Fife councillor Gary Holt has embarked on a World Cup journey to the United States to honour the memory of his late brother Greg, who died at the age of 45 on June 23 2025. The Scotland match against Brazil took place a day after the anniversary, making the trip a poignant tribute.
Pilgrimage for a party animal
Holt, 40, described his brother as a "party animal" who loved football. He said: "It's a really significant event for us, it's almost a year to the day my brother died, so part of this is a pilgrimage to him. We wanted to honour his death by actually doing all the stuff he would love doing, so that's why we're at the World Cup."
Accompanied by his elderly mother, Holt is experiencing the tournament for the first time in 28 years for Scotland. He added: "We get to be here, celebrating Scotland, but we also get to celebrate my brother at the same time, because he would have 100% been here to celebrate the World Cup with us."
Emotional yet joyous atmosphere
Holt acknowledged the emotional weight of the trip but found solace in the festive environment. "It's been emotional at points," he said. "But I also think it's been a bit of a relief, when you're surrounded by so many people, it's been joyous."
His mother, though not a avid football fan, finds personal significance in the journey. "I wouldn't say my mum's a big football fan, but she supports Scotland. I think it's a little bit more personal for her because of my brother, but I think it's very important for her to be here to relive what my brother was like through the thousands of other fans on the streets."
Living in the moment
Reflecting on what his brother would think of Scotland's World Cup appearance, Holt said: "I think he would say, get on with it. Live life in the moment. You don't know when things are going to end, and you've just got to take it and live life in the moment, and realise that you can't make memories every day like this."
He emphasised the value of the experience over material concerns: "You can't have a World Cup every week, and you can always go and make more money, so money is no object when you come here and I think you'll get that from the Scotland fans, seeing young kids out here with their mums and dads, making the memory of a lifetime, and grandkids, and their grandkids, will hear about the story of what happened in Boston."
