Scotland’s football fans have won their own legion of supporters, with their presence in the US prompting a ‘thank you’ message from one of America’s leading newspapers.
The Boston Globe has applauded the thousands of Scots who descended on the city for two matches in the World Cup, saying they have brought memories and joy to the city.
It is thought the warm response to the fans could spark an economic benefit for Scotland as the goodwill forged between the Scots and Bostonians filters into wider sentiment.
They will hoping to develop a similar relationship as they move on to Miami for the final group game this week.
In a full page message, the Globe says: “Dear Tartan Army, you came for the World Cup but you gave us something more.
“For a week you turned train stations into singalongs, Fenway into a football ground, and an ordinary June into something we’ll be talking about for years.
“Boston has hosted championships, parades and celebrations of every kind. But we’ve never hosted guests quite like you all.
“Thank you for the laughter, the bagpipes and the memories. The World Cup will move on. So will the songs, but we will never forget the joy you brought to our city.”
The Tartan Army’s presence over the past fortnight, in which they have engaged the locals with good humour and even cleaned the streets, will be regarded as a valuable marketing exercise for Scotland.
Some say it has outweighed the impact of trade missions and other campaigns aimed at stimulating business deals and tourists.
As well as the extra spending pouring into Boston, economists will now be calculating the added value the Scots visitors have generated for their home country in terms of goodwill and interest in developing further links.
Aberdeen-based energy industry operations director Chris Rennie, commenting from the grounds of Harvard Business School, said: “The biggest idea I witnessed this week wasn’t inside a lecture hall.
“It was 50,000 Scots in kilts turning Boston into the loudest, friendliest city on the planet for two World Cup games.
I’ve sat through a lot of presentations about the power of collective effort and culture. I’ve never seen it demonstrated quite like that. No boardroom strategy produced what those fans created simply by deciding to show up and mean it.”
Boston has already signed a deal to twin with Glasgow. Mayor Michelle Wu hailed Scotland fans as “dream” guests for bringing positive vibes to the area.
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