BOSTON -- Tailgating will be allowed before FIFA World Cup games at Gillette Stadium, after all.
The Boston World Cup host committee said Monday that FIFA reversed its initial stance that no tailgating would be allowed at any of the 104 matches during the tournament, to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Tailgating is an American sports tradition where fans gather socially pre-match, often sharing food and drink.
Six group-stage matches will be played at the home of the NFL's New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, south of Boston, plus a quarterfinal July 9.
The committee said the shift conforms with local policies that allow tailgating "like any other event hosted, at the stadium as there are no venue restrictions or local public safety restrictions in place that would prohibit it."
Those events include games hosted by the Patriots and MLS team the New England Revolution, and concerts.
Space will be severely reduced from what is normally available. There are about 20,000 parking spots available for Patriots games, but there will be only around 5,000 for public use during the World Cup.
The Metro Boston Transit Authority has set train prices at $80 round trip from Boston to Foxborough for tournament games, four times what it charges for NFL and MLS games. There is also an express bus option that will depart from various Boston-area locations, which will cost $95 round trip.
Earlier on Monday, New York City announced that it planned a series of fan fests in each of the five boroughs in conjunction with World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and at other venues around the country.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
