Perhaps the latest Terras fan to make the move abroad is John Ryan. John recently left the country and has settled in Valencia and becomes the next member of the Terras Abroad club.
Whereabouts in the world are you and what took you there?
I took early retirement from my job at Dorset Council and I moved to Spain at the beginning of November 2019 and after a month of travelling, I have now settled in Valencia.
How long have you been a Terras fan and what’s your earliest Terras memory?
I started attending Terras games at the Rec in the early seventies but my first recollection was the great 3-3 FA Cup draw with Peterborough. I remember Alan Beer and Bobby Brown were two exciting players, I was also mascot when Jeff Astle was playing, we were in a poor season and I remember the dressing room being very quiet with nervous players, Astle was the only player relaxed and the only one who spoke to me.
Have you started supporting another team since you moved to Spain?
I am spoilt for choice with two LA Liga teams Valencia and Levante a 20-minute walk from my flat so get to see Barcelona, Real and Athletico Madrid regularly. Villareal is a 50-minute train up the coast, and a third-tier club an hour away called CD Castellon, a super little stadium with a high season ticket percentage and a game entry of €10. Ticket prices here, as a rule, are lower than the UK and you can also take in non-alcoholic drinks and food into the stadiums which makes it very cost-effective for families.
How do you keep in touch with happenings at the Bob Lucas Stadium?
I listen to most games via Ben Ashelford’s excellent commentary and the website and forum, also Pete Pavey keeps me abreast of the latest news and I have received programmes and the non-league paper here.
Do you get back to the Bob Lucas Stadium much?
Having only been gone for a short period, I have not returned home yet, I will get home when conditions allow after the all-clear from the Coronavirus and catch some games I hope at the beginning of next season.
How did you follow the Farnborough game at home last season?
I was lucky enough to be at the game, a great day for the club and its great front office team and coaching staff.
Have you ever bumped into another Weymouth fan in Spain?
No not as yet on this journey however I did bump into Terras fan and fellow cricketer Tony Quayle in Gibraltar as he was on his way to the Gulf War with the Navy, a very weird “ fancy seeing you here “ moment.
How do people react when you tell them you’re a fan of Weymouth?
I have shown some locals a picture of the stadium and they cannot believe we are at such a low level for such facilities, noting that Eibar plays in La Liga, have an 8,000 stadium and a local population of Chickerell, just goes to show how far you can get.
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?
I will be home for that game and any first-round FA Cup match.
Muchas gracias, John! You can keep in touch with John on Twitter at https://twitter.com/chipperspin
