Bostonians reflect on 'crazy' Scotland takeover as England fans join the party

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Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

The residents of Boston forged a special relationship with Scotland fans during their takeover of the city.

Thousands of members of the Tartan Army descended on the capital of Massachusetts as the 2026 World Cup kicked off, with Boston hosting not one but two of Scotland's group games.

The boisterous Scots witnessed their country's first World Cup win in 36 years when they beat Haiti 1-0 in their opener before they were defeated by one of the tournament's dark horses, Morocco, by the same scoreline.

Over the past two weeks, Scotland fans have once again become a viral sensation on social media, just like at Euro 2024 in Germany. The city of Boston was flooded by good-spirited supporters, who turned it into the party capital of the US.

They boosted the atmosphere at Red Sox games at Fenway Park, they got the mayor, Michelle Wu, to sign a letter of intent to establish Boston and Glasgow as sister cities and they even managed to convince the governor, Maura Healy, to jokingly legalise haggis.

"The city needed this positive atmosphere"

Speaking to the BBC, several Boston residents and business owners were nothing but complimentary of the Tartan Army now that most have either returned home or moved on to Miami, where Andy Robertson and company will take on Brazil on Wednesday.

"We probably ran out of almost every beer at some point, but it was a lot of fun," Brandon Finnan, manager of the Cask 'n Flagon pub, said. "I think a lot of us took it for granted in a way. We didn't know what to expect really.

"We heard the Scottish were coming. And when they showed up, they showed up very deep! Speaking for the city of Boston, we feel blessed. They've been amazing to us. They came in here. They've treated all the staff with nothing but respect.

"They took time to understand how our tipping works, they cleaned up. And I think they brought a lot of happiness to the city when we needed it. So it was very nice to see.

"The city really needed this positive atmosphere right now, and I think it's brought a lot more than we expected, so we're all for it and we wish it would last longer."

Brian McDonnell, manager of The Dubliner pub, echoed Finan's sentiment: "The Scots kind of really took us over. It's been nothing short of crazy, you know. They're an awesome crowd.

"Very understanding that we were slammed, that we were all working long hours. So they're a great gang to have and it's sad to see them go, but I'm sure there'll be other people rocking up to take their place."

Can England fans keep the good vibes going?

The "other people" in question are England fans, who will watch their team take on Ghana in Foxborough later today. "We won't maybe be hanging up an English flag outside as much as the Scottish flag, but they're still welcome and will still have a good time," McDonnell said.

Given the relationship that has been forged with the Scots, there is less enthusiasm about the arrival of England fans. "I think England plays more of a favourite's role, whereas Scotland is more of an underdog, so I think it'll be a little bit different," Finnan added.

"I think it'll be a little less wild. We've taken Scotland under our wings. We're in love with Scotland now, so we're on their side. I think there's a lot of other teams that people here would vote for besides England. But I think Scotland definitely jumped the list coming here."

Nevertheless, there is still plenty of excitement about the arrival of Three Lions fans, especially given that they have a spotless record at the tournament. England supporters reportedly left Dallas police "stunned" with their good behaviour during their stay in the city.

Red Sox officer Frank Fishman said: "England and Scotland may be apples and oranges in terms of their football culture, but I don't believe the same can be said about the people culture.

"I have interacted with British folks and I have nothing but high expectations of kindness and chivalry. England may be more disappointed in a draw or a loss. For Scotland, what we have gathered is that they are happy to be here, the English want to bring it home. And that's OK.

"The beauty of this tournament is that preconceived notions are being broken down about people from inside and outside America alike. People are getting a better perspective of Americans and we are getting a better perspective of people abroad."

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Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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