Full hearts, empty kegs, can't lose: Scotland's Ta...
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- The Tartan Army took over Fenway Park for "Scotland Day" on Sunday — mascot Wally wore a kilt, the in-house organist played Scottish hits after a week of practice, and thousands of Scotland fans sang "Flower of Scotland" after the Star-Spangled Banner during a Red Sox loss to the Texas Rangers.
- Scotland's transatlantic flights ran out of beer mid-journey; one fan told ESPN it was "water or wine" on his delayed Schiphol-to-Boston leg with his 72-year-old father.
- Craig Ferguson, 22, walked 3,000-plus miles in a kilt from Los Angeles to Boston Common to raise seven figures for SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health), finishing last Friday — then launched a campaign to find his lost, beloved kilt the next day.
- Jason Waddleton, owner of The Haven pub in Boston (who moved there after the 1998 World Cup), ordered 150 kegs of Scottish lager for the World Cup and estimated he would empty them all before Scotland face Morocco on Friday.
- A Street Soccer Scotland charity event at the Anchor — the official Scotland House in Charlestown — drew actors Gerard Butler, Martin Compston and Tony Curran and broadcaster Gordon Smart, continuing a tradition that dates to the 1998 World Cup in Paris.
- Boston resident Mike Morrison was woken at 6:30 AM by bagpipes from Scotland fans who rented the house opposite his; he hosted them for a barbecue, and a Scottish woman named Helen McDonald found him a ticket for the Scotland match in return.
- Scotland's win over Haiti in their World Cup opener was their fifth-ever World Cup victory and first since 1990, ending a 28-year wait since their last men's World Cup appearance.
Why it matters: The 28-year World Cup drought gave Scotland's diaspora a once-in-a-generation reason to travel, and the spending reflects it: Boston pub owner Jason Waddleton pre-ordered 150 kegs of Scottish lager and expects to empty them in a single week, while Fenway staged a themed "Scotland Day" for a tournament the men's team last reached in 1998.
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