Scotland fans set for World Cup invasion as USA city chief reveals Tartan Army numbers have doubled (original) (raw)
Steve Clarke's men are set to be backed in huge numbers with the countdown on to their opening game
Scotland fans are set for a World Cup invasion after an American city tourist chief revealed they are now expecting a 10,000-strong Tartan Army - DOUBLE their original estimate.
Scotland fans travelling to the USA for their return to the tournament after 28 years are set to make the Rhode Island capital city, Providence, their unofficial HQ ahead of their opening two games in nearby Foxborough against Haiti and Morocco.
Providence chiefs originally planned for a maximum of 5,000 Scots to be based in the New England city for around a week. But they now admit they are expecting around double that estimate, with the city, which has a population of 190,000, set to welcome an incredible 10,000 fans from Scotland alone.
The city has set up a fan zone, provided school buses for Scotland fans to get to the Gillette Stadium for the two games and extended bars' opening times for the World Cup.
And Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism Director Joe Wilson said: "We are expecting around 10,000 people from the Tartan Army, the name for the group of fans of Scotland’s national football team.
"We know that they’re going to be headquartered downtown at one establishment and they’ll be using our fan zone as the place that they’re actually catching their buses to go to Gillette Stadium. My department helped to facilitate that work.
"Because of the walkability of this city, because of how the city has positioned itself in terms of being a more affordable option...we have been a very attractive city. During this period of time, Providence is already jumpin'.
"We’re very excited about the World Cup. It's the largest sporting event on the planet. I am hopeful that because of our size and how we can continue to set ourselves up as a destination and as a viable option for families to be able to enjoy this experience, that we will be able to capture enough of the market and enough of that benefit that will still be meaningful for the city of Providence."
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