'Every second person you see is from Scotland' - Tartan Army fill the streets of Boston for World Cup

Some 30,000 supporters are expected in the city as the Tartan Army continues to descend on Massachusetts ahead of Scotland’s opening fixture against Haiti on Saturday.

With temperatures reaching 31C and forecast to remain high throughout the weekend, residents and visitors alike are sweltering as anticipation builds. The heat, however, has done little to deter Scots from filling the streets, bars and city-centre fan zones.

“We are so excited,” said Linda Brockie, who flew to Boston from Edinburgh via Amsterdam this week.

“We just cannot wait for the Haiti game.

“It’s funny — every second person you see in Boston is Scottish, so you feel as though you are in Scotland.

“And everyone is so friendly. All the locals are wishing us good luck.”

Many supporters have been making the most of the sunshine as they build the atmosphere for what many regard as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Jack Sharp is one of them. Standing in City Hall Plaza, where a fan zone is being prepared ahead of Scotland’s first match of the tournament, the Dunfermline supporter waved a Tartan Army flag alongside friends.

“Our flight from Edinburgh was cancelled and we were delayed for 35 hours, but we’re here now and can’t wait to get stuck into it and enjoy America for what it is,” he said.

“And to soak up the rays because we’re a bit pasty white.”

His friend, Thomas Waterworth, also from Dunfermline, has been enjoying Boston since arriving on Tuesday.

“We’ve been exploring the city and it’s amazing,” he said.

“And you can really feel the atmosphere building with all the Scotland fans arriving.”

Passport control at Boston Logan International Airport has seen an eclectic array of Scotland shirts pass through its gates, with supporters arriving from destinations across the world. In a bid to keep costs down — and because many fans now live overseas, some as far away as Australia — travel routes have been equally varied.

Long-time Scotland supporters Brad, Iain and Pete travelled from Glasgow via Reykjavik this week.

The excitement reached another level as they boarded their final flight in Iceland, leading a rendition of Flower of Scotland among passengers waiting at the gate.

There was, however, some apprehension as they approached US passport control. Dozens of Scottish supporters have reported problems with travel authorisations being revoked at the last minute. Douglas Alexander, the Scottish Secretary, has previously said he was “making representations” on behalf of fans experiencing difficulties with their Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).

Across Boston, bars are packed with Scotland supporters from morning until late into the evening. As kilts swish through the humid streets, locals can often be heard remarking: “I just love Scotland fans.”

A Boston police officer, reluctant to give interviews, was even able to muster: “They’re great. Everyone seems to be having a good time.”

While for many the political backdrop of Donald Trump’s America has tainted the sense of unity the international championship game brings, fans and visitors alike on the ground continue to show support and send good luck to competing teams.

Not if you are English, however, according to many members of the Tartan Army.

Ian Grierson, attending his third World Cup, said he supports “only two teams.”

“Scotland, and anyone who plays England,” he quipped.

The seasoned Scotland supporter said he had already booked accommodation in Glasgow for a “victory march” planned for July.

“It’s for when Scotland win the World Cup, which we’re going to do.”

The optimism is shared widely among the supporters gathered in Boston.

If not winners of El Mundial, then at least winners against Haiti, some predict.

“I think we’re going to beat Haiti 3-0,” said Mike Milne as he took a break from the bustle of the Dubliner Irish Pub in the city centre.

Eighteen-year-old Lewis Hendry and his father, Irvine, will travel to Foxborough Stadium for their first World Cup match.

“I think Scotland will win 2-1,” Lewis said. “I’m giving Haiti a goal — they look decent.”

One Scot who owns a pub in Boston recalled the moment Scotland beat Denmark, marking their qualification for the World Cup.

Jason Waddleton, 57, owns the US city’s only dedicated Scottish pub, The Haven, told of the delight among his patrons when Scotland sealed their place in the tournament.

Mr Waddleton, originally from Stonehaven, said: “It was unbelievable because the week before the Denmark game, we played badly and things hadn’t gone our way, so our hopes weren’t too high.

“But then we got the game against Denmark and I talked some people into coming to watch it, and we were there at the bar and got the win.

“Everyone was emphatic about it – it was beautiful and there was this general exuberance in the air.”

Mr Waddleton moved to Boston in 1998, the same year Scotland last qualified for the World Cup.

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He previously lived in London and worked in a bar, and he told how that gave him the idea of a Scottish pub.

He said: “When I worked in London, there were a lot of Scottish people who would come out to watch and it was great, seeing people getting together.

“I remember thinking it’d be great to open a bar in London that was Scottish, as there weren’t any, and I didn’t think it would really work.

“When I moved over there (to Boston), I worked in an Irish bar for around 10 years and decided I wanted to open my own place and give it some Scottish identity, so here we are.”

In the city centre, supporters and locals following Craig Ferguson’s walk across North America to reach Boston in time for Scotland’s opening match gave him a rapturous welcome on Boston Common.

The Scotsman has raised more than £1 million for mental health causes in Scotland.