Abhi Dawar

Football Fans Mourn Charlie Barlow, The Founder Behind Barmy Flags

Football Culture, Manchester United, Old Trafford

From giant tifo displays to handcrafted banners stitched in living rooms, football flags are the lifeblood of supporter culture across the world, no matter what league a team competes in.

For many fans, these flags are something far more than just pieces of stitched fabric.

They are symbols of identity, pride and belonging. Whether displayed in the stands of a packed Premier League stadium or unfurled at a small non-league ground, they serve as a visual depiction of love and loyalty that connects generations of supporters.

If football flags are the heartbeat of supporter culture, then Charles Barlow was one of the finest craftsmen who kept that heart beating for over 30 years.

Charles ‘Barmy Charlie’ Barlow with a Manchester United flag

Charles Barlow, famously known as ‘Barmy Charlie of Barmy Flags’ among regular matchday goers and football supporters, sadly passed away on November 14, 2025. 

Barlow suffered a heart-attack whilst in the gym and was attended to almost immediately by the staff there. He was then sedated and put in intensive care for further analysis.

After an old brain injury left the frontal part of his brain showing no activity, Barlow was moved into end-of-life comfort care. 

With recovery no longer possible, his family chose to let him pass away peacefully, a decision Barmy Flags later shared on social media.

The news sent a shockwave throughout football supporters across the UK, as Barmy Flags are responsible for making majority of the flags present at Old Trafford during matchdays, as quoted by many supporters online.

Barlow could usually be seen on the famous SMBW (Sir Matt Busby Way), a street right outside Old Trafford, during matchdays.

How Charlie made Barmy Flags a household name in football

Barmy Flags is based in Saddleworth, a picturesque rural civil parish residing within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester. 

The flag designers have been a cornerstone of British football supporter culture since its founding in 1993.

Over the past three decades, what started as a small grassroots business, the Mancunian football flag designers have built a very strong reputation for producing high-quality, custom-made flags for football fans across the United Kingdom.

Although Charlie Barlow, the founder of Barmy Flags, was a lifelong Manchester United supporter, his personal allegiance for the Red Devils never limited his professional reach. 

Throughout his career, he proudly designed and crafted flags for supporters of clubs up and down the country, from the top flight of the Premier League to the lower divisions of English football tiers, treating each commission with the same passion and attention to detail.

Barmy Flags even received orders from official football clubs, one being Chelsea, who ordered a custom rectangular tifo for the Matthew Harding Stand at Stamford Bridge for a Premier League clash against Manchester United.

Widely regarded as a legendary figure within the English football community, Barlow is believed to have created more than 10,000 flags during Barmy Flags’ 30-year and counting run. 

From the Premier League clubs to Non-League clubs, England to Scotland or Wales, Charlie’s work catered all audiences to display their loyalties through his work, which not only decorated stadiums but also became a vital part of matchday traditions and football gatherings, cementing his legacy as a true icon of supporters’ culture across the UK.

Our love and thoughts go out to the Barlow family and everyone at Barmy Flags during this difficult time.

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