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

Four Wolves fans who went to Mexico 1986 and stayed abroad reunited 40 years on at England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, with one slipping into a VIP box.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, Gary Allen and Stuart Bates, both 63 and now based in Atlanta and Texas, attended an England match together for the first time in decades with Steve Dawson, known as Texas Steve.

Allen and his son entered a Croatian VIP suite unchallenged, helped themselves to food and beer, and watched from seats valued at $3,000 after paying £700 for tickets in the Croatia end.

He hailed the stadium as the best he has seen England in, praising air conditioning and abundant bars and restaurants, and the trio celebrated until two am.

In 1986, Allen, Bates, David Arnold and Garry Hardwicke left for the World Cup with little money after losing jobs, saw every England game until Argentina’s Hand of God, then chose not to return.

The hard-drinking adventure included two posing as Peter Shilton and Gary Lineker, and the group stayed on to work. Allen later built a successful sewage and drain equipment business before retiring last year, Bates works in Houston’s car industry, and Arnold became a school head in Monterrey. Their friend Rabbit Head died two years ago.

The friends now plan to be in New York for the Panama game, and Allen believes England can go deep in a carnival atmosphere. Their story is told in a new documentary, Lost Down Mexico Way.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com