For gay Scottish couple, World Cup trip with Tartan Army ‘once in a lifetime’
Gay couple Kenny and Nicki McKenzie traveled to Boston for the World Cup as part of Scotland's Tartan Army. They had a blast.
Mark
Kenny and Nicki McKenzie had a time they won’t forget when they followed Scotland’s World Cup team to Boston as part of the Tartan Army, which captivated the city with its good cheer and massive drinking. Doing so as a gay married couple made it all that much more special.
“It’s true — No Scotland, No Party,” Kenny McKenzie told Outsports. “And boy, can we party, even when we lose!”
The McKenzies are huge soccer fans and go to all of Scotland’s home matches, but attending a World Cup was a dream that felt they had to previously defer because they are gay.
“We decided we had to go to the USA to attend the game as part of the Tartan Army, because it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for us,” Kenny said. “Not only has it been 28 years since Scotland last qualified for a World Cup, but it’s being held in the USA, a country we can safely visit as a same-sex couple.
“Looking at the previous two hosts, Qatar and Russia, we could never have attended the World Cup in those countries even if Scotland had qualified.
“I think it’s also a reminder of how lucky we are in Scotland. Of the 48 nations competing, it’s illegal to be gay in 11 of them. That’s quite shocking in 2026, and in some parts of the world it’s getting worse.”
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Scotland played in suburban Foxbrough, Mass., for its first two games in the World Cup, a win and a draw. As estimated Scottish 50,000 fans descended on Boston, dressed in kilts, playing bagpipes and drinking and drinking and drinking. The city was charmed.
“The people of Boston were honestly the friendliest, most awesome people,” Kenny said. “They really embraced us with open arms, celebrating both Pride Month and watching the USA play brilliantly in their matches. The atmosphere was incredible.”
Since a majority of the Scottish fans in Boston were men, Kenny, 35, and Nicki, 38, being together made them appear to Bostonians as if they were just friends.
“When two male football fans are traveling together, nobody’s first thought is that we’re a married couple,” Kenny said. “So we end up chatting to anyone and it’s — ‘No, we haven’t left the wives at home, we’re married to each other.’ You get used to it.
“Everyone’s reaction was really positive and everyone was lovely, both Scottish and American. Bring part of the Tartan Army was just amazing. All the posts on social media about the antics are only a small taste of what it’s like.”
The couple have been married for eight years and first met at a train station in Glasgow while they were lining up to buy coffee. Nicki is a secondary school teacher and Kenny is a customer supply chain manager in the whisky industry. Kenny played soccer until he was 16 and the men remain enthusiastic football fans.
As for the Scots being legendary drinkers? All true.
“The flight over to the USA was funny because they ran out of beer in under an hour in what was a six-hour flight,” Kenny said.
“The beer in Boston was lovely, we had a lot of local Boston beers, including Sam Adams.
It’s no surprise the city ran out. It’s worth mentioning that at home in Scotland it is forbidden to drink alcohol at our soccer matches [since 1981]. So a good cultural difference in the USA!
“It was a great experience to watch Scotland in a stadium and drink some beer.”
The Tartan Army is now in Miami for the team’s third game against Brazil, crucial to the Scots’ chances of making the knockout round. Kenny and Nicki are back home in Doune, central Scotland, where they will undoubtedly be settled in and watching the game, drinks in hand, their two dogs by their side with memories of an amazing time in Boston as an out soccer fans.
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