More than 40 Tartan Army foot soldiers from the Perth area touched down in the United States early yesterday morning, ready to live their American dream after Scotland qualified for the 2026 World Cup, ending a 28-year-long wait.
The group, buzzing with excitement despite their early wake-up calls, boarded the 5.40am flight from Edinburgh, travelling via Paris, with touchdown scheduled in Boston, Massachusetts, at 14.55 local time.
They are staying in the Dorchester area of Boston, a city famous for the 1773 Tea Party incident when colonists boarded three British ships and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into the harbour as part of a tax protest.
Match Schedule and Highlights
The highlights will be their first two Group C matches - against Haiti at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, more than 20 miles from Boston, with a UK kick-off time of 2am on Sunday, June 14, and then against Morocco at the same venue on Friday, June 19, with a UK kick-off time of 11pm.
The third game against Brazil is on Wednesday, June 24, with a UK kick-off time of 11pm at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
“Planning started as soon as we qualified last November,” said indefatigable Jailer Tours organiser Craig Mailer. “Hotels were booked, with free cancellation, all over Canada, the USA and Mexico. And as soon as the draw was made, flights were booked and the accommodation organised.”
The bus to the Haiti and Morocco games is leaving from The Banshee Pub, an Irish-themed hostelry in Dorchester which shows a wide selection of domestic and European sports.
“Most of the group are heading home after the Morocco match but there are about 20 of us making our way to Miami for the Brazil game,” said Craig.
Planned Activities
In between the football, Craig has lined up a host of attractions to keep everyone entertained, including a Boston walking tour taking in local tourist spots on June 12.
After the Haiti encounter, it’s on to New York, staying there from June 14-17. Attractions include time on the party boat The Liberty, which cruises the Hudson River from Pier 36 on June 16; a Yankees vs Chicago baseball match later the same day; as well as a chance to sample the tourist sights in the Big Apple.
The return trip to Boston is on June 17, with kayaking lined up the next day, prior to the Morocco tie on June 19.
For those extending their stay in the USA, some are heading to New Orleans, staying in the Best Western French Courtyard Hotel from June 20-23. From June 23-26, it’s on to the Dorchester Hotel and Suites in Miami Beach, with the match against Brazil on June 24.
The return trip to Bonnie Scotland is scheduled from Miami on June 26, leaving at 2300 hours and flying via Paris, landing in Edinburgh at 1630 on June 27.
But depending on Scotland’s performance in Group C, for some the footballing dream could be extended. “About 10 of us have tickets for the round of 32/16 if Scotland make it out of the Group C stage,” Craig revealed. “We’re all delighted with scoring eight goals in the two friendlies. Hopefully a win against Haiti will be enough to confirm a third place finish and qualify as one of the eight best third place finishers. We will have difficult games against Morocco and Brazil, which makes the Haiti game even more important.”
Pipers Join the Adventure
Two of the Jailer Tours contingent will literally be “playing” a major part during their time in America, especially at Scotland’s Group C matches against Haiti and Morocco, both in Boston, then versus Brazil in Miami. They are pipers Stewart McBain, aged 65, of Perth, and 67-year-old Jimmy Wardlaw, from Bridge of Earn.
Jimmy has experience of Scotland’s last World Cup foray back in France in 1998 when they exited after being drawn in Group A alongside Brazil, Norway and Morocco. He has hardly missed any home or away matches since - and one of his enduring highlights was playing the pipes in Moscow’s Red Square in 2019 during one of Jailer Tours foreign trips.
For Stewart, it will be his first World Cup adventure - and both have been counting down the days since Scotland clinched qualification following their memorable 4-2 win against Denmark at Hampden on November 18 last year. They both worked at Perth’s Edinburgh Road jail for over 30 years and are both now retired.
Jimmy started piping in 2017, when he was 58, and both were taught by Alistair Duthie, Perth and District pipe major. They both played with Perth and District Pipe Band. “I played on and off from when I was 10,” recalled Stewart. “I never played for about 17 years after that but took up the pipes again when I retired nine years ago.”
They are both looking forward to “bringing Scotland to the USA” and at the same time promoting friendliness, banter, colour and sound to enhance Scotland’s reputation and encourage Americans to visit Scotland.
Jailer Tours Legacy
The Jailer Tours Tartan Army has been established for more than two decades now, with Craig Mailer, organiser and mainstay of the group, recalling how it all began. “About 2002, a few of us were members of the Perthshire Tartan Army and, due to working in Perth Prison, we were collectively known as ‘The Jailers.’ We grew in numbers, started running our own bus and called our group Jailer Tours Tartan Army.”
“The group has grown over the years to more than 60, with a 57-seater bus regularly booked for all the home games at Hampden. There were also good numbers attending the away matches as well, with thousands of miles covered in trains and boats and planes over the past 20-plus years,” he added.
There are now just a few prison officers still working with the Scottish Prison Service but the group’s name, along with its popularity and camaraderie, remain undiminished. “Since 2002, the group has travelled to over 50 away games,” explained Craig. “Some of the best and most unusual trips have been to Moscow, Minsk, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Albania, the Faroe Islands, Macedonia and Lichtenstein.”
But their dream trip is just beginning as they look ahead to their American adventure after Scotland qualified for the 2026 World Cup following an agonisingly long wait of 28 years.
