We caught up with another Red Abroad, this week, Steve Priest from Georgia!
'The statement 'the only Barnsley fan in Georgia' is an easy one to make and quite probably true, but one that I am yet to prove and also one that I am hoping one day to prove wrong!
'I have spent 19 years living the life of an expat Red in Germany, Nepal and now Georgia. Following Barnsley in Berlin before the internet of today was one of Saturday afternoon's in the Black Swan or the Irish Harp watching the scores roll by on Sky Sports News. The only time I was lucky enough to see them actually on the TV in Germany was the Play-Off final defeat to Ipswich.
'Moving to Nepal led to marriage and fatherhood, but also eventually to 3G networks and BBC's live text feed. For five years of my time in Kathmandu, I was not alone as a Barnsley fan as amazingly there were two of us working for the same organisation! The footballing highlight for the two of us was the 2008 FA Cup run. On the evening (Kathmandu time) of the game at Anfield, the bar of the British Embassy was bedecked with Barnsley flags and the neutrals were definitely in our corner. Needless to say everyone went wild when Brian Howard scored that timeless winner. The next round against Chelsea didn't finish until after midnight, but we certainly woke up the neighbours with our singing that night.
'I do try to get to Barnsley as often as possible - at least once a year for a Christmas period game or a pre-season friendly. My wife's first game was the 2009 friendly against Ferencvaros. My son Tristan, who has a wardrobe largely from the Reds Superstore, had his first experience at 16 months old, unfortunately a defeat to Birmingham. We have lived in Tbilisi since August 2017 and we do love it as a city, but following the Reds is largely internet based. The iFollow service has been a breath of fresh air!
'I am originally from Wath-Upon-Dearne and I am the Principal of the British International School of Tbilisi.'
Steve
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