Scotland World Cup fans arrive in Boston, say they ran out of beer on flight: “I’m going to find Cheers”
By Mike Sullivan
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BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Scotland will play in the first World Cup match at Boston Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts Saturday night, but many of their fans are already in town and fired up.
Several landed at Logan Airport Wednesday dressed in uniform, ready for the games. Some Scottish fans crossed the pond in a kilt for the entire flight. It’s part of their ethos. They are known for three things, those kilts, their chants, and their drinking.
“Been drinking since one o’clock in the morning when I got up,” said David Wood as he arrived.
“We ran out of beer, that was my only complaint,” Darren Wilson said of his flight. “We had a round of applause when we landed. I don’t know if you do that here. That’s a very Scottish thing.”
The pilot on his flight told WBZ-TV when the beer ran out, they switched to wine.
“I’m going to go have a nice whiskey at my digs, then I’m going go about the town,” said Wood, holding up a bag with a large whiskey bottle. “I’m going to find Cheers. That’s what I want do. I want to find Cheers. I watched it when I was younger, and I want to find the bar.”
It’s the spot where everyone knows your name, but by the end of the weekend, Boston will know the Scots, especially by their attire. Graham Howieson and his two sons wore their kilts on the flight here.
“It’s a bit hot and sweaty,” said Howieson. “It’s a bit uncomfortable, but we wanted to represent Scotland didn’t we.”
Fans showed up ready for the match against Haiti Saturday with some shelling out thousands of dollars to see the team play in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
“When they first went on sale they were about 1,200 (British pounds). Now they aren’t selling and are down to $500,” said Allan Begg who has tickets for a Scotland match.
Carole McNamara bought her tickets online, and it turned out to be a scam. She is out more than $1,300, but she and her family are finding ways to have fun without going to the game.
“We got scammed is what it is, but we are still smiling,” said McNamara. “We are going to the fan zones, and we got tickets to one of the pubs.”
She’s lucky to be in Boston. Some fans struggled to get into the states after their visa waiver applications switched from approved to pending or rejected in the process known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
“Checking every day just in case. Loads of people spent thousands of thousands of pounds and you can’t get your money back,” said McNamara. “When you waited 28 years, it’s a kick in the teeth.”
“We were talking to some guys in the pub last night, and they were all nervous too,” said Howieson.
“There’s been a lot on social media, a lot of people getting knocked back and not getting across and stuff, so it has been a bit of an eyeopener, but we’re here now, just about outside, so we are nearly on American soil,” said Scotland fan Justin Longmuir.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol told WBZ-TV in a statement, in part, “ESTAs are continuously vetted and travelers must be complete and truthful. Failure to disclose arrests or convictions constitutes misrepresentation and can lead to ESTA denial, revocation or a permanent bar from entering the United States.”
The French national team also landed at Logan Airport Wednesday afternoon. Fans packed Boylston Street trying to get autographs and photos of players as they entered the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.
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