From Boston to Miami: how the Tartan Army lit up the World Cup

Image

Barely a fortnight ago, Scottish fans on both sides of the Atlantic celebrated their team's first World Cup victory in 36 years. This emotional 1-0 success against Haiti was followed by a festive takeover of the legendary Fenway Park in Boston. Back home, thousands of fans had spent the night in pubs and performance centers, some only returning home after 4 a.m., happy to have witnessed a historic moment. However, two weeks later, the atmosphere around the national team is much darker. Since John McGinn's decisive goal which gave the three points in the opening match, Scotland have had two consecutive defeats against Morocco and Brazil. The country's chances of qualifying as one of the best third teams then fell from 42.9% to 0.07% on the eve of the final group matches. The now certain elimination was followed by a final surprise with the resignation of coach Steve Clarke, just one month after signing his new four-year contract. From “No Scotland, No Party” to “No Scotland, No Coach”. However, this picture is not only synonymous with disillusionment. Scotland's return to the world stage after 28 years of absence will be especially marked by the festive occupation of Boston and the march of the Tartan Army in Miami. As soon as the first flights arrived in Massachusetts, thousands of s

Supporters wearing kilts created a carnival atmosphere. As numbers grew, pubs ran out of beer and social media was flooded with positive videos. Among them was the walk by Craig Ferguson, who traveled 3,000 miles from Los Angeles to Boston to raise more than a million pounds for Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH). Arriving on Boston Common the day before the match against Haiti, he found the crowd in turmoil as Scotland's return to football's biggest stage approached. Despite controversies over ticket prices, visas and transport costs, fans turned out in their thousands, their energy infectious. The viral videos showed happy parties on boats in Boston Harbor and a police officer juggling a ball in the fan zone. A group of supporters, arriving at their Airbnb in the middle of the night, even woke up an entire neighborhood by playing bagpipes at 6:30 a.m. The Scots also introduced Americans to the tradition of placing traffic cones on statues. To get to Foxborough Stadium, 50 miles away, enterprising fans rented yellow school buses to transport the scores of fans from Providence, Rhode Island. Once in this temple of sports, once home to the New England Patriots, the Tartan Army offered a vibrant rendition of “Flower of Scotland”. The match against Haiti was not the most exciting

, but Scotland came away with all three points. The previous draw between Brazil and Morocco saw Scotland top Group C for almost a week. In Scotland, 5,000 fans gathered at the Glasgow Hydro to follow the match on a giant 6-meter screen. The atmosphere was turned up a notch, with live performances from Caledonia by Dougie MacLean and Loch Lomond by Donnie Munro. When Scotland took the lead, fans were doused with beer in the standing room. These scenes were repeated throughout the country, in establishments which had temporarily relaxed their license by setting up a ticket system. Supporters flocked to pubs and clubs before kick-off at 2 a.m., only to leave at dawn. Prime Minister John Swinney even authorized an additional public holiday on Monday, honored by several local administrations, allowing the nation to recover from its emotions. During these few intense days, the saltire flags and salmon pink jerseys of the away team were everywhere. In Boston, the Red Sox organized an evening celebrating Scotland on June 14 against the Texas Rangers. It was a memorable night at an iconic stadium. Thousands of members of the Tartan Army sang passionately throughout the meeting, leaving a lasting impression on Americans. Sam Kennedy, president of the Boston Red Sox, then sent a letter o

Opened to FA chairman Mike Mulraney and chief executive Ian Maxwell: “We knew the Tartan Army was coming, but we didn't realize what that meant until we saw it. Hundreds of supporters gathered at the base of the Robert Burns statue in the Back Bay neighborhood and marched along Landowne Street to the sound of bagpipes. Kilts and Scottish flags invaded our stadium with a spirit unparalleled in American sport. It was honestly one of the most touching things we've seen at Fenway Park in a very long time. » The party continued all week. Dawn the Duck even joined the Tartan Army march through downtown Providence, Rhode Island on June 18. The following night, Scotland returned to Boston Stadium to face African champions Morocco. The match ended in a disappointing 1-0 defeat, relegating Scotland from first to third place in the group after Brazil's 3-0 victory over Haiti. Despite this setback, fans headed to the Sunshine State knowing that they had undoubtedly left their biggest mark in this city. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu even announced her intention to formalize an international partnership with Glasgow. A Boston Globe editorial summed up the mood: “Smitten from the start, Boston was left heartbroken when the Tartan Army broke camp. » The newspaper also

nt published a full-page letter thanking Scottish supporters: “Dear Tartan Army, you came for the World Cup but you gave us so much more. For a week, you transformed train stations into places of song, Fenway into a football field, and an ordinary June into a memory we'll talk about for a long time. Boston has hosted championships, parades and celebrations of all kinds, but we've never had guests like you. Thanks for the laughs, the bagpipes and the memories. The World Cup will pass, and so will the songs, but we will never forget the joy you brought to our city. » Last weekend, Scottish fans began their trip south to Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Many thought that the Tartan Army would not make as much of an impact in the state, that the police would be stricter, that there would be too many South American fans and that it would even be impossible to wear kilts in the Florida sun. But as is often the case, the fans thwarted these predictions. Just days after their arrival, a Miami police spokesperson described their attitude as “kind” and “beautiful,” calling the Tartan Army’s visit to the city “impressive.” Unfortunately, Scotland's final group match was anything but joyful, with the five-time world champions Brazilians winning 3-0. In the Bayfront Park fan zone, Scottish supporters

swapped jerseys with their Brazilian rivals, but the disappointment was palpable. For a time, they tried to calculate their chances of direct qualification to then face Germany in Boston or Mexico at the legendary Azteca stadium in Mexico. But after spending thousands of pounds on a world tour, they saw their 13th elimination from a major tournament come in the group stage. A sad record over nine World Cups and four European Championships: no team has participated in so many major tournaments without ever playing a knockout phase. While many enjoyed their final days in Miami, the feeling of anti-climax after the Brazil clash was real, amplified by the lack of the necessary results in the final 20 group games. As the last supporters prepare to return home, they can nevertheless be proud of a campaign which, from Boston to Miami via several stops, has honored Scotland. If it did not shine on the field, the Tartan Army proved once again that it is in a category of its own.