Barmy Army

English

Etymology

An English football chant, in which supporters of a team would chant that they were the team manager's "barmy army", was applied to a particularly "barmy" group of supporters who followed the English cricket team to Australia in 1994–95 despite the team being seen as having little prospect of success.

The origin of "Barmy Army" was based on a soubriquet by Leeds United supporters for Howard Wilkinson, the team manager during the late eighties and early nineties. He was known as Sergeant Wilko - a skit on Sergeant Bilko, a well known comedy character portrayed by Phil Silvers a couple of decades earlier, but still at the time on TV. Sergeant Bilko's army became Sergeant Wilko's army, the barmy bit was added because it's Yorkshire and it makes a good chant. It was picked up by other teams, whereupon the Sergeant Wilko bit was dropped. Then by cricket people. The tune is the same though.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Proper noun

the Barmy Army

1. (cricket) An organised group of cricket fans which arranges touring parties of its members to follow the English cricket team on all of its overseas tours.
2. (by extension) The England supporters in other sports, for example those of the England national football team.
   • 2022 November 29, Ian Mitchelmore, “Wales put out of World Cup misery by England as sobering tournament must signal changing of the guard”, in WalesOnline‎^[1]:

     The Barmy Army burst into life, and the sheer numbers of those supporting the Three Lions became evident as the stadium bowl vibrated in tune with their chants.