Best fans in the world?

[Boston Football Gal]

The Scots are gone, but their legacy endures

'Everyone is willing to put themselves out there more: How the World Cup has given Boston's dating scene a kickstart

By Jane Miller Globe Correspondent, Updated June 29, 2026, 6:55 a.m.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/29/sports/boston-dating-scene-world-cup/

For Boston and Scotland's Tartan Army, it was love at first sight. For most of us, finding the right person isn't quite so easy.

But the World Cup, bringing fans together in packed bars and filling the streets with joyful energy, has given the city's dating scene an undeniable kick-start. "Everyone is willing to put themselves out there more," said Julia Radley, 26, who started the social media dating series "Stoop Dating" about a year after she moved to Boston.

Joe Andreazi, 40, who moved to Boston from Brazil when he was a teenager, said the excitement around the world's largest sporting event has brought people out of their shells and given fans a natural icebreaker. "People in Boston are very shy and to themselves," he said, standing toward the back of the crowd at the FIFA Fan Festival for the Ecuador-Germany game.

On top of that, many men are content to just hang with their friends when they go out, Rose said, knowing they can meet people on dating apps.

But with the buzz around the tournament, the game has changed, she said. "Being able to just, like, talk with someone," Rose said. "It's so refreshing." From the World Series to the Super Bowl, sporting events through the years have helped spark romance in Boston. But those don't draw a massive influx of visitors who are on holiday and ready to mingle.

Danna Lituma, 22, a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, said she has been approached most by Brazilians and Moroccans when going out during the World Cup. "Everyone's meeting random people," she said, sporting her Ecuador jersey as she watched them play Germany at the FIFA Fan Fest.

We'd be remiss in talking about foreign visitors without mentioning the Scottish.

Knight recounted how she was literally swept off her feet by a Scottish man on a night out in Boston. "He figuratively, and literally, swept me off my feet," said Knight, referring to a video she posted on social media of a Scot spinning her around and carrying her away from the bar. "I may not be happily married but at least I'm single while the Scottish are in town for the World Cup," Knight wrote in the Instagram post.

Radley spontaneously invited some Scottish men she met out last week to her. "Stoop Dating" event at Loretta's Last Call. As they are known to do, the Scots turned out in full force. "We pretty much sold out our tickets, and it was genuinely the best night of my life," Radley said. "We had a good amount of Boston people, obviously, but the Scots took over."

Their carefree energy captured hearts and proved contagious, Radley said. Highlights from the evening included a kiss on stage, a Scot mooning the crowd when asked what was under his kilt, and romantic sparks between a Scottish man and a Boston woman. "We had one couple that had their date on stage and they were hitting it off the entire night," Radley said. "He came up to me, and he was like, 'I found my American girl, like, thank you."

The Scots are gone, but their legacy may endure. Since their departure, some Boston men seem to have upped their game, women said. "I think that the American boys are stepping it up a little bit," Rose said.

[DoonTheSlope]

6 minutes ago, Goozay said:

The two aren't mutually exclusive though. 

You can appreciate the Tartan Army's antics stateside and acknowledge that our support is world class, while also lamenting that the team's performances fall far, far short of that.

Of course they aren’t but having a world renowned reputation as football fans means Jack shit(wanky phrase thread for me) in the cold light of day

Heres a question…

Would you rather have a team who regularly makes semi finals and finals with a fan base with a reputation of utter cunts like our neighbours

Or

Would you rather have a team who regularly fails to qualify for tournaments and fail embarrassingly on the occasion we do qualify but have a world renowned fan base who self felate themselves and are revered the world over

Personally as a football fan and a Scotland fan I’d much rather we had a far better football team to support instead of repetitive self congratulatory performative pish and receiving praise from outside sources for showing basic human decency which most fans the world over possess

While we were being eliminated in Stuttgart I wasn’t giving a monkeys fuck what the opposition fans, locals and worldwide media thought of me or the rest of our fan base as the team on the park and manager were failing spectacularly yet again 

 

[DoonTheSlope]

27 minutes ago, Goozay said:

Shheesh. You are as repetitive as you are tedious  

Not half as tedious as no Scotland no party

[Goozay]

44 minutes ago, DoonTheSlope said:

Of course they aren’t but having a world renowned reputation as football fans means Jack shit(wanky phrase thread for me) in the cold light of day

Heres a question…

Would you rather have a team who regularly makes semi finals and finals with a fan base with a reputation of utter cunts like our neighbours

Or

Would you rather have a team who regularly fails to qualify for tournaments and fail embarrassingly on the occasion we do qualify but have a world renowned fan base who self felate themselves and are revered the world over

Personally as a football fan and a Scotland fan I’d much rather we had a far better football team to support instead of repetitive self congratulatory performative pish and receiving praise from outside sources for showing basic human decency which most fans the world over possess

While we were being eliminated in Stuttgart I wasn’t giving a monkeys fuck what the opposition fans, locals and worldwide media thought of me or the rest of our fan base as the team on the park and manager were failing spectacularly yet again 

 

You don't have to choose between one or the other.

And having an amazing fan base does not cause the team on the park to be shit. In fact, the outstanding behaviour of the Tartan Army is entirely irrelevant to us not making it out of the group. 

It's just a very strange argument you are making. 

[Goozay]

56 minutes ago, DoonTheSlope said:

Not half as tedious as no Scotland no party

Not my favourite song. But very popular with Germans and Bostonians. 

You crowbarring the events of the end of the domestic season into the conversation is way more tedious.

[PSJ84]

Doing this again are we?

[exile]

1 hour ago, DoonTheSlope said:

Of course they aren’t but having a world renowned reputation as football fans means Jack shit(wanky phrase thread for me) in the cold light of day

Heres a question…

Would you rather have a team who regularly makes semi finals and finals with a fan base with a reputation of utter cunts like our neighbours

Or

Would you rather have a team who regularly fails to qualify for tournaments and fail embarrassingly on the occasion we do qualify but have a world renowned fan base who self felate themselves and are revered the world over

Personally as a football fan and a Scotland fan I’d much rather we had a far better football team to support instead of repetitive self congratulatory performative pish and receiving praise from outside sources for showing basic human decency which most fans the world over possess

While we were being eliminated in Stuttgart I wasn’t giving a monkeys fuck what the opposition fans, locals and worldwide media thought of me or the rest of our fan base as the team on the park and manager were failing spectacularly yet again 

 

I do agree that some of the coverage is over the top, and claims of Scotland fans being 'the best' is not helpful.

And I'd rather have a team full of players with flair and verve, and a bunch of dour, unremarkable fans, than the other way around.

But unfortunately, no-one is offering the choice to be utter c**ts in return for getting to the closing stages of the world cup. 

The choice seems to be between people choosing to enjoy themselves come what may, or criticising them for doing it. 

Edited June 29 by exile

[DoonTheSlope]

16 minutes ago, exile said:

I do agree that some of the coverage is over the top, and claims of Scotland fans being 'the best' is not helpful.

And I'd rather have a team full of players with flair and verve, and a bunch of dour, unremarkable fans, than the other way around.

But unfortunately, no-one is offering the choice to be utter c**ts in return for getting to the closing stages of the world cup. 

The choice seems to be between people choosing to enjoy themselves come what may, or criticising them for doing it. 

In no way am I criticising fans for enjoying themselves. What I find tiresome is the self congratulatory performative wank we continually see

[exile]

6 minutes ago, DoonTheSlope said:

In no way am I criticising fans for enjoying themselves. What I find tiresome is the self congratulatory performative wank we continually see

OK, I get that. But who specifically are you criticising? Fans claiming they're the best, filming themselves on social media? The overseas media reporting fun things or congratulatory articles, or Scottish media writing self congratulatory articles? Or you just don't like 'No Scotland No Party'? (I agree it's demonstrably not true)

[DoonTheSlope]

16 minutes ago, exile said:

OK, I get that. But who specifically are you criticising? Fans claiming they're the best, filming themselves on social media? The overseas media reporting fun things or congratulatory articles, or Scottish media writing self congratulatory articles? Or you just don't like 'No Scotland No Party'? (I agree it's demonstrably not true)

It’s an observation. Contrary to the way of it on here not everything has to become a conflict 

[Caledonian Craig]

On 6/29/2026 at 1:53 PM, exile said:

Or you just don't like 'No Scotland No Party'? (I agree it's demonstrably not true)

Every football song though is laced in untruths though....

It's Coming Home

God Save the King

Oh Flower of Scotland

You'll Never Walk Alone

Super John McGinn

Ally's Tartan Army

I could go on but on that basis I see no harm in No Scotland No Party.

[Northern Light]

I went on a boat trip in Miami and four Mexicans sat down behind us and clearly couldn't speak English but one of them tapped me on the shoulder, smiled and said No Scotland No Party. I know it's obviously not factually correct but it's a bit of fun and others see it as a bit of fun

[PSJ84]

Morocco fans were singing their own version of it the other night which I thought was class. 

[Redz]

Of course NSNP is a bit of fun that's not meant to be taken seriously

Every set of fan groups we encountered chanted it 'towards' us, in a way that showed they simply wanted to join in with the fun too

The haters of it appear to be, in the main, self loathing cunts who are jealous as fuck of not being part of what was, football apart, a magnificent trip

[Redz]

2 hours ago, PSJ84 said:

Morocco fans were singing their own version of it the other night which I thought was class. 

Indeed!

There was 3 or 4 tables of Moroccans in our NYC hotel serenading us with it over breakfast the day prior to our game on the 19th

Paraguans and Brazilians doing exactly the same in the Hard Rock too

It's a harmless bit of fun, that's it.....

 

 

[exile]

19 hours ago, Caledonian Craig said:

Every football song though is laced in untruths though....

It's Coming Home

God Save the King

Oh Flower of Scotland

You'll Never Walk Alone

Super John McGinn

Ally's Tartan Army

I could go on but on that basis I see no harm in No Scotland No Party.

Of course. I wasn't criticising football songs, I was trying to understand why some people were being so critical. 

I would conclude it's not due to untruths (or exaggeration) as such, but the perception of fans' focus on being self congratulatory (about themselves) rather than anything connected to on-field performance (or lack of it).

I don't think these need to be connected but some clearly do. 

[Bzzzz]

13 hours ago, Redz said:

Of course NSNP is a bit of fun that's not meant to be taken seriously

Every set of fan groups we encountered chanted it 'towards' us, in a way that showed they simply wanted to join in with the fun too

The haters of it appear to be, in the main, self loathing cunts who are jealous as fuck of not being part of what was, football apart, a magnificent trip

This. 

[Broath Boy]

1 hour ago, Bzzzz said:

This. 

This x 2

[biffer]

On 6/29/2026 at 5:19 PM, DoonTheSlope said:

Of course they aren’t but having a world renowned reputation as football fans means Jack shit(wanky phrase thread for me) in the cold light of day

Heres a question…

Would you rather have a team who regularly makes semi finals and finals with a fan base with a reputation of utter cunts like our neighbours

Or

Would you rather have a team who regularly fails to qualify for tournaments and fail embarrassingly on the occasion we do qualify but have a world renowned fan base who self felate themselves and are revered the world over

Personally as a football fan and a Scotland fan I’d much rather we had a far better football team to support instead of repetitive self congratulatory performative pish and receiving praise from outside sources for showing basic human decency which most fans the world over possess

While we were being eliminated in Stuttgart I wasn’t giving a monkeys fuck what the opposition fans, locals and worldwide media thought of me or the rest of our fan base as the team on the park and manager were failing spectacularly yet again 

 

Unrelated to football it has other effects. Increased tourism and other business opportunities - there are already colleagues of mine in Boston talking about more trade missions etc to capitalise on the positive image. 

And more generally the way we're seen as a friendly and outgoing society who'd be welcome wherever we go is a positive for any of us traveling fucking anywhere. There are all sorts of unmeasurable effects like this

[Saint4805]

28 minutes ago, biffer said:

Unrelated to football it has other effects. Increased tourism and other business opportunities - there are already colleagues of mine in Boston talking about more trade missions etc to capitalise on the positive image. 

And more generally the way we're seen as a friendly and outgoing society who'd be welcome wherever we go is a positive for any of us traveling fucking anywhere. There are all sorts of unmeasurable effects like this

+1

It's almost a fusion of soft power and great PR for our whole nation.  

Any Scots going or returning to Boston after the WC will likely get a very warm reception thanks to the legacy left by the TA. 

Edited July 2 by Saint4805

[TDYER63]

40 minutes ago, biffer said:

Unrelated to football it has other effects. Increased tourism and other business opportunities - there are already colleagues of mine in Boston talking about more trade missions etc to capitalise on the positive image. 

And more generally the way we're seen as a friendly and outgoing society who'd be welcome wherever we go is a positive for any of us traveling fucking anywhere. There are all sorts of unmeasurable effects like this

👍

https://www.scotsman.com/news/tartan-armys-invasion-of-usa-sets-up-lucrative-tourism-boom-back-home-8751769

[DoonTheSlope]

2 hours ago, biffer said:

Unrelated to football it has other effects. Increased tourism and other business opportunities - there are already colleagues of mine in Boston talking about more trade missions etc to capitalise on the positive image. 

I don’t work for the tourist board, I’m not an independent businessman and more importantly I don’t give a monkeys fuck what other people think of me or my kith and kin

2 hours ago, biffer said:

And more generally the way we're seen as a friendly and outgoing society who'd be welcome wherever we go

That’s just basic human decency. I got emptied from a Hibs forum years ago for calling into question the Hibs class dugshite that gets trotted out whenever any blowhard posts something they’ve done looking for a pat on the back by saying again it’s basic human decency 

2 hours ago, biffer said:

There are all sorts of unmeasurable effects like this

Again, when I travel to watch Scotland abroad and had a good time having high jinx with friends and locals beforehand that all goes out the window when the team are on the bones of their arse going through the motions

[biffer]

2 hours ago, DoonTheSlope said:

I don’t work for the tourist board, I’m not an independent businessman and more importantly I don’t give a monkeys fuck what other people think of me or my kith and kin

That’s just basic human decency. I got emptied from a Hibs forum years ago for calling into question the Hibs class dugshite that gets trotted out whenever any blowhard posts something they’ve done looking for a pat on the back by saying again it’s basic human decency 

Again, when I travel to watch Scotland abroad and had a good time having high jinx with friends and locals beforehand that all goes out the window when the team are on the bones of their arse going through the motions

what a miserable cunt you are. 

[Redz]

9 minutes ago, biffer said:

what a miserable cunt you are. 

Yep, the complete self loather

I'll start the +1's 👍

[Malcolm]

3 hours ago, DoonTheSlope said:

I don’t work for the tourist board, I’m not an independent businessman and more importantly I don’t give a monkeys fuck what other people think of me or my kith and kin

That’s just basic human decency. I got emptied from a Hibs forum years ago for calling into question the Hibs class dugshite that gets trotted out whenever any blowhard posts something they’ve done looking for a pat on the back by saying again it’s basic human decency 

Again, when I travel to watch Scotland abroad and had a good time having high jinx with friends and locals beforehand that all goes out the window when the team are on the bones of their arse going through the motions

 

completely agree with you.  Would much rather be England than us, with a great side and questionable fans.  I don’t give a fuck about the partying and joviality… putting in a performance on the park and not in the bars afterwards is what matters.

coincidentally, I got banned from kickback for calling out the entitlement of the hearts fans.  Some real bams that can’t see anything than through maroon specs.