On Thursday afternoon, local broadcasters in Boston went live to an event hosted by the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu. It was a significant moment, with Wu confirming a deal that would commemorate a new chapter for the city. Representatives of the other party were also present, and they were easy to spot. Particularly the one guy in a kilt and a T-shirt reading: “I’m not perfect, but I am Scottish, and that’s kind of the same thing.”
The agreement signed will see Boston and Glasgow become twin cites. Officially, according to Wu, the arrangement will “create new opportunities for meaningful cooperation and mutual growth”. But who was she kidding. A more telling line was the one that reflected “longstanding ties between Scotland and the United States” and, of course, “the goodwill generated during the Fifa World Cup 2026”. In other words, Boston’s love affair with the Tartan Army is now official.
Just 10 days since they first began arriving in New England, Scotland fans have managed to bring yet another nation under their thrall. Carrying a letter of support from FC Cologne, the last place to fall for the Scots two years ago, they have charmed, amused and fascinated the locals in Boston and beyond. Following the antics of the Scottish fans, their discovery of tailgating or their dancing at the baseball, appears to have become an American pastime, with clips ubiquitous on everyone’s social media feeds.
In the week since their nervous and necessary victory over Haiti at Boston Stadium, some fans have returned home from New England. Many more have arrived to replace them, however, and most of them have been met at the Logan airport arrivals hall by TV cameras. A topic of particular fascination for the media has been the Tartan Army’s ability to drink, especially after slightly breathless reports of the Sam Adams taproom at the heart of downtown being “drunk dry” by fans. It turned out supplies never ran out, but extra did have to be ordered after the bar sold 3,000 pints of its Boston lager over the course of 48 hours.
Other bars were equally shocked or delighted. The Irish hostelry Hennessey’s proclaimed sales that were three times those of St Patrick’s Day. The Dubliner, next door to the Fifa fanfest in the city and a key Tartan Army destination, said it had had the busiest week in its history and while it hadn’t run out of beer, their distributor had. So concerning was the situation to so many that Tennent’s felt the need to put out a statement reassuring their clientele. “We’ve been planning for this since December and made sure we had plenty of Tennent’s in the US,” said Hazel Alexander, a senior brand manager, from the UK. “So we’re confident that supplies will continue to meet the demand.”
The welcome extended to Scottish fans has been warm across the board, according to Adam Robb from Aberdeenshire. “The locals are just incredible, they’re so happy to see us,” he said. “Surprised to see us, I think, in these kind of numbers, but the reception has been unbelievable.”
By way of evidence, Robb cites the fact he had been bought breakfast by Boston police that morning after he lost his passport on a hiking jaunt between matches. “I reported it as missing and I was at the police station,” he said. “The cops bought me an egg and cheese muffin while I was waiting, which was amazing.” With no ticket for Friday night’s match against Morocco, Robb is keeping a keen eye on resale sites, but prices are rising. “I think we’re up to about £700,” he said. “It was down to £350 before the Haiti game, but I think all these videos are going about and people getting the FOMO. They’re like: ‘Oh, we’re going to have to get part of that.’ I think a lot of them will be Americans.”
Robb intended to count down the time to the game by checking out some of Boston’s culture and staying off the booze “for a few hours”. Others will be doing similar. Or perhaps they will continue the new tradition of sticking traffic cones on Boston statuary (apparently tribute to a longstanding practice on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street). Or maybe they’ll visit the off-licence which has become a must-see destination for Scottish tourists, not for its contents, but its name. Thousands have already made a pilgrimage to Jobi Liquors, which means a very different thing in Scotland to the US. “They’re all coming in and saying ‘shit’,” Jobi’s owner, Jim, told the Daily Record in another viral video. “Boston is loving all the Scottish people. Screw the British, the Scottish are coming!”