Glasgow 2014 Games bid 'almost never happened'

Published on Thursday 28 February 2008 21:11

THE team behind the 2014 Commonwealth Games contemplated pulling out of the bidding race after London won the rights to host the Olympics, The Scotsman has learned.

More than 6 million – the majority from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government – was spent in the three-year drive to secure the Games, it has also emerged.

But despite jubilant scenes across Glasgow after attempts to host the event had come to fruition, the organising team doubted the city stood a chance after London won the right to stage the 2012 Olympic Games.

Ultimately, it came to the decision that, in sporting terms, Scotland stood apart from the rest of the UK, and decided to continue with the bid.

The admission came before publication of an operational review of the city's bid. The review reveals the sum spent, which organisers claim will offer ample value for money.

With eight years to go until the Games, the organising committee is pressing ahead with implementation of its 298 million budget and hopes the event will leave a lasting legacy in terms of the nation's health and fitness.

In the summer of 2005, however, such bold initiatives were subject to grave doubts. After the International Olympic Committee awarded London the Olympics, those behind the Glasgow bid were forced to take "further consideration of the possibility of a win."

Louise Martin, former chairwoman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland and honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation, explained yesterday how Glasgow 2014 might never have come about.

She said: "We had to look at it and think, 'Would that really impact against us?'

"However, we decided the Commonwealth Games was about individual countries, and we're an individual country in our own right. In Commonwealth Games terms, we were never seen as 'UK'."

Ms Martin said although London had won its bid, Glasgow's hopes rested on a different set of voters and delegates.

By August, all talk of abandoning the bid had been quelled. Now, nearly three years later, the aim is to make the Games as great a success as possible.

The operational review, published online today, aims to show the "transparency" of the process, and contains a detailed breakdown of the 6.2 million spent to November 2007.

The lion's share, 2.38 million, went on recruitment, training and advisers, with more than 530,000 spent on consultants. A further 1.72 million went on promotion, with more than 1 million on travel, and nearly 490,000 on visits from Commonwealth representatives.

Those involved continue to express confidence that, come 2014, all will be well.

Derek Casey, the organisation's interim chief executive, said: "

In 20 years, everyone will remember Glasgow not only as a great Games, but as something which changed cultural approaches to sport and health."

THE COST OF WINNING

Total expenditure for Commonwealth Games bid up to 9 November, 2007 – 6,210,000.

Funding – Glasgow City Council (2,590,000), Scottish Government (2,590,000), Scottish Enterprise Glasgow (200,000) and major supporters (830,000).

Expenditure includes:

Marketing campaigns – 290,000.

City and events branding – 150,000.

Advertising – 126,000.

Outreach, media and web – 135,000.

Candidate city file – 298,000.

Printed materials and displays – 240,000.

Inward and outward visit materials – 263,000.

DVDs and simulations – 281,000.

Attendance at Melbourne Games in 2006 – 94,000.

Outward visits to Commonwealth countries – 594,000.

Inward visits – 489,000.

Other international and domestic travel – 477,000.

Trip to Sri Lanka – 67,000.

Consultants – 532,000.

Staffing – 1,689,000.

International advisers – 162,000.