BOSTON, Massachusetts — The Boston Red Sox are singing the praises of Scotland’s famous traveling supporters, known as the Tartan Army, after their remarkable visit to Fenway Park during the FIFA World Cup.
Thousands of Scotland supporters, in Boston for the tournament, took a break from football on June 14 to march through the city to the iconic baseball stadium, where the Red Sox were hosting the Texas Rangers that evening.
The march was accompanied by the sounds of more than a dozen bagpipers, with fans dressed in kilts and waving Scottish flags making their way to the ballpark just one day after Scotland celebrated their first World Cup victory since 1990 — a 1-0 defeat of Haiti.
Once at Fenway Park, the Scottish supporters belted out rousing songs, including the national team’s beloved anthem “Flower of Scotland,” for Red Sox fans gathered both outside and inside the stadium, before joining the crowd to watch the baseball game.
Red Sox President Sam Kennedy captured the excitement in a letter addressed to the Scottish FA. “What happened at Fenway Park on June 14th was something none of us will forget. We knew the Tartan Army was coming. We did not fully understand what that meant until we saw it,” Kennedy wrote.
Kennedy went on to describe the scene in vivid detail. “Hundreds of Scotland supporters gathered at the foot of a statue of Robert Burns in the Back Bay and marched all the way to Lansdowne Street to the sound of bagpipes. Kilts and Scottish flags filled our ballpark with a spirit that has no equivalent in American sport,” he wrote. “The Tartan Army treated our home like their own, and we are better for it.”
Beyond the ballpark, Scotland’s fans have become one of the most talked-about feel-good stories of this World Cup, taking over bars, restaurants, pubs, and public parks throughout Boston. Their celebrations stretched on for days, and reports indicate the festivities even strained the city’s beer supplies as Scotland played their first two group stage matches there.
Scotland’s next challenge comes Wednesday in Miami, where they face Brazil in a group match that could clinch their spot in the next round of the tournament.
