THE Tartan Army has hit back at a Tory MSP who has called for the end of the cone-mania being embraced by football fans across the country.
Fans of the men's national team made headlines last month after placing orange traffic cones on statues across Boston and later Miami while in the US for Scotland's first World Cup in 28 years.
The tradition originates in Glasgow where the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art has stood with a cone on his head, and often on the horse's, since the 1980s.
Past efforts made by the council to remove the cone have swiftly seen a replacement erected, and it is now known as a light-hearted symbol of Glaswegian culture and humour.
Upon the Tartan Army's return to Scotland, following a disappointing run which saw Steve Clarke's side slide to defeat against both Morocco and Brazil, losing out on a third-place playoff spot despite securing three points against Haiti, Scottish statues beyond Glasgow have started to see cones being placed on them.
Images of cones on statues, including the capital's own Duke of Wellington at the end of Princes Street, have gone viral but the growing trend has drawn criticism from some figures in local councils, as well as the Conservative's Murdo Fraser.
Fraser, who represents Mid Scotland and Fife posted on X/Twitter saying: "Can we just agree that the whole ‘traffic cones on statues’ thing was funny the first time, but now is just boring? Move on."
Stephen Jenkinson, Edinburgh Council's transport convener echoed this, saying that while the cones have "been put up in good humour and with the best intentions", they could pose risks to the public and the tradition should not spread outside of Glasgow.
She said: , Stephen Jenkinson, said: “Whilst I’m sure these have been put up in good humour and with the best intentions, we need to consider the safety of the public above all.
“Unsecured traffic cones could potentially cause injury or present a road safety hazard, which is why they’ve been removed.
“I think we can all agree that there is only one statue in Scotland that has truly immortalised the cone, so I’d urge people to not attempt any imitations.”
The Tartan Army, continuing in its light-hearted approach, posted a response to Fraser's statement featuring Dwight Schrute from the US-adapted Office, saying "let's put it this way... No".
— 🏴 The Tartan Army 🏴 (@TartanArmyGroup) July 3, 2026
While some politicians at home may be opposed to the tradition, it was embraced by Bostonians during the Tartan Army's takeover of the city, with mayor Michelle Wu taking part and placing a cone on a statue herself.
After some initial backlash while in their next host city of Miami, the tradition was also given the green light.
