‘Antidote to all that is wrong in world football’published at 09:54 BST
FT: Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Tom English
BBC Scotland’s chief sports writer at Boston Stadium
Image source, PA MediaAfter 28 years of watching World Cups from football’s wilderness, there was never much danger of the Tartan Army getting antsy about the gridlock on the road to Foxborough.
On the contrary, in the hours leading up to what turned into a surreally stressful evening as Scotland ground their way to a 1-0 win over Haiti, fans revelled in the traffic delays, inch by inch, yard by yard.
Oblivious to the anxiety they were going to experience later on, a convoy of yellow school buses stuttered their way down the I-95 four hours before kick-off and Scots hung out the windows of every one of them, singing their songs, waving their flags, partying at a pace of a mile an hour.
The sense of anticipation and joy was so palpable you could have reached out and touched it. These Scotland supporters are remarkable. Vast waves of them. Clusters on every street corner in Boston. An occupying army.
Seven minutes before 9pm local time, Scotland entered the most extraordinary arena, the Boston Stadium. A riot of colour and noise, a football stadium, yes, but a theatre, too. A place for gladiators.
If you have to miss out on World Cups for nearly 30 years then this was the way to mark your return.
Giant screens behind both goals picking out every human emotion among the fans. Shivers up the spine, heart beating out the chest, Flower of Scotland belted out with gusto, its power almost greater on a foreign field than it is at home.
The scene was an antidote to all that is wrong in world football; the rampant greed, the unrelenting bombast. This was raw, powerful and emotional.
Read more from Tom English here.
