Documentary chronicles migration of Wolves fans who stayed in US after 1986 World Cup
Four decades on, the men known as Adder, Rabbithead, Batesy, Arnie and Texas Steve reflect on their decision to remain in the United States rather than return to Stourbridge and Lye
A new documentary titled Lost Down Mexico Way has been released, detailing the extraordinary journey of a group of Wolverhampton Wanderers fans who travelled to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and subsequently chose to remain in the United States. The film marks the 40th anniversary of the original trip, which saw the men leave their homes in the Black Country to experience the tournament, only to decide that their future lay in America rather than returning to Stourbridge and Lye.
The documentary is directed by Jack Leigh, who works for the production company Eight Engines. Leigh stated that he was persuaded to take on the project after receiving an email pitch from Gary Allen, one of the fans. Although Leigh noted that his company typically receives numerous inquiries, he found Allen’s proposal compelling. "We get tons of people inquiring about stories, and normally we kind of fob them off a bit," Leigh said. "But this one sort of stuck with me and I just emailed him back and said, 'it's very hard to get documentaries made but I think it's a great story and if it did ever get made, I'd watch it'."
The group, who had lost their jobs in the UK during the tenure of Margaret Thatcher, flew 5,000 miles to Mexico. They arrived in Houston, Texas, before travelling to Monterrey, where they encountered extreme heat. The men are featured in the film by their nicknames: Adder (Gary Allen), Rabbithead (Garry Hardwicke), Batesy (Stuart Bates), Arnie (David Arnold), and Texas Steve (Steve Dawson). Leigh joked that none of the men were called by their first names for the duration of the film, as they possessed approximately 20 different nicknames between them.
Upon arrival, the group faced significant cultural adjustments, including language barriers and legal issues. None of the men spoke Spanish, and they were arrested at one stage for being shirtless and drinking beer in the streets. David Arnold, who admitted he had to look up Mexico on a map, described the country as sounding "exotic." Despite these challenges, the men found the experience transformative. Gary Allen noted that they began thinking, "this is the life, this is a lot better than what we were doing back in England."
After the tournament and a brief trip to Belize, the men moved to Dallas and Houston. Allen highlighted that employment opportunities were abundant, stating he had three jobs within his first few weeks. "America was a different kettle of fish – the opportunity was the biggest thing for us," Allen said. "You could get a job anywhere. I had three jobs in the first three or four weeks." The group maintained their friendship over the decades through regular visits and telephone calls, with Allen describing their communication as occurring "on the landlines."
Gary Allen now resides in Atlanta, having recently retired from running his own company. Stuart Bates lives in Houston, and Steve Dawson lives in Dallas. While Allen admitted to feeling homesick in the early years, he expressed no regret about the move, citing better economic prospects and personal stability. "The jobs were here, the money was here, we all got wives here," Allen said. "Everything here was 10 times better than we had in Stourbridge, but I miss Stourbridge like I wouldn't believe."
