England fans who went to the 1986 World Cup and never came back were reunited 40 years on at the Croatia game last week

England fans who went to the 1986 World Cup and never came home have been reunited 40 years on. 

Gary Allen, Stuart Bates, David Arnold and Garry Hardwicke were young men in their twenties when, down on their luck and out of work, they decided to travel to Mexico to watch their beloved Three Lions.

Only they never returned home after England were knocked out of the tournament and stayed in Mexico before settling in the US.

Last week Mr Allen, 63, who now lives in Atlanta, and Mr Bates, also 63, who lives in Texas, were reunited for the first time in decades as they came together to watch England’s 4-2 thriller against Croatia.

Mr Allen and his son even managed to get into a Croatian VIP box where they helped themselves to free beer and food before settling down to watch the match in $3,000 (£2,200) seats at the Dallas Stadium.

They were also joined by Steve Dawson, from Texas, who took them in four decades ago and went on to become best friends.

Mr Allen said: ‘It was amazing to see the lads because it had certainly been a while.

‘The place was absolutely packed around the stadium, all the bars were rammed but once you got inside it was just incredible.

‘It is the best stadium I have ever watched England in and they’ve certainly come a long way since Mexico 86.

‘Back then they were all raw and ready – now they are absolutely state-of-the-art futuristic things with the likes of air-conditioning.’

Mr Allen said they ‘noticed a Croatian VIP box which had some spare seats’ and took the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality. 

‘We went in and nobody stopped us and we were able to help ourselves to free food and drink,’ he said.

‘We paid £700, so around £500 each for our tickets, but we were in the Croatia end – all of a sudden we had these $3,000 seats.

‘So we watched the game in luxury and it was some experience.

‘Myself, Stuart and Texas Steve had never all been to an England game together.

‘Afterwards we went back to the hotel where we were staying and were up until 2am having a few beers and chatting and reminiscing.

‘The game was absolutely fantastic – I think we’re really rolling now and we’ll go deep into the tournament.

‘The fans were great and the atmosphere was something else around the stadium.

‘Back in 86 you were herded around and treated like troublemakers but it really is a carnival atmosphere.

‘Next we’re going to New York for the Panama game where we will be watching it in downtown Manhattan.

‘I hope England can carry on performing and we can go all the way.’

Gary Allen (C), his son Cullen (R) and Steve Dawson – AKA Texas Steve (L) reunited at the England v Croatia match.

Gary Allen (fourth from right), Stuart Bates (fifth from right) and Steve Dawson – AKA Texas Steve (far right) celebrating after England beat Croatia on Wendesday. 

Gary Allen, with his arms crossed, and Garry Hardwicke, wearing a Rambo T-shirt were part of a group of Wolves fans who went to the 1986 World Cup and didn’t come back

England fans at the World Cup in Mexico, where the Three Lions were knocked out in the quarter-final

The friends, aged between 20 and 23 at the time, had set off for Mexico with little more than the bags on their back and a few hundred quid after losing their jobs in 1986.

They did not know the language spoken was Spanish or where Mexico was on a map before setting off.  

Mr Hardwicke even told his partner he was only nipping out to get a pint of milk – and then didn’t return home at all for the next 12 years.

They called themselves The Disco Firm, and were all Wolves fans from Stourbridge and Lye, Worcs., apart from Mr Arnold, who was from Solihull and a Birmingham City fan.

The group travelled to Monterrey and Acapulco and watched every England game throughout the tournament before they were knocked out by Argentina and Maradona’s infamous Hand of God goal. 

During their hard-drinking and partying adventure two of them even managed to convince local women they were Peter Shilton and Gary Lineker while pretending to be the squad while staying in a £3 a night hotel. 

And instead of coming back to the UK afterwards, they decided not to return to their homes and embarked on forging new lives in the US where they settled down, went on to marry and have 14 children between them – with one marrying a former Miss Mexico beauty queen.

In the wake of their 1986 adventure Mr Allen went on to build a company from scratch in the sewage and drain equipment industry turning over 20million dollars annually before retiring last year. He has two children and now divides his time between Atlanta and Italy with his wife.

Mr Bates was, and remains, successful in the car industry in Houston, where he lives with his wife and four children, while Mr Arnold stayed in Mexico where he became head of a school in Monterrey, where he still lives after marrying a former Miss Mexico beauty queen and raising four daughters.

Mr Hardwicke, who was a painter in Atlanta who moved to Florida, died two years ago. 

The men’s Mexico adventures are now the focus of a new documentary called Lost Down Mexico Way.