I’ve been observing the recent community discussion on “casual” Fantasy Football managers with interest.
Woeisme’s excellent recent article brought it further into focus and helped us digest the debate but, in my view, we’re treading over very familiar ground here.
The propensity to roll out the term “casual” and apply it liberally to a huge group of Fantasy Football managers, who have little interest in investing hours in their decision-making, is something that crops up almost every season.
It’s probably fair to say that the level of frustration being felt right now is greater than ever, hence the bile generated and aimed at this unfortunate group is perhaps more potent.
First of all, as Woeisme rightly pointed out, there’s little point in claiming that this “group” don’t exist.
There’s no doubt that the 3.5 million population of the FPL game includes an army of folk who pick a pre-season squad in a lunch hour, only revisiting it when their colleague at the water cooler remarks that they’re second in the mini-league.
That happens. It’s probably happened in thousands of offices and, the way this season is going, it will go on happening for some weeks.
Four years ago, I placed my tongue firmly in cheek and acknowledged this group of Fantasy Football Managers in this article. I’ve just read it back and it’s still relevant today.
Labelling the “casual” as “Part-time Petes”, I make no apology if I was disparaging to their cause and motivation – this was a piece glorying in Fantasy Football stereotypes and poking fun.
Some will doubtless say that by writing and drawing further attention to that article, I’m prolonging this mistreatment of the “casual” Fantasy Football manager.
That may well be the case but, in many ways, I think if we start becoming too sensitive to this kind of mirth, we’re starting to steal from the very essence that made the game fun in the first place.
Going back twenty years or more, Fantasy Football lived and breathed solely within a group of football fans, brought together by some numbers that appeared in a newspaper, distributed weekly by some poor soul who took it upon themselves to run the mini-league. I eagerly signed up for that position.
Just as folk back then aimed derisory terms my way by virtue of my number-crunching obsession, so I sniped back on their beermat transfer, hurried along whilst indulging in futile attempts at chatting up the receptionist.
There were clear divisions between the level of commitment and, when the points came in and those divisions didn’t quite work out as expected, the real fun began. While divided by our level of interest, we were brought together for a few minutes of ribbing each day by this “thing” called Fantasy Football.
That same “repartee” and “banter” goes on now, perhaps to a lesser degree face to face, but certainly via 140 characters or sly emails pinged across the office.
I try not to look upon those who choose not to spend three hours comparing Aston Villa full-backs with any disdain. Equally I don’t expect them to roll out the tired old “saddo” or “statto” moniker in my direction. I’m probably kidding myself on that score.
However, when the season begins and the early divide takes an unexpected turn, it would be a waste not to seize upon that opportunity to make hay.
I cut a miserable figure in the mid-table of my office league. Quite frankly, I expect to be on the receiving end when I face the guy who is winning the league: someone who is often too busy nursing a hangover on a Saturday morning to even know how important 11.45 is.
I’m not happy about it, but I’m quietly confident that I’m going make up ground and that by allocating 87% of my daily attention span to considering my transfers, I’ll eventually win out.
I can offer up a wry smile and revel in the fact that, for those brief moments, Fantasy Football in some way unites me with another football fan, albeit a very different one.
To some extent, on the site, we’re all brought together by a level of obsession and, as a result, an elitist view can build when looking upon those who don’t quite share that same obsession.
We should work to avoid that at all costs and instead glory in the fact that folk are different and that Fantasy Football can bring us together, whatever the level of investment, and provide a platform for “fun” and community.
This “casual” Fantasy manager exists and deserves their place in that bigger community and even their Gameweeks at the top of the mini-league. It’s a huge part of what makes Fantasy Football so compelling and the reason why I ended up here in the first place.
