Next in our Terras Abroad series is Edd Lucas. Like our last interviewee, Matt Pitman, Edd is based in the southern hemisphere. He moved to New Zealand 10 years ago and remains a passionate Terras fan.
Whereabouts in the world are you and what took you there?
I’m in Wellington, New Zealand. I came over here as a backpacker 10 years ago. I meant to stay for about 6 months but never really got around to moving back home.
How long have you been a Terras fan and what’s your earliest Terras memory?
Over 30 years a Terras fan now. My earliest Terras memory is checking Ceefax to see Weymouth second bottom of the Vauxhall Conference in 1989 (Newport County later went bust and we finished bottom). My first game though was a year later, home to Barnet in the FA Trophy.
Have you started supporting another team since you moved to New Zealand?
I watch the Wellington Phoenix but I feel very detached from them, there is no intensity in their games. Football is not that big a deal over here, so if my sporting allegiances have changed at all it is in Cricket. I am a huge fan of the NZ Cricket team and still have not got over the World Cup Final yet.
How do you keep in touch with happenings at the Bob Lucas Stadium?
Twitter mostly, and a Whatsapp group of fellow Weymouth fans. I also try and play the Wessex Fantasy Football each season.
Do you get back to the Bob Lucas Stadium much? Being on the other side of the world I guess it’s not that easy?
I come home about once every 18 months. I was back last September and saw the games at Chippenham, Tonbridge and home to Wealdstone. Three games, one point. I think most people were glad to see me leave after that run. I am pretty gutted about those three games though; it seems that the team is going great but I don’t really think I have seen them to their full potential.
How did you follow the Farnborough game at home last season? Did you get up in the middle of the night?
It was a 2am kick off NZ time. Following games on Twitter remotely is much more stressful that actually being there so I decided to try and sleep through it. I couldn’t sleep so just lay in bed stressed. At 4am I checked my phone and the first tweet I saw was the update for the third goal. At that point I know we had done it and had a started jumping up and down in the spare bedroom!
Have you ever bumped into another Weymouth fan in New Zealand?
Not at all. If there were any other Weymouth fans in New Zealand I would love to meet them.
How do people react when you tell them you’re a fan of Weymouth?
“Who are they? How many leagues down? Yeah, but who is your proper team?”
My partner has been quite supportive though, she got me a Weymouth FC beany and Bath towel for Christmas last year!
David Laws played in New Zealand for Waikato United. Have you been?
Waikato United don’t actually exist anymore so no. Have tried to do some research on him though. He is fondly remembered and is apparently 4th on their all time top scorer list!
And finally…. imagine we draw Yeovil at home in next years FA Cup/FA Trophy, or league (who knows what’s going to happen!), would you fly back for the game?
If, for some reason, we get promoted and play them at Christmas I will definitely be there. Cup games maybe a push, but there was a Crawley fan who made the news over here when he flew back for their FA Cup third round tie with Man United. If we had that draw, I would be back in a flash.
