{"id":5186,"date":"2026-06-24T07:05:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T07:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5186"},"modified":"2026-06-24T07:05:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T07:05:40","slug":"no-scotland-no-party-tartan-army-parties-in-florida-marches-to-marlins-stadium-in-wild-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=5186","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No Scotland, no party\u2019: Tartan Army parties in Florida, marches to Marlins\u2019 stadium in wild scene"},"content":{"rendered":"

MIAMI \u2014 Many of the fans at LoanDepot Park on Monday evening were more accustomed to bagpipes, kilts and Glasgow\u2019s Rangers than the Texas Rangers.<\/p>

Read more USMNT: Cathartic goal helps Gio Reyna, Sebastian Berhalter move past their ugly family feud<\/a><\/p>\n

Team Scotland\u2019s biggest soccer fans, known around the world as the Tartan Army, have arrived in South Florida ahead of Wednesday\u2019s highly anticipated World Cup match between Brazil and Scotland. On Monday, they flooded Little Havana and the Rangers-Marlins baseball game. By the end, chants rattled the LoanDepot Park concourses like it was an Old Firm match between Scottish soccer rivals Celtic and Rangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think America has been so good,\u201d Dundee, Scotland resident Alan Hinnrichs said outside a bar on Calle Ocho before the Marlins game. \u201cIt\u2019s been so welcoming. It\u2019s been completely the opposite of (what) we\u2019re getting told it will be. You won\u2019t be able to do this, and you\u2019ve got to bring ID. And we were just told all these horror stories and everything: You won\u2019t get in because of things that people have said, people have made comments about the president or anything like that. We were told all this complete nonsense. None of it\u2019s true. \u2026 There\u2019s been no trouble. I haven\u2019t had one bad (interaction). There\u2019s not anybody who hasn\u2019t been as nice as they can.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Americans. I think Americans are wonderful people. I\u2019ve never met an American I didn\u2019t like. I just think it\u2019s just a wonderful country, and I think we\u2019ve had such a hospitable reception. Even today, people are somewhat bemused. But I\u2019ve loved that. I\u2019ve loved every minute of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The beloved Tartan Army is known as a passionate and gregarious fanbase that has captivated cities around the world. With Scotland qualifying for its first World Cup since 1998, it was no surprise that its fans came to the United States for this year\u2019s tournament in large numbers. The Tartan Army introduced itself to America by taking over bars around Boston, reportedly drinking them dry, and loudly belting out \u201cFlower of Scotland\u201d before Scotland\u2019s first two matches against Haiti and Morocco.<\/p>\n

The Scots\u2019 final group-stage game is at Miami Stadium (typically known as Hard Rock Stadium), so fans began filtering into South Florida over the weekend. Some came from Boston, while others came directly from Scotland or different parts of the United States.<\/p>\n

On Monday, they made their presence known in Little Havana. Scotland fans enjoyed themselves at local bars and restaurants, with the party centering around the 91-year-old bar Ball & Chain. Fans did their best to beat the heat as the heat index soared above 100 in the afternoon. One person was transported to a local hospital due to heat exhaustion and was stable, a Miami Fire Rescue spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got off the plane, it was like when you open an oven,\u201d Hinnrichs said. \u201cJust poof.\u201d<\/p> \n

\n

No Scotland, no party. pic.twitter.com\/2NBbyDlu1K<\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) June 22, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Scots were not the only ones partying Monday afternoon. Fans wearing multiple nations\u2019 jerseys joined them, and many locals who saw viral videos of the Tartan Army\u2019s prolific partying in Boston wanted to see it for themselves.<\/p> \n

\u201cI was watching all the videos of them in Boston, and I saw that they were coming to Miami, coming to the Marlins game,\u201d Miamian Sasha Gonzalez said on Calle Ocho. \u201cI\u2019m like, I have to be part of it. I want to be there in the party atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 4 p.m., the Tartan Army started making its way to Monday\u2019s main event: the Marlins game. The team offered ticket packages that included a seat and a free beer for the first 250 members of the famed fan club to redeem the offer. The Marlins had been working with Tartan Party organizers to set up the event since last week, a Marlins spokesperson told the Sun Sentinel. About 8,000 Scottish fans were expected to attend. The announced total attendance was 20,008.<\/p>\n

The Tartan Army marched the near mile to the stadium, drawing Little Havana residents out of their homes with the sound of bagpipes. At one point, a child in an Argentina jersey stood outside one building, and Scottish fans serenaded him with chants about Diego Maradona, the Argentine great whose famed \u201cHand of God\u201d goal helped Argentina beat England \u2014 Scotland\u2019s rival \u2014 in the memorable 1986 World Cup quarterfinals.<\/p>

Read more Meet Caramelo, the Mexico superfan attending his 11th World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

There\u2019s a kid outside his house, wearing an Argentina jersey. <\/p>\n

The Tartan Army serenaded him with Diego Maradona chants. pic.twitter.com\/d9kXaUVrAY<\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) June 22, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite the copious amounts of alcohol being consumed in Little Havana and at the ballpark, it was still a family affair. Many Scottish fans brought their children along to experience the World Cup. It was a once-in-a-generation experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve not been here for 28 years,\u201d said Glasgow resident Ross Watt, who traveled to Florida with his wife and daughter, during the march to the stadium. \u201cSo for her to experience this \u2014 this is something I wanted to experience when I was her age. So to make it memorable for her and the family is brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the fans arrived at the stadium, the Marlins were ready for them. The team hosted a party on the plaza outside the stadium, blasting music for a dance party. Scottish artist Nick Morgan performed, and Scottish national team player Billy Gilmour \u2014 out for the World Cup with a knee injury \u2014 threw out the first pitch. The Tartan Army bagpipers led a parade of fans around the warning track before the game.<\/p>\n