A locker-like security guy controls access to one of the pubs in downtown Boston. Wherever you go, the lines are miles long to get in. “Wait a minute, please, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, I’ve never seen anyone drink like that,” the security guard politely says to a Scottish fan. The Scottish bagpipes and the No Scotland No Party sound. And tomorrow his country plays the second game, again in Boston, against Morocco.
Scotland has not reached the final phase of a World Cup since 1998. They know that the adventure in the United States will not last long, so the landing in the city has been massive and they have to live it to the limit. They are everywhere, they even filled the stands at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The Tartan Army, as its fans are known, number around 50,000 and have left the citizens of Boston with their mouths open.especially the pub owners. Almost everyone ran out of beer, demand has doubled and they have had to buy more freezers.
5,000 pints a day, not counting bottles…
From the morning there begins to be a queue to enter. It’s 12 o’clock and Oran McGonagle, owner of The Dubliner, serves us. “I need a vacation, and a good one, but everything is going well. The people are very positive and are giving us a lot of energy. Today we are talking about more than a thousand people (it is 12 noon). Last night we probably had a queue from lunchtime until about 1am with about 200 or 300 people outside trying to get in. So there are a lot of people,” he says.
A cone on a statue of Samuel Adams with the Custom House Tower in the background.
“The World Cup is very different. This has not happened to us with soccer or baseball. We have never seen anything like it. We don’t even know how to explain it. “It’s so hustle and bustle, so nice and so full of energy, it’s really good for the city,” adds Oran.
The owner calculates as best he can what can be consumed in a day at his premises: “Right now we’re at about 5,000 pints a day. How much is that in liters? I couldn’t say in liters, but a pint is about 16 ounces (about 33cl). So there’s a lot, a lot, a lot of alcohol, but it’s all good. They behave well. Yes, they’re amazing. It’s amazing to be with them. It’s a lot of fun. There’s no problem. There’s just good energy and they’re singing songs. They’re representing their country really well, so I’m happy for them.”
“We are made to drink beer”
The Scottish fans have come to enjoy themselves above the result. Their chants have broken the record in decibels in this World Cup and even if it is not enough to win, they have come to cheer on Scotland. What is your question? Beers? All. All. Yes, all beers. We can drink all the beers. All. I think tomorrow we will drink all the beers. And I think we’ll drink all the beers the next day too. And we might win the game. We might tie the game. We may lose the game. But we will still drink all the beers,” a fan tells MARCA.
Three Scotland fans pose for MARCA.
“We were born to drink beer and we are very good at it and that’s how we do it in Scotland, and I’m going to show you how to do it right. (drinks half a pint in one gulp). How many pints can I drink in a game? Maybe ten, maybe a little more. As long as they continue to serve beers, we will continue to drink,” adds another fan. And as long as Scotland remains in the World Cup…