In a remarkable twist of fate, four Scottish fans turned their weekend at Fenway Park into an unforgettable experience, becoming what the Boston Red Sox believe to be the first winners from the UK of the club’s 50/50 raffle. The group, consisting of two father-son duos—Peter and Paul Innes, along with John and Ross Henderson—attended the Scotland Celebration night after witnessing their national team secure a victory against Haiti in their opening World Cup match.
On Sunday, while the Red Sox were in action against the Texas Rangers, the group purchased a $40 raffle ticket. After what Paul described as checking the winning number “250 times,” they were thrilled to discover they had won a staggering $21,353.80 (£16,132.90). “It’s just surreal,” Paul, who has been following Scotland with his father for over a decade, said. “It’s not really sunk in.”
Half of the winnings will support the Red Sox Foundation, and the men from Bonnyrigg were presented with a cheque for $10,676.90 (£8,066.45) before the Red Sox faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Red Sox staff noted that they cannot recall any winners from the United Kingdom in recent memory and are having difficulty finding records of any international winners.
The Tartan Army made their presence felt at Fenway Park, enjoying a night that garnered global headlines despite the Red Sox’s defeat to the Rangers. John reflected on the experience, saying, “My best pal, his son, my son, amazing. What a trip we’ve had!”
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
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