Scotland fans call for better crowd system at next World Cup match
ReutersTartan Army members have called for improvements to the queuing system at Boston Stadium after enduring long waits for Scotland's World Cup opener.
Some feared they would miss the start of last weekend's match as thousands waited in line to clear security, while others felt there was potential for a dangerous crush.
The stadium itself won praise, but supporters are hoping crowd management lessons will be learned for Scotland's next match at the venue against Morocco.
US transport officials said they successfully brought nearly 20,000 supporters to the venue by train in time for kick-off. Representatives of Boston Stadium and Fifa have been contacted for comment.
The 64,000-seater stadium, normally known as the Gillette Stadium, is located in the suburban town of Foxborough - about 30 miles from central Boston where the bulk of the Scotland fans are staying.
While the facility - home to the New England Patriots NFL team - boasts a very large car park it is less geared up for public transport access, and transport officials said they faced an "unprecedented" challenge.
Special trains were laid on and ran effectively but many fans faced long queues at the station in Boston - and then experienced more delays getting into the stadium.
John Weir, from Glasgow, travelled to the Haiti match on one of the yellow school buses that had been hired by fans.
He said: "There was a bit of tailgating, beers etc then we tried to get in at seven - so two hours before the game kicked off.
"It was just a sea of people getting funnelled into not enough gates, airport style security.
"After an hour of not really moving, a bit of a crush, they just opened the gates and let everyone in."
Another fan from Glasgow, who asked not to be named, said he arrived at the stadium with his wife and two children five hours before kick-off but they only made it to their seats as the players were walking onto the pitch.
He told BBC Scotland News a lack of a "meaningful queuing structure" saw thousands of fans funnelled through "a series of bottlenecks and pinch points".
"There was no controlled flow of people," he said. "Supporters were forced to push forward simply to avoid being trapped.
"People climbed onto walls, tables and barriers to create space or escape the pressure. At several points fences were knocked over as the weight of the crowd surged against them.
"It didn't take the shine off the game but they need to learn lessons from this so that fans at the next games get a better experience."
Getty ImagesKyle Archibald had flown out to the match with 12 other fans from Orkney. He said he would remember the match as a magical experience but getting to the venue was "horrendous".
"We bought tickets for the train as everyone was advised to do," he said.
"We were in the line for about an hour and 45 minutes, got the train to the stadium and spent another hour getting in.
"There were three gates for 65,000 people. It was a bit of a joke really but it was such a big event."
Peter AitchisonRetired journalist Peter Aitchison, who was in Boston with his son Jack, 28, said they arrived for their train journey to the stadium at their allocated time slot to find the the queues were already snaking 100 yards out of the station.
Once at Foxborough they waited to get into the stadium, then discovered the entrance only took them to a fan zone where they faced another delay.
"There were lots of lovely people welcoming you to the stadium but what they needed were stewards directing you and giving you information," Aitchison said.
Fans had already been warned that enhanced World Cup security arrangements meant it was important to arrive in plenty of time - but many were surprised by just how long they had to wait to get inside.
Aitchison suspects cultural differences, where American football fans often "make a day of it" by arriving very early, meant officials were less experienced at dealing with a soccer crowd.
"The Tartan Army were great - as were the Haiti fans - but it would just have been nicer if it had been organised a bit differently," he said.
Despite the issues, the match itself - which saw Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 - started on time and it passed without major incident.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said it transported nearly 20,000 fans by train to the stadium and all arrived at least an hour before kick-off.
Phil Eng, interim secretary of transportation, praised fans for their behaviour.
"Their co-operation, patience, and compliance did not go unnoticed and that supported our ability to get them safely to and from Boston Stadium."
The last train back from Foxborough arrived in Boston at about 02:30 in the early hours.
Scotland's next World Cup game against Morocco at the Boston Stadium kicks off at 18:00 ET or 23:00 BST on Friday.
