An advertisement for a British motorcycle club swap meet was placed in a few local press releases, to be held at the Viking Tavern, with a scheduled start at 10 am on Sunday, 2 September 1984. On that day at around 1 pm, 19 armed Comancheros entered the car park of the Viking Tavern during the swap meet and took up positions in hiding. Using walkie-talkies for communication, Comanchero leader "Jock" Ross, a military enthusiast, intended to stand in the open to give the appearance he was alone, hoping to draw the Bandidos into a pincer movement that was based on the "Bullhorn Ambush" that he read had been used in the Second Boer War. However, he was distracted by the presence of members of a rival club the Mobshitters and went to the back of the tavern to ensure they were not going to get involved.