Weeks after the Tartan Army left Boston following Scotland's World Cup exit, an unmistakable symbol of Scottish humour remains: traffic cones perched on statues across the city. A TikTok video shared by user @ziondixon_01 on July 8, 2026, shows multiple cones still in place, set to the Scotland anthem "No Scotland, No Party." The caption reads: "The city of Boston will never forget you!!!"
Cone Tradition Crosses the Atlantic
During Scotland's World Cup campaign, social media was flooded with videos of statues in Boston receiving the cone treatment—a tradition inspired by Glasgow's Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art, which has famously worn a cone for decades. Locals initially confused, quickly embraced the fun, with some joining in.
Local Reactions
Bostonians have reacted with delight. One commented: "I suggest they stay until the world cup is over!!" Another joked the cones were "never leaving." A fan wrote: "That’s it. Boston is officially twinned with Glasgow forever. May the cone hat never be removed from this day forward." Others quipped: "We came we saw we cone'quered" and "Glasgow and Boston now have a special cone-ection."
Glasgow's Iconic Symbol
The cone tradition is believed to have started with late-night revellers in the 1980s. Despite repeated removal attempts, the cone always returns within days or hours, becoming a symbol of Glasgow's humour. The Tartan Army's version in Boston shows their spirit endures, with one fan summing it up: "We leave our mark everywhere."
