Glasgow has won its bid to stage the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Some 90% of the facilities needed to stage the £288m event are already in place, but it is hoped that the Games will help regenerate the east end of the city.
Plans include a new £22m velodrome, a £580,000 mountain biking course and £76.1m 5,000 seater indoor arena as well as a new state-of-the-art 35ha athletes’ village which will be converted to affordable local housing after the Games. The village will also contain a cinema, bistros, snack bars and shops.
The main track and field events will be held at Scotland’s national stadium, Hampden Park and at the new SECC Arena, a 12,500 seater arena designed by Sir Norman Foster which will host the gymnastics and netball. Work on the arena is scheduled to begin next year and will be complete by 2010.
Other existing venues will be refurbished and upgraded, including a £17m upgrade for Scotstoun Leisure Centre will which stage squash and table tennis, the National Swimming Centre at Tollcross Park which will receive a £12.5m upgrade, Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena which will host weightlifting and judo and will receive a £11m upgrade, and Glasgow Green Football Centre which will host hockey events and will get a £3.24m upgrade to provide dedicated hockey pitches,
There will also be a £28.8m upgrade to the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh, which will host diving events.
The cost of the games will be split 80/20 between the Scottish Executive and Glasgow City Council. Forecasts are that the Games will leave Scotland £81m richer once the costs are offset by the effects of regeneration, increased tourism and more permanent employment.
Glasgow beat competition from Abuja in Nigeria, whose leaders were magnanimous in defeat. Many Nigerians had been worried about expenditure on the games deflecting investment from schools and hospitals.
Daily Telegraph 10/11/07 page 1, page S12 (Sport)
The Independent 10/11/07 page 59 (Sport)
The Times 10/11/07 pages 1-7, page 120 (Sport)
Daily Mail 11/1/07 pages 1-9, page 124-128 (Sport)
