​A Wolves supporter who traveled to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and never returned has described reuniting with fellow fans at this year’s tournament as an emotional experience, filled with plenty of beer and plenty of stories. Gary Allen was part of a group from Stourbridge that went to the tournament four decades ago after losing their jobs and ultimately settled in the United States. He has caught up with members of the same group during England’s matches, and he said they even made a film with Fifa and are collaborating on a stage play about their shared journey.
“It’s gone ballistic, really. I didn’t expect it to be like this. It’s totally overwhelming,” he told BBC Radio WM. Among the games Allen has attended was Sunday night’s thrilling comeback win over Mexico at the Azteca stadium. “I thought they were brilliant. One of the best games I’ve seen, the best comeback after going down to 10 men. I thought we played brilliantly, and I’m sure most of the country felt the same.”
While some members of the group will watch England take on Norway in Miami on Saturday, Allen’s next ticket is for the potential semi-final against Argentina. He contrasted the current prospects with 40 years ago, noting: “You had Maradona against Gary Lineker—now you’ve got Messi against Harry Kane, so it’s pretty cool, but a totally different style of play.” He also reflected on how coordinating plans has evolved since 1986: “There was no communication then. You’d just say, ‘Hey, we’re going there, we’ll catch a bus here, whatever.’ It was such a simpler time compared with today.” He added: “It’s so much easier to organise things these days.”
Gary Allen and his friends simply “played it by ear and it worked” when they left for the Mexico tournament in 1986. He explained that the film with Fifa is for a Disney documentary on the World Cup titled Chasing the Dream, which aims to explore “the way football, and in particular the World Cup, can change lives.”
Allen also plans to return to Britain in September to share his story with the documentary producers and to participate in the development of a stage play, which he expects to premiere in Wolverhampton before touring. “It’s basically all about the Black Country and what happened to us and how we moved on… I’m being told that by next September you should see it on stage.”
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram for updates. The story of the Wolves fans who went to a World Cup and loved it so much they stayed continues to resonate, with renewed attention and emotional reunions this year. The piece also plays into the broader narrative of the Wolves contingent who journeyed to Mexico ’86 and chose to build lives abroad, a tale that endures in their memories and in the evolving projects that document it.