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The beer ran out — and that was just the beginning of the most intoxicating love affair between a city and its adopted army! Chanting "No Scotland No Party" amid swirling kilts, exuberant bagpipes and a sea of red shirts bearing the sacred name of McTominay, Boston's watering holes were drained dry, forcing desperate landlords to crack open their emergency reserves. When a city runs out of alcohol because of your passion, you know something extraordinary is happening — and the bond between the Tartan Army and Boston was officially sealed in black and white! Inside a heaving pub packed with delirious supporters, Boston's mayor Michelle Wu donned a pink national team jersey to sign a letter of intent for a twinning agreement with Glasgow on Thursday, June 18 — a historic moment that cemented this transatlantic romance forever. From the very first clash against Haiti, Scottish fans engulfed three locations with their irrepressible spirit: Foxborough, a stone's throw from the stadium; Providence in New England; and downtown Beacon Hill, right in the city's beating heart, where dozens of television crews scrambled to capture the magnificent spectacle. "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and the legendary refrain of "I'm Gonna Be" echoed through the streets, the anthems even infiltrating a Boston Red Sox baseball game — complete with a full-scale parade toward the hallowed Fenway Park! "It's been great to see videos from the Red Sox games," grinned captain Andy Robertson at his press conference. "I know the owners were absolutely delighted the Tartan Army were in — one of them sent me a nice message." After Scotland's battle with Morocco, the Boston Globe devoted an entire full-page tribute to the fans who had painted the city in glorious colour, declaring: "We will never forget the joy you brought to the city." Dozens of Boston's iconic statues received spontaneous Glasgow-style makeovers — traffic cones perched atop their heads in homage to the legendary Duke of Wellington statue. This love story may yet have another chapter: if the Scots battle through to the knockout phase, a return to Boston for the Round of 32 awaits — and the city will welcome them back with open arms and, this time, significantly more beer!
