MCC ready to welcome Barmy Army to Lord's, but told to leave the trumpet at home

The Barmy Army will make its first appearance at Lord's Stadium. Photo: Getty Images/William West

This summer the Barmy Army will have their first official presence at Lord's, although they will have to leave their trumpet with Grace Gates.

Lord's owned and operated by Marylebone Cricket Club, has become the latest home ground to hand over tickets to the Barmy Army, a fan group known for following England around the world for the past 30 years.

Cricket House has so far resisted allowing them an organized presence at Lord's, but they have been allocated a couple of hundred tickets for each day of the Test against Sri Lanka in August.

MCC says it's a Test, but both The parties hope for a long-term agreement. In many ways, it's no surprise that Lord's is the latest English establishment to recognize the Barmy Army: MCC and Lord's are bastions of gaming tradition, with games accompanied by gentle hums and the popping of champagne corks, while Barmy Army is known for loud shouts in support of the players (and sometimes by drinking beer).

MCC drew the line by allowing Barmy Army regular Simon Finch to throw his trumpet into the ground. The stadium prohibits fans from bringing musical instruments with them. The trumpet has long been a central part of the Barmy Army, firstly thanks to the classically trained Billy Cooper and now Finch, who has performed with the likes of Beyoncé and Blur. Trent Bridge is the only English venue where a trumpet player is not allowed to join the Barmy Army.

The Barmy Army was founded during the 1994-95 Ashes tour and has grown from an intrepid group of 30 tourists to a fan group that can number in the thousands, as well as a cricket tour company.

Chris Millard, Manager director of the Barmy Army, said: “This is a historic moment for the Barmy Army and something we have been striving for in recent years.”

“We are extremely grateful to MCC for placing their trust in the Barmy Army. Army and providing opportunities for loyal Barmy Army members who travel around the world to support England. This is a significant moment in the history of our organization and we look forward to seeing the future of our partnership with the MCC and the historic venue.”

Tickets for the summer Test against Sri Lanka sold out more slowly than others in recent times . Lord's first Test against the West Indies will also be the last Test of legendary English fast bowler Jimmy Anderson, making him the hottest cricket ticket of the summer.