Scotland’s Tartan Army is creating baseball atmospheres unlike anything MLB has seen

The Scotland national team’s return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence has already produced one memorable result on the field, a 1-0 victory over Haiti in their tournament opener. But away from the matches, it is Scotland’s famous supporters, the Tartan Army, who are becoming one of the main stories of the tournament.

Just one day after Scotland’s win in Foxborough, thousands of Scottish fans made their way to Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox’s game against the Texas Rangers. What followed was a cocmplete takeover, turning the usual MLB game into what looked more like a European soccer gathering.

Fans marched toward the ballpark wearing kilts, carrying Scottish flags and singing many of the songs that have followed the national team around the world for decades. Videos from inside Fenway showed supporters belting out “500 Miles (I’m Gonna Be)” by The Proclaimers, singing “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” and even joining in on baseball traditions such as “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

The atmosphere made an impression on both fans and people inside baseball. According to multiple reports from Boston, Scotland supporters packed sections of the ballpark as part of the Red Sox’s Scottish Heritage Night. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy described the noise as feeling more like a soccer match than a baseball game, while Texas Rangers players and staff spoke afterward about the energy the Scottish fans brought to the stadium.

The scenes quickly spread across social media, with many baseball fans commenting that Fenway had rarely sounded like that during a regular-season game. But Fenway may have only been the beginning.

As Scotland supporters continue to travel between World Cup host cities, videos and photos have begun emerging from other MLB venues as well, including Yankee Stadium. It started as a one-night curiosity in Boston, but now, baseball stadiums are becoming gathering places for traveling supporters during the weeks between World Cup matches.

Eleven of the World Cup host markets are also home to Major League Baseball teams, creating opportunities for visiting fans to experience another piece of American sports culture while following their national teams.

For many Scottish supporters, Fenway Park was a bucket-list destination. Interviews with fans in Boston suggested that even those unfamiliar with baseball wanted the chance to visit one of the sport’s most historic venues. Others embraced the slower pace compared to soccer, treating the game as another social event during their World Cup travels.

The World Cup is introducing millions of American sports fans to the traditions of international soccer support. At the same time, baseball is providing a new stage for one of the sport’s most recognizable fan groups.

Scotland still has important work to do on the field, with a group-stage match against Morocco coming up later this week. But regardless of what happens next, the Tartan Army has already left its mark on American sports culture.

And if the scenes at Fenway Park were any indication, baseball stadiums around the country may want to prepare for a few more Scottish sing-alongs before the World Cup is over.

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