The pub that became the focal point for England fans in Dallas was forced to close by fire marshals for a second consecutive night during the Three Lions’ 4-2 victory over Croatia, after again being packed to more than twice its legal capacity.
The Londoner Pub on Mockingbird Lane was shut down four minutes before the final whistle on Wednesday night, just as England were cruising to victory, after Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed the venue had been “cited for overcrowding because they were over twice their allowed occupancy load.” The pub’s maximum permitted capacity is 245 indoors and 130 outdoors — figures that bore no relation to the numbers actually inside. Management working with fire inspectors had, according to officials, “exhausted multiple options in an attempt to get to the allowable number, but the crowd was non-compliant.”
Pub bosses posted a statement on social media after the closure: “We are closed for the rest of the day, on order of the fire marshal. Thank you to those of us who saw the mayhem that descended upon us and understand we did our very best to manage the situation. The sales are overinflated in reports and do not account for the destruction of our property and landscaping. We are incredibly grateful for the business and have done our absolute best to manage it.” Management also reminded fans that the venue sits within a complex that includes residential properties at Mockingbird Station.
The closure came just 24 hours after the pub had become a scene of chaos ahead of England’s opener, when hundreds of fans defied police orders to leave and remained on the balcony for hours after officers cleared the interior just before 10pm. During that night, some supporters were seen kicking a football onto the balcony and onto the bonnets of nearby cars, with plants also knocked off the edge by a small number of fans. Bar staff had reported selling 2,352 bottles of beer and more than 5,000 drinks in total, generating around £30,000 in sales — though the pub has since disputed those figures. Only two security guards were on duty at the time.
The pub said it would reopen at 11am on Thursday, though it remained closed for two other matches following the Wednesday shutdown.
England’s performance on the pitch gave fans every reason to celebrate. Thomas Tuchel’s side came from level at half-time to win 4-2 at AT&T Stadium, with Harry Kane scoring twice before Jude Bellingham put England ahead two minutes into the second half and Marcus Rashford wrapped up the win with a fine finish in the 85th minute. Croatia had pegged England back twice in a breathless first half, with goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa. The official attendance was 70,389, just under the stadium’s confirmed capacity of 70,649.
