Glasgow 2014

[harry]

It's nearly decision day! Hope everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that the 2014 Commonwealth Games is going to be awarded to the fantastic city of Glasgow tomorrow. The announcement is expected from Sri Lanka at about 12:45pm.
http://www.glasgow2014.com/

[Wattok]

Yeah would be quality for Glasgow to get it, it'll give such a boost to sport in Scotland amongst many other benefits.

[Becks]

Well, there we have it. Where's that extra 228 million I left down the back of the sofa?

I hope they keep the uber retro underground system when they do the transport upgrade. It's actually amazing.

[harry]

Big relief & excitement that Glasgow has won the Games. It will be brilliant for the city and Scottish sport in general. Of course you get the usual negativity from people about the investment which is annoying, especially from people who don't even pay tax, but actually the investment is not going to be massive because most of the infrastructure is already in place. A lot of the city's main facilities are being adapted for the games eg. the athletics will be at Hampden, I think the badminton is at Scotstoun's National badminton academy, boxing at SECC and so on..

[Electrocuted]

Big relief & excitement that Glasgow has won the Games. It will be brilliant for the city and Scottish sport in general. Of course you get the usual negativity from people about the investment which is annoying, especially from people who don't even pay tax, but actually the investment is not going to be massive because most of the infrastructure is already in place. A lot of the city's main facilities are being adapted for the games eg. the athletics will be at Hampden, I think the badminton is at Scotstoun's National badminton academy, boxing at SECC and so on..

I agree - I think it's really good for the city and especially for the East End, which will undergo some desperately needed regeneration.

I seriously hope they upgrade and extend the underground system though - and maybe this will give them the impetus they need to keep it open after 6pm on a Sunday.

[Becks]

the investment is not going to be massive because most of the infrastructure is already in place. A lot of the city's main facilities are being adapted for the games eg. the athletics will be at Hampden, I think the badminton is at Scotstoun's National badminton academy, boxing at SECC and so on..

70% is in place and the cost of the rest is 228 million is what they were saying on the news today. Sounds pretty massive to me in a city where a huge amount of the population have way below national average literacy and numeracy skills. Think what that amount of money could do for the schools/hospitals/housing in the area. And you just have to look at 2012 in London to know how much it's going to spiral.

And you don't pay tax either love, but I hope I'm managing to do so by then. 2014 is a long long way away.

[harry]

"love" bleurrrgh I might have to go outside & "blow the cobwebs away"

Hmmm I pay no tax?? I've definitely paid into Glasgow coffers and I'm happy to see £228 million go into development for what will be a brilliant and positive thing for Glasgow. Re: infrastructure, 70% = is pretty much "most", the remaining 30% = fantastic new facilities for Glasgow.

Poor Glaswegians with their poor literacy & numeracy & low life expectancy. Weird how despite these horrors so many more manage to smile & chat as they go about their day than the miserly overeducated Edinburgh folk.

Whinge whinge whinge. I still think it's great and noone bleeding on about hospitals is going to darken my day. So if Glasgow hadn't won the games would that mythical pot of £228 million have gone straight to schools and hospitals? No. What about all the cash and man hours already spent on the bid? It all comes out of the same pot in the end, but somehow I don't think it really works like that.

[Patrick]

228 mill is pretty much peanuts as these things go (Scottish Parliament, anyone?). Yes, it may well go up a bit, but are no single massive items (the stadia are there already) which are what tends to drive costings through the roof.

It's dead easy to criticise any expenditure by dreaming up more appropriate or socially just uses of the money - after all, I suspect the GB Squad fund could pay for a good few wells in sub-Saharan Africa. In terms of "schools/hospitals/housing in the area", the Games Village is intended to provide social housing after 2014, while I'd like to think that both education and public health in Glasgow will benefit as kids are inspired to be involved in sport and to use the new facilities which will be available. I've been amazed over the last few months how little negativity I've heard about the bid from actual Glaswegians, bearing in mind all the news about London 2012. Glasgow's perennial problem has been low ambition - this gives us a chance to show off a bit, and I reckon people are seriously ready to get behind the games and make it a success.

Incidentally Becks, would you be so cynical if O was a Commonwealth Games sport?

Patrick (who does pay tax!)

[Becks]

I'd like to think so! It's the fact that we're hosting two of these huge events in quick succession, yet already feeling the pinch of the first in quite a few sectors. The feeling was good about 2012 at the start, but since then it all seems to have gone downhill, and every estimate of cost is hugely overtaken by the next. I'm just a sceptic at heart, I guess it must be that miserable and over educated Edinburgh attitude of mine. hrow in a bit of my Yorkshire tightness with money andmaybe there lies the explanation.

Anyways, time to get on a train!

[harry]

Ye, nice one Patrick, that definitely sums up the mood I've felt from people.
Was pretty obvious some people on here would be negative just suprised it was Becks who is normally pro- anything that's good for sport, maybe just to antagonise me ha ha!

Becks - that's it, it's the Edinburgh misery getting to you, get yerself over to Glasgow and feel the warm love of your friendly neighbours. You're probably heading down to Oxford, where they are probably too caught up in ground breaking thoughts to be miserable. hmm any more stereotypes I can throw in..

[Electrocuted]

Sounds pretty massive to me in a city where a huge amount of the population have way below national average literacy and numeracy skills.

Don't you mean 'a huge number'?

I think hosting the Commonwealth Games will be good for Glasgow and from what I have seen today (in the city centre), everyone is really excited about it. I haven't heard anyone complain about the cost.

Claire (and I also pay tax)

[Adventure Racer]

Well personally I'm not a London Olympics fan, but I'm happy to see Glasgow get the CG. There's a world of difference between the two events - the CG still being a sporting event which is all about the athlete. Huge difference in the budgets too. Looking forward to Glasgow showing London how holding a major sporting event should be done.

[ER]

Only just found out about the bid never mind that Glasgow won it! It just shows how south-east centric the press and media are in this country. It is great news for Glasgow, Scotland and the rest of us. Manchester having the Commonwealth Games greatly benefitted that city and its people. I have looked at the Bid web site and I am really impressed that it appears that public money will be well spent. A lot of creative and forward thinking has gone into the bid. Compare it with what is happening with the olympics. A new stadium for 100,000 spectators will have a shelf life of 14 days only. It's capacity will then be reduced to 25k meaning that opportunities to stage other major competitions such as the World Atletics Championships will be lost. What a waste. I am for the Olympics but it just seems money can be burnt in London. But then there was the Dome and Wembley - is there any public accountability for those who spend our money in our capital city?