Australia’s most vocal home supporter bays have been infiltrated by England’s Barmy Army, and local cricket fans furious.
A record crowd of 93,442 crammed into the MCG for the first day of the annual Boxing Day Test, a huge achievement considering Australia has already wrapped the Ashes series up 3-0.
The travelling English contingent arrived early in Melbourne, determined to cheer their side to a consolation victory.
And they got under the skin of Aussie cricket fans early, by filing up Bay 13 with England supporters and their flags.
Bay 13 at the MCG is significant in cricket because it has long been the ground’s most famous – and infamous – supporter section, particularly during Ashes and Boxing Day Test matches.
Traditionally located in the Great Southern Stand, Bay 13 became known from the 1970s and 1980s onward as the home of the loudest, most partisan Australian fans, many of whom attended every day of the Test.
England supporter group the Barmy Army took over the MCG for the Boxing Day Test, including Bay 13
Bay 13 is the iconic part of the MCG where Aussie fans have gathered over the years, including sharing this iconic moment with Merv Hughes
The bay built a reputation for constant chanting, humour, heckling and coordinated crowd behaviour that often set the tone for the entire stadium, especially when England were fielding or batting.
‘Cricket australia selling bay 13 to the barmy army has really dampened any atmosphere at the Boxing Day test, massively disappointing,’ one commented.
Another added: ”Australians getting jousted from Bay 13 is beyond disgraceful.
‘Allocating Bay 13 to the Barmy Army is the reason the Aussies can’t bat today,’ another said with seveal laughing emojis.
Bay 13 at the MCG has been at the centre of several controversial moments that shaped its reputation in Australian cricket folklore.
Merv Hughes’ famous Bay 13 moment came when fans repeatedly yelled ‘stretch it, Merv’ as he warmed up near the boundary at the MCG.
Hughes leaned into the heckling, exaggerating his stretches directly in front of the crowd and turning the exchange into a running joke.
The moment became part of Boxing Day Test folklore, symbolising the close relationship between Australian players and Bay 13.
While Bay 13 has a history of strong, parochial supporters, there have also been a series of alcohol fueled unsavoury incidents as well
Aussies were not happy to learn the English Barmy Army had taken over the iconic supporters bay
However, known for its loud, partisan support, the bay often pushed the boundary between witty banter and outright hostility.
Over the years, visiting teams, particularly England, became regular targets of relentless heckling that sometimes unsettled players and drew complaints from officials.
Alcohol-fuelled behaviour amplified the atmosphere, with chanting and taunts often dominating televised broadcasts during Boxing Day Tests.
One of the most serious incidents occurred during the 2018 Boxing Day Test, when racially charged chants aimed at Indian supporters led to multiple evictions and widespread backlash.
That episode marked a turning point, forcing cricket authorities to confront where crowd ‘tradition’ crossed into unacceptable conduct.
Bay 13 was also infamous for coordinated booing of opposition players, especially during tense Ashes moments, which divided opinion between fans who saw it as theatre and those who viewed it as poor sportsmanship.
