Scotland fans drink Boston dry and charm a city in their World Cup takeover

Scotland’s supporters transformed Boston into an unlikely stronghold during the opening fortnight of the World Cup, winning over locals with a week-long celebration that outlasted the beer supply at the city’s most iconic brewery.

Steve Clarke’s side played both of their opening group-stage matches in the same city — beating Haiti on 13 June before narrowly losing to Morocco six days later — giving the Tartan Army an extended window to make their presence felt. They did not waste it.

Samuel Adams, Boston’s signature brewery, ran its flagship taproom dry. A representative told the BBC that Scotland supporters “drank four times as much Boston Lager as we run through on a typical four-day holiday stretch like 4th of July.” The statistic, remarkable as it is, surprised almost nobody who witnessed the scenes first-hand.

From the North End to Back Bay, kilted fans spread across the city within days of arriving ahead of the opener. Bar managers near Quincy Market were effusive. “I love the Scots, they brought their charm,” said one. “It’s so genuine and heartfelt — they just want to come here, support their team, eat, drink and be merry.”

The most vivid moment came at Fenway Park the day after the Haiti victory, when thousands of Scottish fans marched to the stadium for a Red Sox game against the Texas Rangers. An impromptu rendition of the Scottish national anthem rang out louder than the pre-planned American one, with John McGinn chants and ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ echoing around one of baseball’s most storied venues. A local news anchor said she had never experienced anything quite like it.

The scenes echoed a broader World Cup phenomenon — South Korean fans in Mexico, Brazilians in New York — but Scotland’s takeover of Boston proved particularly captivating, partly because it was 28 years in the making. This is the nation’s first World Cup since 1998, and the supporters treated every hour in the city as though they knew how rare the occasion was.

Despite the loss to Morocco, Scotland remain in contention for the last 32, meaning the Tartan Army could yet make a return to Boston for the knockout rounds. If they do, the city will know exactly what to expect — and will need to order considerably more lager.