Suzanne's Mom's Blog

Photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images.
Members of the Tartan Army before one of Scotland’s 2026 World Cup games. 

There were many things about the 2026 World Cup that gave Americans a kind of unexpected permission to be happy. Among those things were enthusiastic fan groups that came from abroad. Consider Scotland’s Tartan Army and the fun of having kilts and bagpipes filling the streets.

Adeel Hassan wrote at the New York Times in May, “Fans of Scotland’s World Cup team, thousands strong, will march on Providence, Rhode Island’s capital, next month and local officials will be applauding and cheering them every step of the way.

“Providence aggressively and strategically promoted itself as an alternative to host the parade of fans, known as the Tartan Army. City officials helped broker hotel deals and open up college dormitories to house the Scottish team supporters, a fan said. …

“Many of the approximately 10,000 Scottish team supporters will be staying in Providence-area hotels, college dormitories and Airbnbs, Rhode Island officials said.

“ ‘Our estimate is around 40 percent savings on accommodation compared to Boston rates,’ Ian Cox of the Providence Tartan Army said. ‘The real reasons supporters are choosing Providence are simple: It is actually closer to Gillette Stadium, it is a beautiful and walkable city, and the people here have been incredibly welcoming and helpful throughout our planning.’ …

“The proximity of the two cities presents fans with a choice of where to make a home base for part of the 39-day tournament.

“There are two kinds of fans, international and domestic, said Victor Matheson, a professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and a longtime soccer fan. …

“ ‘Tourist No. 1 is the soccer fan who is using the World Cup as an excuse to go do other cool things that they’ve always wanted to do,’ he said. ‘That sort of tourist is obviously going to pick Boston over Providence because, from an international tourism perspective, Boston is a place to come.’

“The second fan is here only for the soccer matches, said Professor Matheson, who studies the economics of large sporting events.

“Describing the perspective of a die-hard soccer fan, he said: ‘I’m just not going to walk the Freedom Trail. I don’t care about Paul Revere. I don’t care about Old Ironsides. What I care about is soccer.

“ ‘Those fans are looking for like-minded fans,’ he added. ‘They’re looking for a place with cool bars, and a place that’s moderately cheap, so they can afford tickets to the event.’ …

“The only direct train service to Gillette Stadium is from Boston, though, and most fans from Rhode Island will be arriving by bus.

“The Tartan Army negotiated its own bus contract, and its members will arrive on game day on roughly 40 school buses, at $45 per person, less than half the established rate of $95, Mr. Cox said.

“Plenty of the Scottish fans and others staying in Rhode Island are using short-term housing rentals.

“ ‘Globally, what we’ve heard is that Airbnbs are as, if not more, popular than some hotels,’ because of the nature of how fans are traveling for the games, [Providence Mayor Brett] Smiley said. ‘Visitors seem to be coming in groups.’

“Airbnb housing, he said, distributes fans throughout the city’s neighborhoods, helping other businesses, rather than having all the fans concentrated downtown.

“Airbnb gave $250,000 to Ocean State 2026, the state’s official tournament organizer, to support soccer clinics, community celebrations and cultural programs. It is also giving two dozen World Cup tickets to children through a lottery.

“About a million people are expected to travel through the Providence area, according to Ocean State 2026. … The benefits will be spread out across the state, said James Diossa, chairman of Ocean State 2026 and the state’s general treasurer.

“Central Falls, a majority-Latino city, will be home to Colombia’s large fan base, he said, while Pawtucket and East Providence will be where many fans of the Cape Verde and Portugal teams will congregate. There will also be a fan zone for the Portugal national team in Providence. …

“Scotland’s last appearance in the World Cup was in 1998, and its fans have already left a mark on this one. They have made a $10,000 donation to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

“ ‘Part of what makes that possible is the money our supporters have saved,’ Mr. Cox said. ‘Every dollar not spent on overpriced bus tickets, FIFA’s outrageously expensive parking, Boston 2026’s unaffordable train, or Boston hotel rates, is a dollar that can go back into the community.

“Providence has welcomed us with open arms, and we intend to repay that warmth in full.’ ”

More at the Times, here.