Wolves fans who never returned from Mexico 1986 reunite in USA at World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

A band of Wolves supporters who headed to Mexico 1986 and chose not to come home reunited in the USA at World Cup 2026, gathering for England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas. According to ExpressAndStar.com, their meet-up came 40 years after their original odyssey.

Gary Allen and Stuart Bates, both 63 and now based in Atlanta and Texas, watched alongside long-time friend Steve Dawson, known as Texas Steve, who first put them up 40 years ago. Gary and his son slipped into a Croatian VIP suite, helped themselves to food and beer, then watched from $3,000 (£2,200) seats despite paying £700 for tickets in the Croatia end.

Allen described the stadium as the best he has seen for England, praising its air-conditioning and plentiful bars and restaurants. The trio celebrated until 2am after their first England match together. He said he and Bates had last attended an England game about 20 years ago, around USA 94.

The tale began when Allen, Bates, David Arnold and Garry Hardwicke flew to Mexico after losing jobs, carrying little more than bags and a few hundred quid. Branded The Disco Firm, the group, largely Wolves fans from Stourbridge and Lye with Birmingham City supporter Arnold from Solihull, followed England through Monterrey and Acapulco until defeat by Argentina and Maradona’s Hand of God. At one point two of them even posed as Peter Shilton and Gary Lineker.

They stayed on, finding work and building new lives. Allen later founded a sewage and drain equipment business that turned over 20 million dollars annually before retiring last year, Bates built a career in Houston’s car industry, and Arnold became head of a school in Monterrey, where he still lives. Their friend Rabbit Head, a painter in Atlanta who moved to Florida, died two years ago, and their tale is now told in a new documentary, Lost Down Mexico Way.

Next they plan to watch England’s Panama game in New York, with Allen saying he thinks the team are rolling and could go deep at this tournament.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com