A Boston teenager who became enamoured with the Tartan Army during the World Cup this summer has dressed up as a traffic cone for Halloween. Jake Williams, 16, was one of thousands of Americans who were drawn to Scotland fans when they descended on the city in June for their World Cup matches against Haiti and Morocco.
Jake and his parents Alicia, 49, and Seth, 48, along with his sister Carolyn, 14, and brother Bryan, 11, spent most of the tournament partying alongside the Tartan Army in downtown Boston. The family were so taken by the spirit and humour of the Scotland supporters that Jake decided to dress up as a traffic cone on October 31 in tribute to their antics.
Homemade Costume with a Scottish Twist
Jake's mum, Alicia, made the outfit, which consists of an orange and white striped body with 'no Scotland no party' written at the bottom, complete with a traffic cone hat and a Scotland flag. Alicia shared the effort on social media, where it drew thousands of reactions.
The youngster proudly entered the outfit into his school's 'funniest costume' competition. He came second to a pupil who dressed up as Vector from Despicable Me, but has arguably come first in the hearts of Scots.
Family's Love for the Tartan Army
Alicia told the Record: "We loved the mayhem, party and energy the Tartan Army brought to Boston. They brought so much joy to the city and drank the place dry. It was quite a sight to behold."
"They were so respectful and happy. They gave us such a boost. It was one of the best things to happen to Boston. Jake was sad not to have been of drinking age but he watched them all on the street and loved it. He initially wanted to go as something scary but when I suggested the traffic cone, he thought it was brilliant."
The costume was actually his sister's from last year, as Alicia noted: "We didn't know how much the traffic cone would take off!"
Traffic Cone Tradition and Lasting Impact
The tribute follows Scotland supporters capping statues in Boston with a traffic cone, echoing the iconic Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow, situated outside the Gallery of Modern Art. Glaswegians have crowned the statue with a cone for decades, a tradition thought to have been started by late night revellers in the 1980s. Attempts to remove the cone have been quickly thwarted, with it being replaced within days.
Alicia added: "The Tartan Army has left a mark on Boston with the traffic cone. I'm not seeing as many on statues now but when you're driving down the street and see a cone sitting by itself, you do get the urge to pick it up! We've never been to Scotland but it's definitely on our bucket list now. The kids are begging to go."
The photo of Jake in the traffic cone costume is gaining traction, and a friend now wants to borrow it for a costume party. Despite a 1-0 win over Haiti, Scotland failed to get out of the group stages after defeats to Morocco and Brazil. Manager Steve Clarke resigned soon after and was replaced by Sébastien Pocognoli. Although the team disappointed on the pitch, their fans were praised for their humour and behaviour, and Boston was officially twinned with Glasgow in the weeks after the tournament.
