Scotland’s Tartan Army fans are already noticing a sharp difference between Boston and Miami – and it has nothing to do with the weather.
Around 50,000 Scotland supporters have descended on the United States for the 2026 World Cup, the country’s first appearance at the tournament in 28 years.
The Tartan Army made Boston their base for the opening two group games against Haiti and Morocco, winning widespread praise for their good humor during their visit.
Their antics in Massachusetts went viral around the world – from drinking the city’s bars dry of Tennent’s lager to placing traffic cones on the heads of statues and even doing spontaneous street singalongs with fans from rival nations.
Boston’s police officers joined in the fun too, filming themselves doing keepy-uppies in the FIFA Fan Zone and attempting to play the bagpipes.
However, having now moved over to Miami ahead of their game against Brazil on Wednesday, the Tartan Army have been met with a different attitude from locals.
A Scottish fan was immediately confronted by Miami police after placing a cone on a statue
After being warned by Miami police, he swiftly removed the cone from the statue’s head
A video circulating on social media shows a Scotland supporter attempting to place a traffic cone on top of a statue in downtown Miami, only to be swiftly met with a very different reception to the one his compatriots enjoyed in Massachusetts last week.
The fan, dressed in a Scotland strip, successfully crowned the figure of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon with the cone – before immediate loud beeping from a nearby police car brought the moment to an end. He swiftly removed the cone.
The woman who was filming the video – and evidently travelling with the man – suggested that Miami police still have time to save their relationship with the Scots.
She said: ‘We’re a wee bit away from the Miami police loving the Scots. I’ll be honest, I s*** myself a wee bit there when that siren went off and we put the cone back.
‘They need to lighten up a wee bit but there’s still time for them!’, she added.
The cone-on-statue tradition is a beloved piece of Scottish cultural heritage.
Glaswegians have been placing traffic cones atop the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art for decades, a custom believed to have begun with late-night revellers in the 1980s.
Having taken over Boston, fans have now made their way down to Florida ahead of Scotland’s third and final group game against Brazil on Wednesday, where the reception – at least from local law enforcement – appears to be rather cooler.
The hugely popular Tartan Army descended on New England last week – and fans loved it
A Scotland fan was seen playing bagpipes in a pool at a hotel after arriving in Miami
However, Miami locals seem to be loving the Tartan Army’s presence.
Another video which went viral showed a contingent of Scotland fans partying at a Miami hotel pool. They’d even brought the bagpipes with them.
The viral clip showed one Tartan Army member standing poolside, playing a tune while the rest of them bounced around and chanted away.
And, while the Scottish fans are bringing good vibes wherever they go in America, it appears that the same cannot be said for their English counterparts.
Boston’s residents have been left fearing that the arrival of England fans could dent the high spirits raised by the Tartan Army, as Three Lions supporters have begun arriving in New England ahead of the second World Cup fixture against Ghana.
With the mood buoyant on the East Coast, there has been some concern that the newest visitors – the English – might dampen spirits.
‘English are here and f***ing the vibes, Scots stick around and fight them with us?’ one social media user wrote.
Those on the ground however were keen to welcome in the new order, with one group of Three Lions fans sharing a video with the caption: ‘The English have kicked the Scottish out of Boston’.
Whether Bostonians will learn to live with England fans or continue to pine for their next-door neighbours remains to be seen, however, there have been reports of common ground between the two camps, with pubs in Boston reporting that they have had to rent extra fridges to keep up with the consumption of beer.
