Scotland fans have brought a touch of Scottish humour to the United States by placing a traffic cone on a statue in Boston, paying tribute to the iconic Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow.
The Cone Tribute
A photo circulating online shows a statue in the Massachusetts city adorned with a traffic cone on its head, reminiscent of the famous Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow. The statue depicts Raymond Flynn, former mayor of Boston. The identity of those responsible remains unknown, but social media has erupted with comments from amused Scotland fans worldwide.
One fan commented: "That's it. Boston is officially twinned with Glasgow forever. May the cone hat never be removed from this day forward." Another joked: "We came, we saw, we cone'quered." A third quipped: "Glasgow and Boston now have a special cone-ection." Others added: "The highest of honours, America. Just roll with it," and "I'm howling. This is hilarious. We leave our mark everywhere." A sixth proudly stated: "A true mark of friendship if ever there was one. Boston is now 'twinned' (unofficially) with Glasgow."
The Tartan Army in Boston
The Tartan Army are currently in the Massachusetts capital ahead of the World Cup opening match against Haiti, which kicks off at 2pm BST on June 14. Supporters have been praised for their good-humoured antics, including persuading a police officer to do keepy-uppies in a fan zone.
Glasgow's Iconic Cone Tradition
Glaswegians have been placing a traffic cone on the Duke of Wellington statue for decades, a tradition believed to have started in the 1980s by late-night revellers. Attempts to remove the cone have been quickly thwarted, with locals replacing it within days. The cone-topped statue was named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 1,000 sights in the world.
Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, is famous for defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and later serving as prime minister. The statue, sculpted by Italian artist Carlo Marochetti and erected in 1844, is a Category A listed structure.
