First it was the Tartan Army. Now it’s England joining in on the fun.
Scotland’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years drew plenty of media attention, particularly off the field – thanks to the Tartan Army.
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Scotland fans took over Fenway Park, home of the MLB’s Boston Red Sox, and drunk the city dry before leaving for Miami.
However, for all the fanfare, Scotland did not advance out of the group stages leading head coach Steve Clarke to resign from his position.
After narrowly defeating DR Congo 2-1, a small section of England fans went to an Atlanta Braves game at the nearby Truist Park in Georgia, and adopted one of their players.
The group sat in the center field bleachers where Braves outfielder Michael Harris II took stage.
For nine innings, the fans would chant his name and even adapt famous England football songs in his honour.
Supporters could he heard chanting “Harris, give us a wave, Harris Harris give us a wave.”
They also sang ‘Walking in a Harris Wonderland’ as well as incorporating the 24-year-old into the ‘It’s Coming Home’ chant.
The 2022 National League Rookie of the Year clearly enjoyed his personal fan section, tossing multiple baseballs into the crowd of supporters, waving to them when asked.
“It’s my first experience of baseball and we didn’t know what to expect,” England supporter ‘Nige’ said on the Braves broadcast.
“What we are trying to do is just bring a little bit of English atmosphere to what is obviously a slightly different sport.
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“It’s amazing, it’s fantastic to see something different, I love the whole build, I love the atmosphere and to be a part of it for one night is really special.”
After the end of the match, Harris returned to center field to thank the fans for their support and record a video with them.
The support inspired the Braves to a convincing 5-1 victory over the Cardinals, with Harris himself going 1-4 with an RBI single at the plate.
With the win, Atlanta now hold a 2.5 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the race to win the National League East.
They are expected to be buying at the trade deadline, unlike division-rivals New York Mets, who have already begun their fire sale after a disastrous season to date.
As for England, up next is a daunting trip to the iconic Estadio Azteca to face Mexico in the Round of 16.
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Mexico will have homefield advantage, thanks to England’s disastrous record when playing at high altitude.
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