Go Scotland, no Party? The Tartan Army guide to the World Cup

The United States is famously known as the Land of Opportunity.

For Scotland supporters, it’s the land of late nights and frantic flight booking.

Fly a plane over Scotland at night and you’ll see street lights flickering as the national grid struggles to take the strain of thousands of Scots on laptops hammering travel and hotel comparison websites.

Bizarre connections, jacked-up flight prices and getting in touch with your long, lost cousin Chad in Tampa about his spare room, Scotland is awash with World Cup fever, even if each group game will be played at silly o’clock.

Following your team in a World Cup can be a stressful business, and that’s before a ball has been kicked. But how are Scotland fans planning for the summer of a generation?

Okay, so this is the easy bit.

Scotland will play their first two World Cup matches next summer in Boston before closing their group against Brazil in Miami. Sounds exciting. Get the flight booked.

But for those watching back home, the devil is in the detail. Namely the kick-off times.

Scotland open up their campaign against Haiti at Gillette Stadium. The World Cup website will tell you the game’s on Saturday 13 June, but in Scotland it’s actually the following day thanks to an eye-straining 02:00 BST kick-off time.

Steve Clarke’s side will also meet Morocco in Massachusetts on 19 June, with the slightly better but far from ideal 23:00 start for fans back home.

That’s the same time as the Scots face five-time winners Brazil at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on 24 June.

In comparison, England will play two games at 21:00, and one at 22:00.

The draw means the Scots will conclude all their games after Cinderella time, with houses filled with zombified children from Wick to Gretna.

By any means possible. Preferably not by pedalo.

While adrenaline will be surging through supporters that will no doubt endure them into the wee hours, roaring at your telly in the middle of the night is never a great idea.

So what if you’re wanting to go?

Already adverts from travel agents are popping up on social media offering members of the Tartan Army all sorts of deals.

One, including a match ticket, flight and three nights of accommodation, will set you back £3,499 for the game versus Haiti. You can add £400 on for the Brazil game.

But what if you want to have a book at everything yourself?

A one-way ticket from Edinburgh to Boston the day before Scotland’s bow, at the time of writing, will cost £1,472 if you want to go direct. The same flight a month earlier is £624.

Want to save a bit of cash? An indirect flight via Dublin is currently only £398. There is the small matter of 21 hours and 45 minutes of travel time including a 13-hour and 40-minute connection, though…

There is the option to go across the Atlantic on a cruise if you don’t mind missing the first game and playing some shuffleboard as you go.

Want to find a hotel in Boston? A three-star on the night of the Haiti game, again at the time of writing, won’t offer you much change from £300.

The good news is that accommodation prices in Miami look a bit more appealing.

Landed at Boston Logan International Airport? Check. Managed to get through your suitcase of washing up liquid? Check. You’re good to go.

Travelling around in theory should be relatively straightforward given Scotland are in the same stadium for their first two games.

Scotland will play twice at the huge Gillette Stadium, which will be known as the Boston Stadium for the duration of the tournament.

Normally, it is the home of the New England Patriots, an NFL team synonymous with Tom Brady, the legendary quarter-back who helped out in Friday’s marathon World Cup draw. You’ll also find MLS team New England Revolution.

Fifa give the stadium a capacity of 63,815, and it’s located in Foxborough, 20 miles south-west of Boston.

Once the novelty of the Boston Tea Party ships, Fenway Park, and getting your photo taken outside the Cheers pub wears off, fans may be migrating south to the Sunshine State of Florida.

Scotland’s third match will be at the impressive Hard Rock (Miami) Stadium in, well, Miami.

The home of the Miami Dolphins has also been known to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix outside it and tennis tournaments in it. Just like Firhill…

The capacity is 64,091 and you can find the ground 13 miles north of the city centre.

The short answer is hotter than Glasgow.

The average daily high temperature in Boston is going to be 26C. This is where the late kick-offs may help the Scots.

Their first game against Haiti will get going at 21:00 local time, while the potentially pivotal meeting with Morocco is at 18:00.

The heat ramps up though as Steve Clarke’s side head to Miami.

As any parent who has spent a summer trotting around Florida theme parks will know, it can be a bit toasty.

A bit further south than Orlando in Miami, the daily high average temperature is 31C in June. The alleged humidity is an unnerving 74%.

The 18:00 kick-off time may make things more manageable, but the tropical climate will surely favour the Brazilians. As if they need a hand.

The first batch of tickets went on sale at the start of October, with more than 4.5m fans entering a draw for a chance to buy them.

However, some fans will be able to apply for tickets this month for Scotland’s games.

Members of the Scotland Supporters Club (SSC), made up of those who go to home and away games regularly, will be given access to apply from Monday, 15 December until the final deadline on 13 January.

These tickets will be allocated based on the Scottish FA’s loyalty points system.

It is not yet clear how many tickets will be specifically allocated to Scotland fans, given the venues are still to be confirmed.

Those who are not SSC members will have to wait for a last-minute sales phase, which will take place closer to the tournament.

Fifa is adopting a ‘dynamic’ pricing model for the tournament, meaning ticket prices for matches deemed high demand could be raised significantly during later sales periods.

Jim: I’m pleased they are in Boston for the first two games, the climate should be more accommodating. The times are not so great, but I’ll still be watching.

Kristo: Ridiculous. What parent is gonna let their bairn be up at 2am to see Scotland v Haiti? Not one game will be before their bedtime. I’d rather see the players be on the brink of dehydration if it meant that everyone can sit down and watch a Scotland game at a decent time.

Pedro: Looking forward to it but I’m a realist and Morrocco and Brazil will beat us, so we need a few goals against Haiti.

James: Who cares, be back on first plane home, again.