Scotland fans channel the spirit of the World Cup to leave Boston charmed
At around 2pm on the delayed 9am train to Boston, two shocked locals were engaged in bemused conversation.
The subject, a kilted man presumably in his early 60s, had just returned down the carriage after an hour or so sitting with his new-found friends.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“It’s only 2pm! The game isn’t for another seven hours!” one exclaimed. “Those drinks must have had at least five shots in them, and he definitely got through at least three,” came the shocked reply.
Boston is no stranger to a British siege, but they didn’t quite expect this.
Whether it’s South Koreans in Mexico or Brazilians in New York, social media is awash with videos and photos of fans and locals enjoying their own World Cup parties.
And one story that has proved particularly captivating is that of Scotland fans’ takeover of Boston.
Scotland were one of few teams who played the first two games of their group stage campaign in the same city, with Steve Clarke’s side narrowly losing to Morocco in Boston on Friday, just six days after beating Haiti.
With fans arriving a few days ahead of their opener on 13 June, some had a week or so to make Boston a home away from home. They got to work quickly.
Scots were dotted all around the city and surrounding areas, and from the North End to Back Bay, locals quickly came to realise that a World Cup party 28 years in the making was not something the visitors would be taking lightly.
News that the flagship taproom of Samuel Adams (Boston’s signature beer) ran dry will come as no surprise, with a representative telling the BBC that “the Tartan Army drank four times as much Boston Lager as we run through on a typical four-day holiday stretch like 4th of July”.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe fact the opening game against Haiti fell on a Saturday meant that locals and visitors alike had ample time to party, and it made for a jovial, boisterous Beantown atmosphere.
“I love the Scots, they brought their charm,” said a manager at a bar outside Quincy Market. “It’s so genuine and heartfelt, they just want to come here, support their team, eat, drink and be merry!”
Nowhere was this more apparent than at Fenway Park last Sunday. A day after beating Haiti, thousands of Scottish fans marched to the stadium ahead of the Red Sox’s game against the Texas Rangers, and they carried their now-famous atmosphere into another Boston institution.
An impromptu rendition of the Scottish national anthem was louder than the pre-planned American one, and from John McGinn chants to ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, the visitors made good on the ‘No Scotland, No Party’ slogan.
The consensus from locals was that this great stadium had probably never seen anything quite like it. A local news anchor said that she had “never experienced an environment like that at Fenway or anywhere else”, and the injection of energy was so appreciated by the Red Sox that they announced a free beer for all Scotland fans for the games in the following week.
Fans at Fenway said they’d never been to a Red Sox game with this kind of atmosphere. Others went further. “I’ve never seen the city more lively,” a local quipped. “I think you’ve come to see Boston for the best week in about 20 years!”
AdvertisementAdvertisementLocal news was infatuated with the Scots too, with stations running several segments on the Scots’ various adventures and interactions with locals.
There were certainly glowing reviews, though the city played its own part in a party for the ages too. Bostonians certainly held up their end of the bargain, combining a warm welcome with plenty of good faith to help lay the platform for one of the feel-good stories of the World Cup.
And such was the strength of goodwill and positivity around Boston that the city once referred to as the ‘Hub of the Solar System’ again felt like the centre of the universe, if only for a fleeting week in June.
As they bid farewell to Boston, Scotland’s win over Haiti and the loss to Morocco means that Clarke’s side are still in with a chance of extending their stay in North America into the knockout rounds.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMiami will be next as the Tartan Army hope for a famous result against Brazil, with a draw likely to be enough to secure a place in the last 32.
Depending on where they finish in Group C, Scotland could play in Boston once more, returning after making the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time. Beantown has already seen a party for the ages, but the best may be yet to come.
And even if their stay only lasts one more game, it’s been a successful campaign both on and off the pitch, for Scotland fans in Boston have embodied exactly what makes the World Cup so special.
It only took a week for the world to remember what football – and indeed all sports – are really about. In a world of ticket rip-offs, staged Peace Prizes and visa denials, fans have come together to produce something organic and overwhelmingly positive. Boston now knows that when it comes to a World Cup, only one team can win, but anyone can take part.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIndeed, sometimes the game is not about winning. As fans of Scotland, Cape Verde or even the Red Sox would tell you, sometimes it’s just about being there.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
