Photo by @mikeslyfe / @lyfeafterdeathagency
Audio By Carbonatix
When the Scottish national team supporters — more affectionately known as the kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing Tartan Army — took over Miami last month, we all had a time.
They paraded down Calle Ocho, packed LoanDepot Park, and adorned our rooster statues with giant orange traffic cones. They sang karaoke with us (mostly Proclaimers songs!). They drank with us (so, so much beer). They even proposed to us (or, more specifically, to our news editor Natasha Yee). Naturally, we returned the favor: We taught them how to shotgun beers, introduced them to our beloved Pub subs, and welcomed them into our hearts.
The Tartan Army packed up and went home, and we miss them dearly. Apparently, so does everyone else.
The people want the Tartan Army back so badly, in fact, that a new petition is calling on Miami’s local governments to help make it happen.
An online petition created on June 28 calls on the cities of Miami and Miami Beach, as well as Miami-Dade County, to establish an official annual “Tartan Army Weekend” and explore a Miami-Edinburgh sister-city friendship. The petition says that the tens of thousands of Scotland supporters not only won Miami over but also stayed behind after the party ended, leaving places like Bayfront Park “spotless.”
“They turned Bayfront Park and Ocean Drive into the best party of the tournament, and Miami fell in love. Boston has already made it official, signing a sister-city partnership with Glasgow and telling the fans to come back again and again. Miami — the city that loved them hardest — has done nothing yet,” the petition reads. “Let’s change that.”
Natasha Yee
It continues: “Sign to bring the Tartan Army back to Miami. No Scotland, no party.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, 208 people have signed the petition, which cites Boston as an example of what Miami could do next.
In late June, after the Tartan Army descended upon Boston, the city announced an official sister city partnership with Glasgow, Scotland. In a press release, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced plans to “formalize an international partnership with the City of Glasgow, Scotland, to strengthen economic, cultural and institutional ties.”
“The Scottish community has helped shape Boston for centuries, and today we’re proud to build on those longstanding ties by establishing a sister-city partnership with Glasgow,” Wu said. “We look forward to strengthening the connections between our residents, businesses, and institutions as we build a partnership rooted in shared values and collaboration.”
Spokespeople for the City of Miami, City of Miami Beach, and Miami-Dade County did not immediately respond to New Times’ request for comment via email about the proposal.
