A dedicated Tartan Army supporter has shaved his beard during a Scotland-themed boat party in Boston to raise funds for charity.
Charity Shave on the High Seas
David Carsey, 42, from Aberdeen, underwent the shave on a three-hour booze cruise on Thursday afternoon. Hundreds of bleary-eyed Scotland fans boarded the large cruiser under gloomy skies before the festivities began. As David removed his long facial hair, a chorus of 'No Scotland, No Party' erupted from delighted fans.
David, a groundsman for Aberdeen City Council, said: 'I did the same thing for the Euros and thought I might as well do it again. If I can raise a bit of money for charity - too right. I'm doing it for the STV Children's Appeal and also a Boston hospital. Now my beard is gone, it feels very weird! I always have a beard - I've had one for 10 years.'
Reflecting on his World Cup adventure, he added: 'We've been here for eight days so far and it's just been phenomenal. The people of Boston have been looking after us so well. We are staying through in Providence and it's absolutely amazing through there as well.'
Party Boat Atmosphere
The three-hour cruise featured an open bar and an extensive spread of sandwiches, wraps, and salad. Fans quickly started chanting 'Scotland's on Fire' as the party gained momentum. As the clouds cleared, supporters hugged and danced to familiar songs. Upon returning to Rowes Wharf, they burst into song, with one fan exclaiming: 'Can we stay on here all night?'
North East Tartan Army chief Chris Gibson, 50, who has organized around a dozen party cruises, called this the best one yet. 'What a day. We've all been partying here. This one has blown the rest out of the water. It was fantastic to have Craig Ferguson on here too. It's been such a brilliant day.' He added: 'If they thought this was good, Boston is about to see the biggest party ever tomorrow night when we get the result and get through that group. They have no idea what qualifying through the group means to us - but they're about to find out!'
Charity Hero Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson, 22, who walked across America to Boston raising £1 million for men's mental health, enjoyed some downtime on the boat. After posing for photos, he told the Record: 'That was just unbelievable. This is what it's all about. Look at everyone hugging and kissing. I only heard that I was able to get on the boat yesterday. I missed the last one, and I thought I'm not missing this again! So I'm very, very glad that I got on it, because that was just amazing.'
He added: 'Do you know what I love, it's when you're going out on the boat. And everyone on the harbour is just waving and taking pictures. It just makes you so proud, because everyone looks so enamoured - like who are these kilted men just going for it?! It's just the best thing ever.' Ferguson will attend the match tomorrow, predicting a 2-2 draw.
