packages
Having read the above, it probably won’t be a shock to hear that demand for Ashes travel packages has been off the scale! We worked incredibly hard to ensure we were offering our travel members the best possible value-for-money packages, and we will continue to do so.
In the first 24 hours since our packages went live, over 1,000 travel members had booked their places. It goes without saying that we are delighted that so many England fans have trusted us to deliver their bucket-list trip Down Under – and we are certain they will enjoy the experience of a lifetime travelling with the Barmy Army.
We understand that tens of thousands of England fans place the Ashes tour at the top of their bucket list but never actually make it out to Oz to live their cricketing dreams. They often find themselves setting the 11.45pm alarm, and after a few hours kip, stumble down the stairs in the dark, cold midwinter to stick the kettle supporting from afar with the worst “I wish I was there” feeling in the world.
Our advice? Don’t dream it, live it.
