The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bid committee released its more than 600-page plus bid book to the Commonwealth Games Federation at a ceremony in London Wednesday.
Louise Martin, chair of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland, said at the ceremony that a Glasgow Games would leave a lasting legacy for Scotland and the entire Commonwealth.
The Candidate City File, titled “People, Place and Passion” contains detailed plans on all aspects of Glasgow’s bid covering areas including venues, transport, medical services and culture.
According to the plan Glasgow has promised a “compact” and “green” Games which will use most if its many existing sports venues.
Hamden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium, would be transformed into an athletics arena, and Parkhead, home of Celtic, would host the Opening Ceremony, while Rangers ground at Ibrox has been named the venue for the seven-a-side rugby tournament.
New and amended venues would be constructed in such a way as to ensure that they are suitable for the community once the games are over.
Ninety per cent of all competition and training venues will be within a 20-minute drive of the Games Village on the banks of the Clyde at Dalmarnock.
More than 1,000 homes will be built at the site, all of which would be available for sale and social housing after the Games.
About 70 per cent of the venues and infrastructure are already in place.
The cost of the Games in Glasgow is estimated at 288 million pounds with 80 per cent paid by the Scottish Executive and the remainder funded by the local council
The bid plan includes the creation of a special, targeted Sports Development Fund to help countries with their training and preparation for the Games – potentially including the setting up of holding and training camps right across Scotland.
Martin said, “the people of Scotland and the people of the Commonwealth will be united in sport and in celebration. Glasgow and its world-class venues will be the ideal environment for records to be broken and personal bests shattered. The roar of our passionate Scottish crowd will take care of that. This is the context in which we want all athletes to have the performance of their lives”.
