Common People
Scotland Now speaks to Derek Casey, the man leading the team charged with winning the 2014 Commonwealth Games for Scotland.
Please see below for our Glasgow DVD prize giveaway.
Derek Casey is a man on a mission. It's not a task that James Bond would be any good at, but it does have its secretive side. And, unlike 007's foes, it's not total world domination that he is chasing. It's just a large part of it.
No, you're not being given an insight into the world of international espionage and intrigue. Rather we are talking about the sometimes equally complex world of sport and bidding for major events. And Casey, as Director of Glasgow's Bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, sits right in the centre of it.
"It's a challenging task, but a hugely fulfilling one," Casey says from his office in the East End of Scotland's largest city. "And, at the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing. Can we convince 36 out of the 71 Commonwealth Countries that they want to bring these Games to our city?"
So it's essentially a selling exercise. The final decision takes place in Sri Lanka in November 2007, giving Casey and his team just a few short months to convince the decision makers to choose Scotland over rivals in Canada and Nigeria. Its going to be a frantic period, but one that Casey acknowledges will be crucial in winning the Games.
Click here to back Glasgow's bid
"The Bid has been up and running for about 18 months now. And I guess that in that time we have been concentrating on three main things. Firstly we have been writing the all important Bid Document which contains all of our plans for our Games. Secondly we have been visiting the voters in their own countries to present our plans to them and listen to what they have to say. And thirdly, we have been working to harness the enormous goodwill and support that the Bid has generated among Scots at home and right around the world."
Responding to the questions set by the Commonwealth Games Federation is one piece of work that has kept a lot of people busy in the 18 months since the Bid was launched. A hugely prescriptive document, it requires a bidding city to set out in enormous detail exactly how their Games would work.
Watch an online video of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games 2014 bid
"It's the first time that the Commonwealth Games Federation have been so exacting with their demands on bidding cities. They want the Bid Document to be more than a collection of warm words and ideas, they want us to tell them how we are going to turn our ideas into reality. They are asking for us to provide detail on every part of the Games, not just about what sports the athletes will be competing in.
"We have to show what venues we will use, how our transport system will work, how the media, athletes, spectators and VIPs will access the venues and what kind of cultural festival we will be putting on. It really is quite incredible the level of detail that you have to go into – but it is a process that should stand us in good stead. We have a great story to tell."
And this is where it becomes interesting. The challenge for Casey and his team is to make sure that Glasgow's Bid has something to excite the voters. Something that will convince them to cast their vote for Scotland.
"In Commonwealth terms, Glasgow has a hugely important history. Our job is to make sure that it has an equally important future. I think that we can do that. We can organise a Games that will inspire our young people to want to take up sport and inspire the athletes who take part to produce world class performances.
"We are very lucky here in Glasgow. Successive generations have had the foresight to invest in some excellent sports facilities. This means that we don't have to build from scratch, we can make the most of what we have and still provide world class venues. Not only does this cut back on cost, it allows us to do exciting and innovative things with some famous sporting arenas.
"Take Hampden Park for example. A world renowned football stadium, our plan is to fill in the first half dozen or so rows and build the athletics track on top of a raised platform. It is a cost effective solution that will provide a track and field stadium of 46,000 seats that may only be needed this once. Personally, I think that track and field at Hampden will be quite something, I really can't wait to hear that famous roar as our athletes take to the field."
And what of our athletes? What chance of Scottish sporting success at a Scottish Games? One of the Glasgow team's key messages has been that winning the Games will inspire young people across the country to take up sport. In a nation that has recognised a need to improve the health of its citizens, this aim is laudable, but is it achievable?
"One of our biggest challenges is to make sure that a Glasgow Games are not just about 11 days of sport. We have to capitalise as much on the increased exposure that sport will get because of the Games as well as making the most of the worldwide attention that we will get during them.
"The word on everyone's lips is legacy. We know that winning these games must leave something behind, be they improved sports facilities or an increase in participation by our young people. We have to be confident that we can achieve both. When the First Minister launched the Bid he said that just by putting ourselves forward we were showing the scale of our ambitions as a nation and the confidence we have in our biggest city.
"I like to think that we can use this Bid as a message to the world – and a message to ourselves. We are a small country but we have big ambitions. We can be confident and we can achieve great things. Winning the 2014 Games should just be the start."
Derek Casey is the Director of Glasgow's Bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. For more information, log onto www.glasgow2014.com
Glasgow and Beyond Prize Giveaway
Glasgow's past status as second city of the empire is reflected in its glorious and confident architecture. The Glasgow and Beyond DVD will take you on a voyage of discovery and adventure from the masterpieces of Greek Thomson and Charles Rennie Mackintosh to the futuristic science park.
Castles, gardens, distilleries and the unique wildlife of the Scottish Highlands await you. With Glasgow as its starting point this DVD will take you on four different day trips to some of the best loved locations in the West of Scotland. Whether you are planning a trip or want a souvenir of a memorable visit this DVD is a "must have".
We have five of the Glasgow and Beyond DVD to give away.
Simply email us your details to enter. Five names will be chosen at random. Closing date for entries is 20th January.
You can buy the DVD direct off the website for £14.99 plus postage.
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