Massachusetts governor Maura Healey signed an executive order legalising haggis – only to reveal 24 hours later it was a joke. "I have received countless messages from Massachusetts residents, Scotland supporters, legal experts, and at least one very concerned sheep," she wrote on Instagram. "After careful review by my office, I am prepared to clarify that this was, in fact, a joke."
But the Tartan Army's invasion of Boston was no joke. An estimated 50,000 Scotland fans have descended on the city over the past week, drinking bars dry and injecting fun into baseball matches. Numerous bars have reported low beer stocks, prompting the city to sign a "Tartan Army Bill" allowing some 140 bars to stay open longer.
“Governor Healey's haggis legalisation was a joke, but 50,000 Scotland fans have transformed Boston, prompting a sister city bid.”
The love affair has gone beyond baseball. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a sister city application with Glasgow, doing so in a Scottish pub wearing a Scotland football jersey. "The Tartan Army has brought the energy, joy, and enthusiasm to Massachusetts," Healey said. "This is truly what the World Cup is all about."
At Fenway Park on Sunday night, an on-screen proposal was soundtracked by 10,000 Scots singing about John McGinn. A row of Red Sox fans had their view obstructed by two men doing the Gay Gordons. Organist Josh Kantor kept the hits coming while displaying a "No Scotland No Party" sign. A Scot even scooped the 50/50 draw jackpot. Two days later, thousands returned for Pride Night, and there is now talk of thousands descending on the Miami Marlins game next week.
More than 20,000 fans travelled to Boston for the game at Boston Stadium. A campaign by Simon Howie Butcher to legalise haggis – banned in the US since the 1970s because sheep lung is classified as offal – had gathered more than 20,000 signatures. But despite the governor's executive order, individual states cannot override federal import regulations. For now, haggis remains illegal – but the Tartan Army has already won Boston's heart.