The Observer reports that Derek Casey, director of Glasgow’s bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, hit back at a Canadian documentary that called Glasgow one of the most violent places in the world and compared the city with Iraq and Afghanistan.
Glasgow is bidding against Halifax Canada and Abuja Nigeria to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The Observer said although Glasgow’s bid team “has adhered to the etiquette of not rubbishing its rivals, they are privately seething at what they regard as dirty tricks being employed by their Canadian counterparts”.
The newspaper says it has seen a report from Statistics Canada, which said that Halifax is the violent crime capital of Canada. A study of 24,000 people, published last year, showed that Halifax experienced 229 violent incidents, including robbery, sexual or physical assault, per 1,000 of the population.
Casey made his comments after learning about Halifax’s crime rate and the fact that the city had to draft extra police to cope with shootings.
Referring to the documentary, which was aired earlier this month on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Casey said, “I’m astonished at the comments that have been made. Glasgow is one of the most vibrant places I’ve ever lived. I was born and brought up here, and, although I’ve been living away from the city for the last 15 years, it is fantastic to be back”.
The newspaper reports that insiders said the Canadians were desperate to deflect attention from their own problems, and “muddy the waters for Glasgow’s bid’.
Glasgow MSP Frank McAveety said if people were resorting to making negative presentations about the city’s bid then they must be concerned about it.
