The Ultimate Guide to the Marylebone Cricket Club Tie

Well, let me tell ya somethin’ about this Marylebone Cricket Club tie, or whatever them fancy folks call it. I ain’t no expert on cricket, mind you. Never held one of them bats or whatever they use. But I know a thing or two about ties, seein’ as how my old man used to wear one to church every Sunday. This here tie, it’s somethin’ special, I reckon.

Folks say it’s all silk, made by some company, Castells of Oxford, they call ’em. Sounds foreign, don’t it? They say it’s from the 1960s or maybe even older. That’s a long time ago, even for an old woman like me. It’s a slim tie, not one of them wide ones like my husband used to wear. Them wide ones, they just got in the way, especially when he was eatin’. Always got sauce all over ’em.

• Now, this Marylebone Cricket Club, they got their own colors, see? Red and yellow.
• Some folks call it “egg and bacon,” which is funny, ’cause I do love me some bacon in the mornin’.
• But this tie I seen, it ain’t just red and yellow. It’s navy blue, with a little gold and red logo thingy. MCC, they call it.

Heard tell this tie ain’t for just anybody. You gotta be one of them fellas who plays for the club, or represents ’em or somethin’. It’s exclusive, like them fancy shops in the city where they charge ya an arm and a leg for a loaf of bread. You know the type.

Now, if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one of these ties, you gotta take care of it. Don’t go yankin’ on it like you’re pullin’ a stubborn mule. You gotta untie it gentle-like, the same way you tied it. Otherwise, you’ll tear it up, and then what good is it? Just a piece of fancy cloth, that’s what.

Some other ties, they got different designs. Heard about a “city” design, and some others with the red and yellow colors. You can even buy ’em online these days, or go to some fancy store in Savile Row. Never been there myself. Too much hustle and bustle for me. I like it quiet, where I can hear the birds singin’ and the wind blowin’ in the trees.

This Marylebone Cricket Club, they used to be the big cheeses in the cricket world, apparently. Had a say in everything that happened. Still got some pull, I hear. And they got this club, Lord’s, named after some fella, Thomas Lord. Sounds like a good man, I guess. Always respected a man who could get somethin’ named after him.

They got all sorts of rules and laws about cricket, and this club, they were the ones who wrote ’em down. Must be important stuff, I reckon, though I can’t make heads or tails of it. All them wickets and runs and whatnot. Confusin’ as a dog with two tails.

Now, this one fella, Stephen Fry, he’s a bigwig at the club, the president or somethin’. He said somethin’ about this tie bein’ different from some other club’s tie. The Garrick Club, they got a salmon and cucumber tie, and you can wear it anywhere, he said. But this MCC tie, it’s special, see? It means somethin’. It says you’re part of somethin’ exclusive.

And that’s about all I know about this Marylebone Cricket Club tie. It’s a fancy piece of cloth, made for fancy folks who play a fancy game. But it’s more than just a tie, ain’t it? It’s a symbol, like a flag or a badge. It says you belong. And in this world, belongin’ is a powerful thing. So if you ever see a fella wearin’ one of these ties, you know he’s somebody. At least in the cricket world, anyway.

And another thing, you gotta keep these ties clean, ya hear? Ain’t nobody wanna see a tie all stained and wrinkled. It’s like showing up to church with your shoes covered in mud. Makes a bad impression, it does. So you treat that tie with respect, just like you would treat anythin’ important. It ain’t just a piece of cloth; it’s a sign of who you are and what you stand for, even if I don’t quite understand it all.