DALLAS is promising a warm Wild West welcome to England World Cup fans – but warned yobs to stay away from the cowboy capital, where nearly half of the residents own guns.
Captain Harry Kane and the Three Lions play Croatia in their first game of next year’s tournament in the no-nonsense Texas city where it is legal to carry firearms.
And on a visit The Sun found even English supporters living in the US were “packing heat” as police warned travelling footie followers to respect their hosts.
Aston Villa fan Paul Limpitlaw showed off his incredible gun collection and fired off a warning to any hooligans planning to travel to the Lone Star State next June.
With a Sig P365 pistol tucked into his belt, Brummie Paul said: “It’s going to be a fantastic football party, but anyone thinking of coming to cause trouble should think again.
‘Taught me a lesson’
“I’m among the many thousands of people who carry licensed firearms here and locals are perfectly entitled to defend themselves if threatened by troublemakers.
“I don’t expect England fans to kick off large-scale trouble here, but they should know that situations could escalate very quickly if they do.”
Paul is one of a band of English expat pals who watch games from as early as 6.30am at downtown Dallas’s Londoner pub owing to the six-hour time difference.
The wealthy Villa nut, who is head of business development at tech giant Siemens, has fully embraced Texas gun culture and keeps four gun racks in safes at his luxurious home.
Fingerprint-controlled pads open the reinforced steel doors, behind which sits his collection of Glock and Sig pistols, assault rifles, an AK-47 Kalashnikov and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Paul became a US citizen after moving to the States in 1998 and began amassing a £75,000 collection of hi-tech weaponry, which he uses on shooting ranges and hunting trips.
The British divorcee — from Sparkbrook in Birmingham — said he walked into a US store and bought his first gun after being shocked by a mugging attempt at a red traffic light 15 years ago.
Paul, who drives a £165,000 race-tuned Aston Martin Vantage with the Villa fan registration AVFC, said: “Two guys walked over to me with guns attempting to hijack my car and I was terrified.
“I knew I couldn’t defend myself so I put my foot flat down and escaped before they could fire — but that taught me a lesson.
“I got my first gun right after that and told myself that if I was going to die in a robbery, I would not die defenceless. I became a bit obsessed with collecting weapons since then.
“But I’m well trained and ready if I’m threatened again.”
Tens of thousands of England supporters are expected in Dallas for the curtain-raiser clash, in which Thomas Tuchel’s men take on Croatia at the 80,000-seater AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington.
The travelling Lionhearts have improved their behaviour in recent years after England yobs marred tournaments at France 98, Euro 2002, Euro 2016 and the Euros final at Wembley in 2021.
But locals warned they will need to be extra wary of winding up the people in Dallas, where many carry concealed weapons or have them close by in their cars.
Guns are deeply ingrained in Dallas’s culture and more than a million Texans hold a licence to carry firearms, while 11million pistols and rifles are owned across the state.
It is where President John F Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper rifle in 1963, and the home of Eighties TV series Dallas, in which JR Ewing survived a cliffhanger shooting.
Most US citizens are able to head into gun supermarkets and walk out toting an assault rifle after around 20 minutes of background checks, thanks to firearms laws endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The Texas Gun Experience gun range and superstore in Grapevine near Dallas was recently offering a vast arsenal for instant sale, including 200 machine guns and a flame thrower.
‘Too good to miss’
Spokesman Bryan Rastok said: “Troublemakers are much less likely to do things here because the repercussions are likely to be much more severe.
“If you threaten people here, there’s a chance you’re gonna get shot.”
But England fans in pubs across Dallas are expecting any World Cup shoot-outs to be confined to dreaded penalty showdowns.
Dave Murray, a Manchester United fan who was born a stone’s throw from Old Trafford and now works as a sales director in Dallas, said: “I’m thrilled England and the World Cup is coming to Dallas.
“I don’t think yobs will be able to afford to come and I’m sure the atmosphere will be amazing.
“It kicks off at 3pm local time, which makes a nice change as I often have to get up at 6.30am to watch United games thanks to the time difference. I think we’ll draw our first game.
“But my dream is to see us go all the way to the final — 60 years of hurt is long enough.”
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see England play in your home city in a World Cup — but it’s appalling that Fifa is charging so much for tickets
Darren Byrne
Aston Villa fan Darren Byrne was born in Erdington, Birmingham, and has worked as a business developer in the US since the Eighties.
He moved to Colleyville near Dallas to be close to The Londoner pub, which shows Premier League football on TV.
He said: “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see England play in your home city in a World Cup — but it’s appalling that Fifa is charging so much for tickets.
“But I’d be happy to pay $1,000 for a ticket if that’s what it takes — it’s too good to miss.”
James Heron, an accountant from Stockport who moved to Dallas in 2005, will go to the Three Lions’ curtain-raiser with his US girlfriend Ashley Scharnweber.
England nut Ashley told The Sun: “Fifa’s crooked dynamic pricing and the websites are pretty much impossible to fathom. But I will find a way and we’ll be there, no matter what.
“I know it’s a total rip-off, but I’d pay as much as $2,000 for a ticket to the game — the whole of Dallas will become a party town regardless.”
Blackburn Rovers fan Simon Hartley, a dad-of-one with another baby on the way, said with a laugh: “I guess I won’t be able to put my new kid through college after I’ve got my ticket. But I guess that’s just a price they’ll have to pay.”
‘Lay on security’
Simon, who moved to the States eight years ago with wife Siobhan, added: “I have seen nosebleed seats way back in the stands at the AT&T going for between $1,000 and $2,700 — it’s just ridiculous. But we football fans always seem to find a way.”
London barrow boy turned Dallas pub boss Barry Tate runs a chain of three Londoner pubs in the Dallas area and is opening a fourth in time for the World Cup.
He worked on a market in London’s Soho before moving to Dallas in 1999 to launch his chain, offering classic English pub grub, decor and £5 pints.
Barry said: “I’m expecting my busiest and best summer ever, especially when the English come to town. I’ll probably have to lay on security, but I hope everyone joins the party and has a great time. It’ll be amazing.”
Dallas Police assistant chief Mark Villarreal told The Sun: “I’ve been part of the team planning security at World Cup games and can tell you that we are ready for anything.
“The city is hosting nine matches at Arlington and running a Fanfest in town. While we are aware of the threat of hooligans, we are well prepared and will have rapid response teams on standby.
“England fans will have nothing to fear and will have a great time, provided they behave themselves and show respect.”
