Football Fandom: Club-based groups and their craze for the sport

Once upon a time, Dhaka used to put on a celebratory face every time Abahani played a game of football against Mohammedan. Those days are long gone but our love for the game remains. There are numerous communities of fans in Bangladesh who follow football all year round and every year during the Champions League games they go crazy in support of their favourite teams.

"'FC Bayern Munich Fans Group of Bangladesh' is one such group. Bangladeshi football fans who support the German club, Bayern Munich, run this group and after every match, they discuss the good and bad aspects of the games. It's interesting because Bayern Munich has won the domestic league for the last eleven years consecutively, yet the fans are constantly analysing the games, hoping to find a better solution for a better prospect at the Champions League," said GM Hillol, an admin of the group.

He has been active in the group since the beginning.

"Our journey started in 2013 but the group really gained popularity in 2015. Back then there were not so many people on Facebook so the progress was slower. Our first get-together was in 2017. The deputy minister for youth and sports of that time was present in our first get-together," recalled Hillol.

He mentioned that even though the group is active, the meetups are not as frequent as he would like them to be. However, the fan-club gives away gifts to the most active members of the group.

"Another get-together is in the pipeline. The first one was very festive and memorable and we want to make that happen again," he said, pointing out that official meetups are challenging because there are a lot of arrangements to be made for such events.

Of course, events are more frequent if your club is having a good run at the Champions League and Real Madrid has had an amazing decade in terms of the League.

"Madridista Bangladesh" is one of the groups for the fans of Real Madrid in Bangladesh. The group prides itself as one of the most well-managed and the oldest group of Real Madrid fans in Bangladesh, boasting their inception in 2011.

"We used to have arguments with Barcelona and EPL fans regularly. This led us to think that we need a separate space where just Madrid fans can discuss. That's how the idea was planted," said Sifat Jasim, an admin of the group, confirming that their first meetup was indeed in Dhaka, as early as 2012.

"Ever since that first meetup, we have had regular events and meetups. In Dhaka we have at least two meetups every year," he elaborated, adding that even if they want to, it's not always possible to arrange meetups because most of the matches are at late night.

However, through much difficulties, the group was officially recognised by Real Madrid as an official group of the club in 2019 and needless to say, they are overjoyed by this. You can tell by their reactions. "Madrid is 8,500km away from Dhaka but I guarantee you this, our passion burns just as brightly as someone standing in Santiago Bernabéu," he added.

Needless to say, there are a number of similar groups. FC Barcelona Fans Group of Bangladesh (FCBBD), Liverpool FC Football Fans' Group of Bangladesh, and Manchester United Fans-Bangladesh are some of the other popular and active groups. Facebook groups play a huge part in these communities and meetups and annual events keep them close.