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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The sound of bagpipes wafted through the air on the long trek to Boston Stadium (known outside the World Cup as Gillette), first faint and off in the distance, and gradually getting louder, as if guiding you to your seat.
There were Scottish flags everywhere; men, women and children in kilts, and the thickest Scottish accent you’ve ever heard, somehow bested by the next one you heard.
If it weren’t for the Tom Brady statue and the Super Bowl banners waving over the lighthouse behind the goal, you would have been forgiven for thinking you were in Glasgow and not Foxborough.
A lot has been made of Scotland’s fans and their journey to New England during this World Cup, and on Friday, they made the most of what will likely be their team’s last game here.
Scotland lost to Morocco, 1-0, on a goal from Ismael Saibari in the second minute, in their second of three Group C games. The team’s final match will be in Miami against Brazil on Wednesday, so many fans were soaking in their final moments in New England before heading down south. There’s a chance Scotland could be back if it advances to the knockout round, but it’d have to win its way there and permutations would have to work out perfectly.
“It’s been brilliant,” said J.P. Lavery, who immigrated to Massachusetts from Scotland and has lived in the U.S. for 37 years. “Having feet in both worlds, it’s beautiful to see. I see Bostonians coming in, and Scots coming out, and mixing together, it just makes us proud.”
He took a second to wipe away tears.
“As you can see, we’re very emotional people. A lot of Scots crying with happiness.”
Another trio of Scottish fans The Courant spoke to said their experience in New England has been “unforgettable.” They saw similarities between themselves and American sports fans, even if not entirely through a shared level of passion for soccer alone.
“A lot of the Americans we’ve spoken to, sport is a big part of their life,” said native Scot Matthew Corbett. “And in Scotland, it’s pretty much the same with football. Everyday conversations pretty much always tie back to football, regardless of what you’re talking about.”
“I think the passion for it is transferrable,” said fellow Scot Elliot Corbett. “Whether it’s like American football or baseball, the passion for that is the same as what we have for football so even if you don’t really understand what’s going on, you can appreciate why other people love it so much.”
The two, alongside friend Cameron Munro, were among the thousands of Scottish supporters who descended on Fenway Park earlier this week, to the amazement and delight of many Red Sox fans. The “Tartan Army,” as they’re called, sang “Flower of Scotland,” belted out chants like “No Scotland, No Party,” and even “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie,” the 1977 disco song by Baccara.
“It’s the same as when we went to the baseball,” Elliot said. “We had no idea what was going on. But we enjoyed the atmosphere, we had a great time, no doubt there are lots of Americans that are watching (the World Cup) in the stadiums and on TV, and maybe don’t really have a vested interest in it, but they like the atmosphere and the passion, and that’s the same.”
Scotland’s fans have famously tested Boston’s beer reserves, with some pubs running out, including the Sam Adams Taproom, which saw its supply of Boston Lager run dry. Did that surprise the fans we spoke to?
“Honestly, no,” Munro said. “We went to Germany for the Euros, and that’s obviously a big drinking culture and even Munich, we drank that dry. Coming here, we kind of had an understanding that they might not have enough, so we took it lightly.”
Elliot Corbett said New Englanders have been amused by the Scots’ exuberance, and above all else, welcoming.
“They’ve really accepted us, and accepted everything that we do. Mainly good. All the cones on the statues, and the singing and the drinking and stuff like that. It’s been great, we’ve loved it honestly,” he said.
“I think they’re more surprised by the amount of kilts,” Matthew Corbett said.
In a time where Americans feel a constant sense of division, some said the coming together of people from all over the world for this World Cup has had almost a healing power.
“America needs something like this. Somewhere where we can come together. It’s so divided,” Lavery said. “The Scotland supporters have lifted us from all this stuff that’s been going on.”
“I think I read that this is our twin city now,” Matthew Corbett said. “It shows that you can really make a connection with people across the Atlantic.”
Continue reading...
There were Scottish flags everywhere; men, women and children in kilts, and the thickest Scottish accent you’ve ever heard, somehow bested by the next one you heard.
If it weren’t for the Tom Brady statue and the Super Bowl banners waving over the lighthouse behind the goal, you would have been forgiven for thinking you were in Glasgow and not Foxborough.
A lot has been made of Scotland’s fans and their journey to New England during this World Cup, and on Friday, they made the most of what will likely be their team’s last game here.
Scotland lost to Morocco, 1-0, on a goal from Ismael Saibari in the second minute, in their second of three Group C games. The team’s final match will be in Miami against Brazil on Wednesday, so many fans were soaking in their final moments in New England before heading down south. There’s a chance Scotland could be back if it advances to the knockout round, but it’d have to win its way there and permutations would have to work out perfectly.
“It’s been brilliant,” said J.P. Lavery, who immigrated to Massachusetts from Scotland and has lived in the U.S. for 37 years. “Having feet in both worlds, it’s beautiful to see. I see Bostonians coming in, and Scots coming out, and mixing together, it just makes us proud.”
He took a second to wipe away tears.
“As you can see, we’re very emotional people. A lot of Scots crying with happiness.”
Another trio of Scottish fans The Courant spoke to said their experience in New England has been “unforgettable.” They saw similarities between themselves and American sports fans, even if not entirely through a shared level of passion for soccer alone.
“A lot of the Americans we’ve spoken to, sport is a big part of their life,” said native Scot Matthew Corbett. “And in Scotland, it’s pretty much the same with football. Everyday conversations pretty much always tie back to football, regardless of what you’re talking about.”
“I think the passion for it is transferrable,” said fellow Scot Elliot Corbett. “Whether it’s like American football or baseball, the passion for that is the same as what we have for football so even if you don’t really understand what’s going on, you can appreciate why other people love it so much.”
The two, alongside friend Cameron Munro, were among the thousands of Scottish supporters who descended on Fenway Park earlier this week, to the amazement and delight of many Red Sox fans. The “Tartan Army,” as they’re called, sang “Flower of Scotland,” belted out chants like “No Scotland, No Party,” and even “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie,” the 1977 disco song by Baccara.
“It’s the same as when we went to the baseball,” Elliot said. “We had no idea what was going on. But we enjoyed the atmosphere, we had a great time, no doubt there are lots of Americans that are watching (the World Cup) in the stadiums and on TV, and maybe don’t really have a vested interest in it, but they like the atmosphere and the passion, and that’s the same.”
Scotland’s fans have famously tested Boston’s beer reserves, with some pubs running out, including the Sam Adams Taproom, which saw its supply of Boston Lager run dry. Did that surprise the fans we spoke to?
“Honestly, no,” Munro said. “We went to Germany for the Euros, and that’s obviously a big drinking culture and even Munich, we drank that dry. Coming here, we kind of had an understanding that they might not have enough, so we took it lightly.”
Elliot Corbett said New Englanders have been amused by the Scots’ exuberance, and above all else, welcoming.
“They’ve really accepted us, and accepted everything that we do. Mainly good. All the cones on the statues, and the singing and the drinking and stuff like that. It’s been great, we’ve loved it honestly,” he said.
“I think they’re more surprised by the amount of kilts,” Matthew Corbett said.
In a time where Americans feel a constant sense of division, some said the coming together of people from all over the world for this World Cup has had almost a healing power.
“America needs something like this. Somewhere where we can come together. It’s so divided,” Lavery said. “The Scotland supporters have lifted us from all this stuff that’s been going on.”
“I think I read that this is our twin city now,” Matthew Corbett said. “It shows that you can really make a connection with people across the Atlantic.”
Continue reading...
