US city will ‘never forget’ meaning of ‘No Scotland, no party’ chant

The skirl of bagpipes has become a familiar noise in the US city of Providence after thousands of members of the Tartan Army flocked there for the World Cup.

A representative from a Rhode Island visitors’ organisation joked she can hear bagpipes “in my sleep” as buoyant Scotland supporters base themselves in the New England city.

While more than 20,000 Scotland fans are thought to have travelled to Boston for the World Cup, at least 5,000 are believed to have made their way to Providence.

The smaller city is within travelling distance of the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Scotland play their first two group games.

Thousands of Scotland fans are in the US for the World Cup (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

Alana O’Hare, senior director of communications at GoProvidence, said cheaper prices had also attracted some Tartan Army members to Rhode Island.

She told Radio 5 Live that bagpipes had been heard around Providence over the last four days, even though it is not an official World Cup host city.

She said: “We’ve really been so happy to have the Tartan Army – the Providence Tartan Army is what they’re calling themselves – but they found us on their own.

“They’re resourceful, and they’re smart travellers.”

Ms O’Hare said the city had been prepared.

Parts of the US are awash with the sights and sounds of the Tartan Army (Andrew Milligan/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Milligan

She continued: “We’ve worked with the local bars and restaurants to prepare them for what we always expected was going to be more fans in a really rowdy group.”

England fans are also expected to visit Providence when the team’s games take them to Foxborough.

Scotland fans have been taking in Providence’s waterfire art installation, Ms O’Hare said, as well as chartering a boat tour.

Asked if she is used to the sound of bagpipe music yet, she said: “Oh, absolutely. I hear it in my sleep. That, and ‘No Scotland, no party’.”

Describing this Scotland chant, she said: “I didn’t know what it meant until they came and now I’ll never forget it.”