Barmy Army Trumpeter Billy Cooper Retires
For many, he's the soundtrack to the England cricket team, but Billy Cooper's trumpet will soon be no more. After 16 years of rousing England's fans and players alike with his greatest hits, Cooper, a classically trained musician who can usually be found in cricket grounds the world over, has decided to call it a day. Certainly when it comes to touring anyway, the current Test against South Africa will be his last one in an official capacity.
The Barmy Army paid tribute to the musician on its twitter feed stating, “16 years, 52 tests, Countless Classics. After an incredible stint as our trumpeter we are sad to announce that @billbarmytrump is retiring at the end of this series. Legend.”
Having graduated from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama and subsequently performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company to the West End’s production of Matilda, Bill Cooper’s association with the England cricket team came about purely by chance. In 2004, out in Barbados for the third Test against the West Indies, Bill had to report his blue trumpet stolen after misplacing it. At the next test in Antigua Bill explained, "I didn't have anything to do with the Barmy Army back then, but I heard a noise and I saw it was my trumpet." He approached the members of the Barmy Army about the trumpet, who subsequently asked him to prove it did indeed belong to him, which he did with no trouble at all and it soon led to a "sing-song" with the gang, where Bill met Paul Burnham, one of the founding members of the Barmy Army. "Paul said 'we'd love you to come to South Africa with us for the next Test and we can pay for your flights'," Bill recalls. The rest is history.
His first year with the supporters group began well, with England winning the Ashes in 2005, bringing about one of his proudest memories when victorious skipper Michael Vaughan invited him on stage at Trafalgar Square during the celebrations that followed. It is clear from Vaughan’s reaction to the news of Bill’s retirement on social media just how highly the musician is regarded: “One of England’s best players retires this week ... Well done @billbarmytrump on a fantastic career ... You won’t know how many wickets you have taken but I can say it’s plenty ... Thanks for all the support & creating an amazing atmosphere for many many years.”
Commenting on his decision to retire Bill states, "It's more complicated now, with a wife and kids, but it's good to be going out on a high," as England march towards a series win. He says touring the world with England has become addictive, “You leave behind the winter in England for someone else’s summer, but I don't want to overstay my welcome."
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