Boston said goodbye to the Tartan Army on Saturday as Scotland’s passionate soccer supporters packed their bags and headed south to Miami, leaving the city sleep-deprived, thoroughly entertained, and counting some impressive bar revenue.
Dressed in dark blue jerseys — and some in traditional kilts — Scotland fans rolled luggage through Boston’s streets on their way to buses, trains, and flights heading toward their next destination.
“I wasn’t sure about the States hosting the World Cup but they’ve done us proud really. From the police to the bar staff and the locals, it’s been a really beautiful experience,” said Karl Johnston, a 57-year-old civil servant from Glasgow.
The Scotland faithful descended on Boston in massive numbers for their country’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years, and by most accounts they out-celebrated every other fan base that passed through the city during the tournament.
A 1-0 loss to Morocco on Friday barely put a dent in anyone’s enthusiasm, largely because Scotland still has a strong chance of advancing to the knockout round after beating Haiti 1-0 in their opening Group C match.
Fans filled bars and spilled into the streets singing well into the early morning hours on Saturday. Bostonians woke up to find traffic cones perched on the heads of the city’s historical statues — a signature move of Scotland’s traveling supporters.
By Saturday morning at South Station, conversations among groups of fans centered largely on which American over-the-counter painkillers worked best.
A Windfall for Local Businesses
While some U.S. hotels and airlines have reported disappointing World Cup revenues due to steep ticket and hospitality prices, Boston’s bars and restaurants experienced the opposite effect thanks to the Scottish invasion.
“We knew the city was going to be busy but we didn’t realise that they were going to drink so much,” said Adam Romanow, founder and chief executive of Boston-based Castle Island Brewing Co.
Romanow noted that beer sales at the famous Cheers bar — the landmark made iconic by the long-running TV series of the 1980s and 1990s — were up 75% compared to the same period last year.
Martha Sheridan, chief executive of Meet Boston, the city’s tourism promotion organization, said bar workers were pulling in nearly $1,000 a day in tips alone, and that both the city and the state of Massachusetts would see a bump in tax revenue.
“But none of that compares to just the pure joy and camaraderie that we’re all experiencing right now,” Sheridan said. “I feel like we have a new lifelong friend in Scotland.”
As for Johnston, he was boarding a bus to New York before catching a flight to Orlando, all to make it to Miami in time for Scotland’s final group match against Brazil on Wednesday.
“Miami Beach, palm trees, samba, Tartan Army,” he said. “It’s football heaven isn’t it?”
