The term “seasonal fan” is a rather derogatory one that resurfaces every four years in Bangladesh whenever the World Cup is being played. Which begs the question, what is the opposite of “seasonal fan”? Is it “professional fan” or “regular fan”? Perhaps, “year-round fan”?
Never mind what the proper term is, there is extreme in both, and during the World Cup tournaments, fans of both types have a go at each other as if they are the ones who are playing on the pitch. Which is nice if you think that it is an expression of their passion. On the other hand, the arguments often turn ugly, and then it’s just yet another silly fight for people to cringe at.
A seasonal fan is someone who does not follow football in general, but they become a fan during the World Cup tournament. Which is fine because the football World Cup is literally a worldwide phenomenon and is the biggest sporting event on the planet. However, these fans are super sensitive, highly emotional and show too much enthusiasm.
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Photo: Mehedi Hasan
This can be explained by the fact that they are only fans for a month once every four years. Anything will become explosive if you suppress it for four years, and you can see that in their every action, which might be one of the triggers for the year-round fans.
If you call someone a “seasonal fan” as an insult, then what does that make you? A “professional fan” (Yes, I am being sarcastic) or a “year-round fan” is a person who follows football all year round. They catch the international matches, the friendlies, they watch the domestic leagues with a passion, and they catch the Champions League like it is a sacred ritual.
These fans can be of two kinds, either they will be quiet and let the “seasonal fans” enjoy their one month of fanatism in peace, or they will chastise them with their pride (for some reason) because they “watch football regularly”.
In an ideal world, there will be no clash over football, but unfortunately for us, we live in the real world where people get angry hearing things like “7UP” or “Penalty Man”. So, it is hardly a surprise that people will fight over how much of a “better fan” they are.
The seasonal fans get triggered easily, hearing the term “seasonal fan”, and sometimes that is all it takes to start a fight. The year-round fans get triggered when they hear the “specialist analyses” from the seasonal fans who are often mistaken. And because of this, the year-round fans often talk in a rather condescending tone. You can hear their lack of respect from their tone alone, and this also triggers the seasonal fans.
There is an unspoken rule in the football fandom: “You should not comment about a player or team unless you have watched them play for at least 500 minutes.” It’s not a rule, more like a suggestion that most people agree on.
The seasonal fans violate this rule, and that can rile up the year-round fans. As a result, they tend to start gatekeeping (it’s an interesting and very real term). And gatekeeping is a despicable thing to do. So, neither side is free of blame.
The year-round fans get exasperated by the “naïve” (in their opinion) comments of the seasonal fans. In addition, the seasonal fans show a tendency to just express their own opinion as if it were fact and not let anyone else speak. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, it’s a derby between them.
Fortunately for everyone else, the World Cup fever fades away within one month, and once that happens, there is no more clash. Then we can all watch football for what it really is: a beautiful game.
