Saying goodbye to Scotland as World Cup fans head to South Florida
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Scotland supporters in Boston last week ahead of Scotland's World Cup match against Morocco. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP
They came. They partied. They put road cones on statues.
- And now, alas, Scotland's Tartan Army is leaving Boston as their World Cup journey takes the team to South Florida.
Why it matters: The Scottish team plays Brazil Wednesday in Miami, and after what seems like a month of occupying Boston, the Scots we've all grown to love will be gone.
What's happening: Delta Air Lines wants to send the Tartan Army off in style as they depart Boston for Miami.
- Through Wednesday morning, the airline is offering kilt- and bagpipe-toting travelers priority boarding on BOS-to-MIA and BOS-to-FLL flights.
- It's partly to help bagpipe players secure precious overhead bin space for their instruments.
The airline's sendoff party will have bagpipe music at the gate, Scottish shortbread, specialty mocktails and some employees in kilts.
- Fans are invited to write "Love Letters to Boston" postcards at the gate about their memories. The most coherent may appear online or in the airport.
What's next: England.
- They play Ghana in Foxborough on Tuesday at 4pm.
The intrigue: As Scotland moves on, there's been some drama between Scottish fans and at least one bar downtown.
- The 4th Wall on Tremont Street played what the owner told Axios was a good-natured joke on a group of friendly Scottish fans that had become temporary regulars.
- The bar blared the English national anthem "God Save the King" and posted "This is an English bar fuck off" on the TVs. A world-class troll to take the piss out of the bar's new Scottish friends.
Yes, but: At least one Scottish fan didn't receive the joke as intended, and according to social media posts, started a firestorm online criticizing the bar.
- "We love the Scottish, and we had a great time all weekend," owner and general manager Brett Walshaw told Axios.
- "It was like five minutes out of a whole week ruined an entire party," he said.
💭 Deehan's thought bubble: I've seen a few English tourists taking in the sights downtown and they seem a bit more family-friendly than their Scottish compatriots.
- We'll see if that changes Tuesday night when they come back from Gillette.