Dallas pub forced shut by fire marshal as England fans cause mayhem at World Cup watch party

The Londoner pub in Dallas was shut down by a fire marshal during England’s World Cup group-stage victory over Croatia after extreme overcrowding and scenes the venue described as “mayhem” overwhelmed its two security guards.

The closure came just 24 hours after the pub had publicly celebrated selling more than 5,000 beers — including 2,352 bottles — and taking in around £30,000 in a single evening as England supporters packed the venue for the Three Lions’ opening match. In a statement issued on Wednesday, The Londoner walked back those figures, saying sales had been “overinflated in reports” and did not account for “the destruction of our property and landscaping.”

“We are closed for the rest of the day, on order of the fire marshal,” the pub’s statement read. “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.”

Social media footage circulating after Tuesday’s watch party showed the venue dangerously overcrowded, with fans filmed kicking a football onto the pub’s balcony — the ball landing on the bonnets of nearby cars on at least one occasion. A small number of supporters were also seen dropping plants from the balcony edge, though a separate group stayed behind to assist with clean-up efforts.

Police entered the premises and ordered supporters to leave just before 10pm, but a large number remained on the balcony for a further two hours after the venue was cleared. Officers confirmed the early closure had been triggered by the pub exceeding its maximum capacity with only two security staff on site.

The Londoner also reminded patrons in its statement that the venue sits within a shared complex: “We are in a complex of other businesses, but there are also residences in Mockingbird Station.”

The pub confirmed it would reopen at 11am on Thursday.