BOSTON (AP) 鈥� Fresh off Scotland capping its first appearance in 28 years with the Tartan Army marched to Fenway Park and joined Red Sox Nation on Sunday night.
Thousands of Scottish revelers marched from a public park about a half-mile away from Boston’s 114-year-old baseball stadium and down a street behind the center-field bleachers before filling the bars behind the fabled Green Monster.
The Texas Rangers played Nick Morgan’s song 鈥淣o Scotland No Party鈥� in their clubhouse after Jake Burger, a Tottenham fan, selected it from his playlist.
鈥淛ust having them out there and doing their chants, that was electric,鈥� Burger said. 鈥淚t’s a just a different energy when everybody’s singing in unison, just having a good time. There’s a sense of togetherness that sometimes we lose in American sports.鈥�
On Saturday night, John McGinn deflected a shot off an opposing defender and past goalkeeper Johny Placide in the 28th minute, and Scotland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said: 鈥淢y bucket list is to be at a European game one day with my kids, and that was probably as close to it as you can get as far the atmosphere. That was pretty special.鈥�
The Red Sox billed Sunday’s game as 鈥淪cottish Heritage Celebration Night,鈥� with jerseys in Scottish colors available via a specific ticket purchase.
The promotion sold out.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to seeing how Fenway Park deals with us,鈥� said 43-year-old Allan Middlemass of Edinburgh, who was wearing a blue Red Sox cap he bought for the trip across the pond.
Bagpipes were played outside the ballpark, kilts were abundant, large Scottish flags were carried through the streets and blue or orange Scottish jerseys filled the area. Numerous times during their roughly 30-minute march, the fans broke out into a chant of 鈥渘o Scotland, no party,鈥� and they started singing outside while the Red Sox and Rangers were taking batting practice.
Some were kicking a soccer ball outside the entrance to the bleachers before the army came marching down the street 鈥� guided to the ballpark by Boston police 鈥� before they entered the famous watering holes of Lansdowne Street or went inside the park.
鈥淚鈥檓 just here for the sing-song,鈥� said 38-year-old Darren McGregor of Gourock, just after he exited a bar.
He was with a group of three friends, and all of them were wearing new Red Sox hats.
The singing continued when they filled the park, joining with Fenway鈥檚 sound system as it played John Denver鈥檚 鈥淭ake Me Home, Country Roads鈥� about 20 minutes before the first pitch.
Earlier, many were in the bars watching Japan and the Netherlands in the World Cup.
Robert Cooper and his 11-year-old son, Aaron, both traveled to Boston from Glasgow. They said they were 鈥渟uper excited鈥� to watch their first game at Fenway.
Cooper even had a dream of catching a homer or foul ball.
鈥淚 think he wants to try and catch one,鈥� his dad said.
Scotland, making its first appearance in the tournament since 1998, earned its first World Cup victory since 1990.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no words for that,鈥� Middlemass said of Saturday鈥檚 win.
Hundreds of fans were on the streets near the team hotel in the early-morning hours after the victory. They鈥檒l be hanging around for a little while longer, too, as Scotland stays in town to play Morocco on Friday.
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