Boston locals are watching the latest wave of World Cup visitors with some trepidation, as England supporters begin arriving in New England ahead of the Three Lions’ second group-stage fixture against Ghana.
Scotland had made Boston Stadium their home for their opening two matches, quickly winning over residents with the colour and noise of the Tartan Army, from lively bagpipe-led marches to a free-spirited party atmosphere around the city.
After days of upbeat scenes on the East Coast, some fans online have wondered whether the arrival of England’s travelling support might change the mood.
“English are here and f***ing the vibes, Scots stick around and fight them with us?” one social media user posted.
On the streets, however, England fans appeared ready to embrace their turn in the spotlight. One group of Three Lions supporters shared a video captioned: “The English have kicked the Scottish out of Boston.”
In the footage, the group could be heard singing: “F*** off, Tartan Army, you’ve had your f***ing party, you’re going home, you’re going home,” set to the melody of Slade’s “Cum On Feel The Noize.”
England fans have arrived in Boston ahead of their clash with Ghana on Tuesday at Foxborough
They follow the hugely popular Tartan Army, whose presence has made a strong impression across New England
Whether Bostonians will learn to live with England fans or continue to pine for their next-door neighbours remains to be seen, however, there have been reports of common ground between the two camps, with pubs in Boston reporting that they have had to rent extra fridges to keep up with the consumption of beer.
Bar manager Brian McDonnell told LBC that his bar has ‘deliveries arriving every day’ to keep up with fervent demand.
‘We’re going through so much beer, and we have only a decent-sized keg room,’ McDonnell said.
‘We’re still going through so much that we had to rent a couple of mobile fridge units that we have out in the back alley so we always have beer rotating through – it’s always cold, it’s always flowing.’
‘It’s been amazing – Scotland’s like the ideal crowd we could have got,’ McDonnell added on the subject of the World Cup and the city’s previous guests. ‘Obviously (they are) big boozers, big partiers – but while doing all that, they caused zero problems.
‘I said over the last two weeks of madness… I don’t think we’ve had to kick out a single person. There’s been no scraps, no malice from anyone. Everyone’s here for a good time.’
The connection between Bostonians and travelling Scots taking in the Haiti and Morocco clashes was swift and intense, with publicans and bar-owners almost disbelieving that the Tartan Army had drunk them dry.
After taking in their win against Haiti, 5,000 Scotland fans were invited to Fenway Park to watch the Boston Red Sox and contribute to a rousing atmosphere, with marches hosted en route to the stadium and in nearby Providence.
Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu went one step further, establishing a sister-partnership with Glasgow, a ‘gesture of friendship’ has since been welcomed by the Lord Provost of Glasgow Dr Cllr Jacqueline MacLaren.
The Governor of Massachusetts Maura Healey even signed an executive order ‘legalising’ the Scottish national dish of Haggis.
EXCLUSIVE: Bruce Lion, Heir to Raisin Fortune, Arrested on Terror Threat Charges
As such, with the clan’s departure for the final match against Brazil in Miami, there have already been strong feelings of dismay.
Bostonians have been lamenting the departure of the Scottish fans after enjoying their vibe
Some have feared however that England will ‘ruin’ the mood of the city over the next few days
Scotland fans did not entirely give up their hijinks abroad but there have been few skirmishes
A full-page advertisement was placed in The Boston Globe to say farewell to the fans, beginning their missive with the statement that they had given residents ‘something more’ than just a World Cup experience.
‘For a week, you turned train stations into sing-alongs, Fenway into a football ground, and an ordinary June into something we’ll be talking about for years,’ the letter read.
‘Boston has hosted championships, parades, and celebrations of every kind. But we’ve never hosted guests quite like you all.
‘Thank you for the laughter, the bagpipes and the memories. The World Cup will move on. So will the songs, but we’ll never forget the joy you brought to our city.’
Fans on TikTok lamented the departure of Scotland fans, admitting that they would miss ‘every single one’, with one user saying she had been so ‘devastated’ by their departure that she and a friend had walked the city that night just to ‘soak up their energy’.
The user also shared a picture of herself with a travelling fan and stressed that it had been her ‘goal’ to pose with someone wearing a kilt.
There has even been the suggestion of a baby boom in the city due to good relations between locals and their guests.
Hopefully the arrival of England supporters will be similarly convivial, with reports from local police that zero British nationals were arrested during their spell in Texas.
Have you paid attention to the action so far? Try our World Cup quiz HERE
