It was a humid Sunday night in Boston, around 9pm, and the Red Sox were trailing by three going into the seventh inning at Fenway Park. A familiar scene of despair for home fans — one supporter grumbled that “a few weeks ago, fans came to watch with bags over their heads, they were that disillusioned.” Then, through the calls of “cold beer” and “get your hot dogs” from the aisles, an unmistakable song crackled over the speakers: “Mister, your eyes are full of hesitation…” What followed, in the words of one witness, “will be remembered forever by all who were there.” More than 10,000 Scots began singing Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, dancing on the jumbotron at a ballpark that opened the week the Titanic sank.
The invasion did not happen by accident. Scotland had beaten Haiti 1-0 the day before in their World Cup opener — Super John McGinn scoring the winner — and their next match, against Morocco, was not until Friday. So thousands of the Tartan Army decided to fill the gap by taking in a baseball game. The event was the brainchild of Travis Pollio, the Red Sox’s director of ticket strategy and promotions. Standing at the corner of Jersey and Van Ness streets hours earlier, he predicted about 4,000 Scots would show up, his voice nearly drowned out by a pipe band. A gaggle of kilted men soon serenaded him with an impromptu verse of “Red Sox Tartan Army.” His estimate proved modest. Of the 32,000 souls crammed into Fenway, it felt as if you were at Hampden.
“Over 10,000 Scotland fans took over Fenway Park, singing and dancing during a Red Sox game.”
At 4:45pm, the kilted procession had set off from a nearby park, escorted by police and shutting down surrounding streets. Locals paused to take photos and videos, while barmen outside the ground started running dry of beer before the first pitch. Season ticket holders quickly struck up conversations, learning traditional Scottish songs. At one break in play, both sets of fans were chanting “no Scotland, no party,” with locals adapting it to “no Red Sox, no party.” The stadium DJ fed the atmosphere with Gala’s Freed From Desire and The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond.
Scotland fans sported special edition blue tartan Red Sox jerseys, some customised with the names of Scottish football legends, while others wore modified Scotland shirts with “Red Sox” across the front. Tessie and Wally, the Red Sox mascots, appeared in Highland dress. Despite the Red Sox losing 6-4, many Scots confessed they understood little of the game. One standout moment came late when a fan in a See You Jimmy Hat repeatedly tried to start a Mexican wave — and eventually succeeded, the entire ground joining in.
“The Tartan Army has been incredibly well received everywhere, embraced like a long-lost relative,” noted a Scotland supporter. As the night ended, the questions turned to Friday: can Scotland beat Morocco?