Matthew Kenny, a Scotland supporter from Perth, feared his World Cup adventure was over after losing his passport at Gillette Stadium in Boston during Scotland's match against Haiti. With Scotland set to face Brazil in Miami, the prospect of missing the game was devastating.
Desperate online appeal spotted by local
Boston resident Acacia Jean saw Matthew's desperate online appeal after joining several Tartan Army social media groups. Having spent days celebrating with the Tartan Army in Boston, she was determined to help.
Acacia wrote: "I joined a couple Tartan Army groups a few days ago after spending several incredible days partying in Boston with you beautiful goofballs. I ended up seeing a post about a lost passport the same day I joined and the young man wasn’t going to be able to go to the game in Miami."
Friend at stadium retrieves passport
Acacia called a friend who works at Gillette Stadium and asked him to search for the passport. It took two days, but the passport was found. However, the stadium's Lost and Found department was closed until the following week, making retrieval impossible through official channels.
Acacia said: "Lost & Found was going to be closed until next week so there’d be no way to get it after that day. I took a risk and told my friend to just take the passport. We knew we had to help this young man anyway we could."
Early morning delivery
Her friend, who lives an hour away, drove at 4am to collect the passport and deliver it to Acacia before work. After her shift, Acacia met Matthew, his father, and their group of supporters to hand over the document.
Acacia recalled: "He brought me a bouquet of flowers, we all had a beer (or six), they taught me a lot about Scotland, and of course, there was singing."
Grateful fan extends invitation
Matthew later paid tribute: "Legend!! Can’t thank you enough, owe you a few more beers when you come to Scotland." He also invited her to visit Scotland, where she joked she would see Highland cows and her "new wee brother."
Acacia added: "I’ll be waiting to hear from him tonight when he inevitably loses his passport again at the game. Tartan Army - Boston loves you. Genuinely. Thank you for the energy you’ve brought and I hope we stay friends for a long time."
