Gargi Raut at Edgbaston
Flintstones with Nike shoes, an inflatable pig being chased by men dressed in a butcher costume, dhol, banter and creative costumes. There is never a dull day in the Eric Hollies Stand, known for its colour. The people sitting there have a huge responsibility to uphold. No matter what is happening in the game, the Hollies stand is a major source of entertainment in itself. A standalone piece of culture and unity.
As you walk through the stands, you come across people dressed in costumes you might not even have thought about. To name a few, Waldo from ‘Where’s Waldo?’, Knights, Jack Sparrow, lifeguards, sharks, bees and even various kinds of fruits and vegetables. But the real fun lies in the banter between Indian and English fans. While the English fans try to drown the stadium in the chants of “Barmy army…barmy army”, coupled with a trumpet, the Indian fans have also innovated their own songs and cheers.
In the third session of Day 3, Mohammad Siraj unleashed a fiery spell, wiping out the English tail. After England controlled the first two sessions, thanks to some brilliant batting by Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, India finally made a strong comeback. A burst from Akash Deep and Siraj resulted in a mini-collapse of the lower order with Siraj picking up three wickets, all golden ducks. While the Indian fans had been somewhat quiet the entire day, they finally had a chance to get back at their English counterparts.
As Siraj picked up the wickets, the crowd erupted in a roar. Immediately, there was silence from the English crowd and the Indian fans were quick to grab the opportunity and mock them with a chant that said: “Where’s your barmy army now?” While the sound of dhol and trumpets engulfed the Hollies stand, English fans were left shaking their heads. The Indians did not stop there, the chant quickly turned into another song—”England get battered everywhere they go?” – to a tune that was honestly catchy and left the English fans yelling “Rubbish!” But fans knew that it was all in good fun.
To understand the culture better, I asked one of the large group dressed as a Flintstone about the significance of the costume, to which he replied with a chuckle: “You know what? I have no clue! We just try to get as creative with the costumes as possible”. Another fan told me that the aim here is to stand out. “I just go to costume store and ask them to give me a costume that is unique and will make me stand out.”
In the end, the Eric Hollies Stand is about people. It’s about friends dressing up for a laugh, strangers becoming mates over a shared chant, and fans from both sides swapping banter with a wink and a smile. There’s a warmth to it all, even in the middle of the chaos. You might come for the cricket, but it’s the characters, the noise, the sheer joy of it all that stays with you. It’s a reminder that sport, at its heart, is about connection. And in the Hollies, that connection is loud, proud, and absolutely unforgettable.
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