The Tartan Army is bringing Glasgow’s famous traffic cone tradition to Boston’s Robert Burns statue
The boys looked proud as they placed a cone on top of Robert Burns’ head(Image: TikTok/@rsullivan1991)
The Tartan Army’s antics in Boston continue to capture attention online, with a new viral TikTok showing Scotland’s supporters bringing one of Glasgow’s most famous traditions across the Atlantic.
Scottish fans have already made headlines under theirs WC stay in the US, from singing in the street to taking over baseball games. Now they’ve turned their attention to Boston’s statues, with traffic cones appearing on monuments across the city.
With several days in between Scotland’s opening 1-0 win over Haiti and their second Group C match against Morocco on June 19, it appears that the travel support has kept busy.
The latest clipposted by TikTok user @rsullivan1991 shows a supporter targeting a statue of Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns. The video has gone viral, garnering more than 38,700 views and over 2,000 likes within just a few hours of being posted.
The video was posted along with the caption: “We heard Quincy had a statue that hadn’t been found, we found you Rabbie Burns.”
In the clip, a Scotland fan dressed in a national team shirt and kilt can be seen climbing onto the statue as his friend behind the camera shouts: “That’s Rabbie Burns.”
The supporter then blows the statue a kiss before declaring, “Love you bro,” as he attempts to place a traffic cone on top of Burns’ head. Encouraged by his friend, who is filming the stunt, he eventually succeeds before jokingly apologizing.
“Sorry Rabbie,” he says before giving the statue another kiss and climbing back down. The clip ends with the pair proudly posing in front of the monument, with the now cone-shaped Burns statue standing behind them.
The stunt is instantly recognizable to many Scots, with the Duke of Wellington statue in Glasgow sporting an upside-down traffic cone for decades. The tradition is believed to have started with late night revelers in the 1980s and has since become one of the city’s most famous unofficial landmarks.
Several attempts have been made over the years to permanently remove the cone, but each time it has quickly reappeared. For many citizens of Glas, it has become a symbol of the city’s strong sense of humor.
It seems American social media users have also embraced the tradition since the Tartan Army appeared in Boston for the World Cup, with many rushing to the comments section on TikTok to share their amusement.
One viewer wrote: “I was in Boston yesterday and saw cones on so many statues. I love it!!!!” As another commented: “Get it. we the people stand by your rants and fully support this.”
With another US user writing: “Ah wondered how long it would take for Rabbie to be bowled!!”
One American suggested that the cones should remain in place as a lasting reminder of the Scotland fans’ visit and the atmosphere they have created during their time in the city.
They wrote: “I think we should leave them there after everyone has gone home…so we never forget the fun and love you brought to USA! May we always cherish the memories and Go Scotland!!! ps…next time we’ll order more beer.”
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