No Scotland No Party: Tartan Army’s World Cup Yellow Bus Adventure

After a 28-year absence, Scotland are back at the FIFA World Cup. As a result, the fans of the national team have been keen to enjoy the opportunity and make their voices heard across North America.

A World Cup comes around every four years, but the memories last forever. Six World Cups passed by without Scottish involvement, and when the team locked in its qualification with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Denmark in November, the desire for its supporters to be there for Scotland’s return to the top international stage burned brighter than ever.

But as the tournament reality hit, so too did the headlines about expensive ticket prices for matches and for public transportation getting to games. That may have put off some fans completely, but not the “Tartan Army.”

With that in mind, a group of eight volunteers (all with full-time jobs) came together to support the fans heading out to North America with their travel plans, all united by a love of their National Team. Such were the measures fans were prepared to take to attend this World Cup that Rory Phillips-Hunter, one of the figureheads of the project, said that he had “sold my pickup truck and maxed out the credit card,” adding that “this might not happen again for another 28 years.”

This is the story of how the volunteers devised and executed a plan involving transporting Scottish fans on more than 40 yellow school buses from Providence, Rhode Island, to games in Foxborough, Massachusetts. SportsTravel got the lowdown from Phillips-Hunter about their motivations for the project and his hopes and expectations for the National Team.

Background

Born and bred in Scotland but now living just over the English border in Carlisle, Phillips-Hunter had grown up “obsessed” with the Scottish National Team — even calling it his “religion.”

Watching Scotland play around the world, he wanted to share his love for the sport by setting up a whole soccer (football) club for under-16s, including a disability team (Eden Town), which allowed him to further fulfill his travel ambitions.

There is something special about the camaraderie of Scottish National Team fans. “Football just hits different with Scottish people,” he said. “With the National Team, everyone loves each other, even despite the Old Firm (Celtic vs. Rangers) hatred. We despise each other and fight, but we can then enjoy football together. This is what makes Scottish fans so unique — we’re all under one banner.”

The volunteers behind the project all have their own backgrounds, but are bonded by a shared passion for the National Team and charity. Among them, Phillips-Hunter spent time in the army, Hazel Stewart works in public markets compliance while also co-hosting the ‘No Scotland No Party Podcast,’ and David Hood works for the UK Government.

The Yellow Bus Idea

After the tournament groups and schedule were revealed during the FIFA World Cup Finals Draw in December, it became clear that the Scottish National Team would be playing at least two games in Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium (renamed Boston Stadium for the tournament, about 30 miles from Boston itself), although it was not evident how fans would get there.

Between 12,000 and 15,000 Scotland fans were already expected to stay in Providence, Rhode Island, during the tournament, due to the convenient proximity to Boston (around an hour’s drive) and lower hotel prices compared to other nearby cities, as Rhode Island was not hosting World Cup games. This led two fans, Hood and Gregor Cowan, to set up the Providence Tartan Army to raise money for both the Tartan Army and a local children’s hospital charity.

The major issue still facing them was the fact that there were limited trains between Providence and Foxborough, while long traffic jams between the two cities meant that Uber taxis would likely be aggressively expensive. But with the majority of American kids now out of school for summer break, Stewart suggested using the buses to lower costs for the fans, and the volunteers eventually reached an agreement with the bus companies. After two group-stage games, 41 buses had been arranged to take supporters to Scotland’s matches against Haiti and Morocco, with 50 people on each.

In Phillips-Hunter’s own words, the yellow bus idea had started as a joke, until it became a necessity. It also garnered global attention from the media, with journalists from NBC, Fox, BBC, ESPN, Sunday Times and Associated Press all reaching out for interviews.

“The attention has been just incredible,” he said. “We’ve received interview requests from NBC, Fox, BBC, STV, ESPN, The Sunday Times, the Associated Press and more. It really is No Scotland No Party!”

By this point, the Boston Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) had come under fire after increasing the price of round trips between South Station in Boston and Foxborough by 400 percent during the World Cup, on top of Gillette Stadium dropping the usual number of parking spaces from 20,000 to 5,000. What would usually cost $20 on New England Patriots and New England Revolution gamedays would suddenly cost $80 for a round trip during the World Cup. The MBTA later reduced those prices and said they would go towards $35 million improvements in Foxborough Station, but the Scotland fans found other alternatives.

Two other Scotland fans, Mike MacGregor (originally from Dundee and now living in Rhode Island) and Ian Cox, were the Tartan Army’s team on the ground, successfully negotiating down a potential $600 fare to $400 per bus, at a cost of around $50 (£38) per person. As more people started finding out about the project, FIFA offered to lay on buses or coaches for around $90 per person — almost double the price they secured — and they refused.

Besides the yellow school buses, the Tartan Army representatives secured a location called 195 District Park for a celebration in Central Providence, following an organized march (of 6,000 fans) through the city before the second match against Morocco. For one evening, fans could party long into the night, enjoy musical performances and savor more than 20,000 personalized bottles of beer.

“The attention has been just incredible. We’ve received interview requests from NBC, Fox, BBC, STV, ESPN, The Sunday Times, the Associated Press and more. It really is No Scotland No Party!”

Charity Element

One of the most important legacies of Scotland’s journey to the FIFA World Cup will be the Tartan Army’s emphasis on giving back to local communities and charities.

The Providence Tartan Army paid for t-shirts and 2,000 badges to be made up, all costing £1 ($1.32) for charity. With £40,000 ($52,900) collected from those proceeds, the group was able to help out communities in and around locations where they would be based during the tournament, including a $10,000 donation to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence and $6,500 to the Rhode Island Highlanders pipe band.

In addition, the group made a £5,000 donation to Craig Ferguson, a fan who set off in February to walk 3,200 miles from Los Angeles to Boston — the equivalent of 120 marathons in just over 100 days. The ‘Tartan Trek’ was all in aid of Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), raising £1 million ($1.3 million) in the process so far.

The Providence Tartan Army’s popularity is clearly on the rise. From what started as a simple WhatsApp group with 21 people now stands at more than 1,000 fans, plus its Facebook group now includes 9,500-plus members.

EDIT: In response to the Providence Tartan Army’s charitable donations, GoProvidence and the Rhode Island Sports Commission announced a $5,000 donation to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, as a gesture of gratitude and friendship.

On top of the initial gift, local bars and restaurants came together to contribute an additional $5,500 of their own, including Hot Club, G Pub, Track 15, Trinity Brewhouse, Murphy’s and Rollers.

“This is our small way of giving back to a group that gave so much to us,” said Kristen Adamo, president & CEO of GoProvidence. “The Tartan Army reignited Rhode Islanders’ love for Providence. They brought joy, a sense of community, and a whole lot of bagpipes everywhere they went. We miss them terribly — and we hope this gesture shows just how grateful we are.”

“Sports have a unique ability to build bridges, and the connection between Providence and the Tartan Army is proof of that,” said Jonathan Walker, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission. “Their energy transformed our city. Supporting the Glasgow Children’s Hospital is the least we can do to honor the friendship they extended to us.”

Financial Help

Despite approaching the Scottish Football Association before a recent friendly match against the Ivory Coast, Phillips-Hunter revealed that the Providence Tartan Army had received no financial support from the Scottish Football Association.

“We attempted to get back in touch with someone on the Committee, and then we didn’t hear back. We had no financial or logistical support from the SFA nor any other company in Scotland — everyone UK-based said no. There was one company which made t-shirts for us, and they handled everything from design to payment, manufacturing and delivery.

“FIFA even asked to film the buses with drones as they couldn’t do it with helicopters due to air restrictions!”

‘Astronomical’ Costs

Scotland fans were given around 3,500 tickets per game on average at this World Cup. That was compared with around 10,000 fans at the 2024 European Championships in Germany, which drove up ticket prices and expenses for all fans heading out to North America.

After complaints about the starting cost of tickets, Phillips-Hunter said that prices were “massively dropping” in the weeks leading up to the tournament. Watching two matches in five days at the 2024 European Championships had cost him roughly £2,000 ($2,600), whereas it was now costing him alone just under £7,000 ($9,200) for two days at this World Cup on the other side of the pond.

Scotland fans were equally critical of the costs of hotels in Foxborough and Boston, which Palmer-Hunter called “astronomical.” He had initially secured a $200-a-night room for two people at the Marriott Downtown Providence Hotel in Rhode Island, although it appeared that other fans had been less fortunate. This included claims that hotels had canceled bookings for some fans before relisting them at prices more than 200 percent above what they had paid initially.

Inside Boston Stadium itself, the menu board showed standard American beers being priced at $16, a craft or imported draft beer at $19, canned imported beer at $20, soft drinks at $8, and snacks costing at least $7.

Match Vs. Haiti

“Overall, the experience was really good,” said Phillips-Hunter when asked about his experience of the opening game against Haiti in Boston. “The buses from Providence to Foxborough were the most fun I’ve ever had on a commute to a game, and seeing all the videos of the convoy was so heart-warming after months and months to get there. There were definitely a few tears.

“One of the most memorable things from the bus journey was seeing a guy hanging out the bus window playing the pipes as we went down the freeway. Everything that was organized on our end was superb, from getting into the parking lot at Enterprise to having our own little private party there with all the buses lined up.

“Getting into the stadium itself, a lot of people said that the queues were horrific. However, the state troopers shut down the freeway for us to be taken to the side of the stadium, and we were the first ones there. I knew there were absolutely massive queues elsewhere, but there were certain gates that were empty. I think that was because they had these massive six-foot fences up, and they were pushing everyone towards one entrance, which was the most obvious place for people to go. I literally walked through security in under a minute. I believe there were other people, though, who were waiting hours to get in, but that was due to the organization of the stadium.

“The stadium itself was phenomenal. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before! Halfway around the stadium, there was a big hall where they bring trucks and lorries in for the big events that they do, and there was literally a garden, which is just insane. Whoever was in charge of the music of the stadium clearly knew that the Tartan Army was in town because there were loads of Scottish songs being played. Loch Lomond was bellied out, and the atmosphere was phenomenal. On the big screen, I’ve heard various reports that Flower of Scotland (the national anthem) reached 125 decibels, which is the highest-ever recorded noise at a World Cup/FIFA event. I’m still trying to get my voice back!

Whatever happens in the rest of this World Cup, you can be certain that those Scottish fans — nor the locals who embraced them in Providence and Boston — will soon forget this Army’s campagin.