Gordon Sheach Says What Time Is Scotland Playing Today as Boston Crowds Build
Boston had already turned into a Scotland base on Thursday lunchtime, and fans were asking what time is scotland playing today as attention shifted to Saturday night’s World Cup game with Haiti. The Scottish Football Association had rebranded a local pub as Scotland House, and the 2,000-person venue was expected to be at capacity.
Gordon Sheach in Boston
Gordon Sheach called the trip to see Scotland at a World Cup one of the few genuine once-in-a-lifetime opportunities left in life. He added: "There are very few things in life left that you can genuinely describe as once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, but getting to see Scotland at a World Cup is one of them."
Sheach was not speaking as a casual tourist. He is a Scotland fan and runs the Tartan Scarf account, and he said the feeling around Boston matched the scale of the occasion. "I’m old enough to remember 1998. I was nine years old and actually it was what made me a Scotland fan. I watched the tournament and I thought: ‘I can’t wait till the next one.’ I didn’t think it would take the entirety of my teenage years, my 20s, and almost my 30s to come back. So now that it’s here, we’re fully committed to having the absolute time of our lives," he said.
Scotland House in Boston
Flights from Scotland were crammed all week, and estimates suggested as many as 40,000 Scots could be heading to New England for the World Cup. Boston venues were already packed with supporters before the match, with Scotland House serving as the clearest sign of demand.
The setting also carried a sharper edge because this was Scotland’s first World Cup in 28 years. Scotland last appeared at the tournament in 1998, after the team had spent years in the international wilderness before returning to major tournaments at Euro 2020 and in Germany two years ago.
Supporters dressed like William Wallace were bonding with tour guides dressed as Paul Revere, a quick picture of how fully the city had absorbed the travelling support. Alan Risk, a travelling fan and Hampden Roar podcast member, said, "What we’ve got is a squad that has rebounded numerous times from disappointment," before adding, "As a fanbase, we’ve done the exact same thing."
Scotland Against Haiti
The trip now runs straight into Saturday night’s match with Haiti, where the crowd at Scotland House is expected to be full and the fan base in Boston will have its first real tournament test in nearly three decades. Sheach put the mood plainly: "As much as being part of the Tartan Army is about having a great time – you travel, you drink, you have a wonderful experience – I’d still quite like us to be successful on the pitch as well," and he added, "And I think for this team under Steve Clarke, that’s what they deserve. The last two Euros, where we’ve been great in qualifying, we haven’t done ourselves justice at the tournament. Now is the time to do that."
