It is with great pride that I make this statement today, reflecting on the successful delivery of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games.
What a fortnight it has been! From the very first moments of the opening ceremony, the Commonwealth games have been a huge credit to Glasgow and to Scotland. The atmosphere not just in Glasgow but across the country has been electric. Every competitor from the furthest and nearest reaches of the Commonwealth has experienced the warm welcome and support of the people of Scotland.
Team Scotland was absolutely phenomenal. [Applause.] They pulled off a record medal haul, smashing previous totals, national records and personal bests. The final tally of 53 medals, 19 of which were gold, is a fantastic reflection of the commitment and dedication of every member of the team and is also, I should say, an excellent return on our £50 million investment in Commonwealth games sports and performance programmes through sportscotland. Who could forget the beaming smile of Erraid Davies as she received her medal or Ross Murdoch’s joy when he realised he had won gold? Those were very special moments indeed. A personal high note for me was having the unique privilege of awarding Scotland’s first medal of the games to Aileen McGlynn OBE and her partner Louise Haston after they won silver in the tandem sprint.
The number of spectators at the games exceeded all expectations, with a remarkable 1.2 million tickets sold. Time after time, we saw amazing crowds who really helped to make the games and cheered on athletes whether or not they were winning. At Ibrox, we had the largest crowd at a rugby sevens tournament anywhere in the world, ever; more than half a million people participated in festival 2014 events; and the lawn bowls at Kelvingrove saw sell-out crowds.
It was not just the sport that was unforgettable. Memories of John Barrowman’s kiss, trotting Scottie dogs, South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza singing “Freedom Come All Ye” and the incredible £5 million raised for the United Nations Children’s Fund at the opening ceremony will, I am sure, stay with us all. The closing ceremony was particularly moving, with Dougie MacLean’s “Caledonia” and the lowering of the Commonwealth Games Federation flag to “Ae Fond Kiss” really capturing the mood of the nation at that moment.
No games could happen without a vast amount of hard work from an incredible range of people, and it gives me great pleasure formally to offer my thanks to everyone who played a part in delivering these games. When one starts listing particular individuals or organisations, there is always a risk of missing someone out, but I am willing to take that risk this afternoon as there are some groups and people who really deserve a particular thank you.
First, I pay tribute to my colleagues in the chamber who have supported the vision and ambition of these games, particularly Patricia Ferguson, who guided the bid in its early stages, and Lord McConnell who, as previous First Minister, initially spearheaded the bid and who has continued to be a strong and enthusiastic supporter of the games.
Glasgow City Council, for the host city, has been a crucial partner in the seven years of preparation as well as the 11 days of sporting competition. Its significant contribution, its work in delivering venues for the games, and the way it stepped up its normal city operations work to ensure that the city sparkled were vital. The passion, professionalism and perseverance of the whole team at Glasgow City Council cannot be overstated and we owe them our thanks.
We must remember, too, the contribution of local authorities beyond Glasgow. Angus, Dundee, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire all hosted games venues and did a sterling job to ensure that the experiences of athletes and spectators at events outwith Glasgow matched the experiences within the host city. Every local authority took part in the curtain raiser to the games, the Queen’s baton relay, affording it a fantastic welcome.
Commonwealth Games Scotland, as the host Commonwealth games association, has played an important role in supporting the delivery of the games. It has done a tremendous job not least in preparing team Scotland, and I extend my special thanks to the chairman, Michael Kavanagh, and the chef de mission, John Doig. The team’s success owed a great deal to the work of sportscotland and its world-class sporting system model. That approach developed and inspired all of our 310 athletes at the games and delivered the biggest ever pool of talent for Commonwealth Games Scotland to draw on. I formally thank Louise Martin, the chair of sportscotland and the honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation. Her passion and commitment in both those roles have made a significant contribution to the success of the games, and I recognise her fundamental role in winning the bid for Glasgow and Scotland.
Much of the painstaking preparation for the games was undertaken by the organising committee, the organisation that was set up by Commonwealth Games Scotland, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to stage the games. I extend my personal thanks to Lord Smith, the chair of the organising committee, and David Grevemberg, its chief executive, whom we wish well in his new role. From incredibly visible aspects of games planning, such as the memorable ceremonies, to the unseen minutiae of sorting out volunteer shift rosters, the organising committee worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of the games ran smoothly.
Police Scotland did a fantastic job, working with a broad range of partners to deliver a safe and secure games. The patient and friendly approach of police officers across the games venues was wonderful. Both the visible and hidden work of all the emergency services was crucial to the success of the games, and I am grateful to them all. Particular thanks are due to the armed forces for their support in the security effort.
At any games, transport planning will always be a particular challenge and these games represented probably one of the most complex transport challenges that Scotland has ever faced, with almost 700,000 people visiting the city over the weekend of 26 and 27 July alone. I offer my thanks to those who worked tirelessly to keep us on the move. Despite everyone’s best endeavours, some people experienced difficulties. However, every effort was made to resolve problems quickly and the learning from that will be used in future events.
As the Parliament will remember, one of the key aspirations for the games was to celebrate diversity and to deliver a truly inclusive programme. I thank our partners for sharing that vision and for including those considerations in their planning and in dealing with the workforce, athletes and the public alike to deliver a truly accessible games. I am delighted, too, that, with our support, Pride House saw many visitors from across Scotland and the Commonwealth and was a great success.
I offer special thanks to the people of Dalmarnock and other communities around games venues, who showed great patience and understanding in the face of disruption that was caused by the games. I am confident that the long-term benefits to those areas will be substantial, as will be the benefits to the regeneration of the east end of Glasgow, which will continue. To every community in Glasgow and further afield that hosted games activities I say a big thank you.
The biggest thank you, however, must go to the real heroes of the games who gave up their holidays or took time off work so that they could volunteer and make the games a success. They were, without doubt, the face of the games and the games could not have happened without them. The Clyde-siders and the host city volunteers had unstoppable enthusiasm, limitless energy and an unending willingness to go the extra mile. The games could not have happened without them, and I say a great big thank you to each and every one of them. [Applause.]
It is hard to believe that it is only 40 hours since the closing ceremony brought the games to an end with the Commonwealth joining together to sing “Auld Lang Syne”. The games may be over, but the story of the games certainly is not. We have always made it clear that a legacy will not happen by chance and that we must continue to work long after the closing ceremony to ensure that it continues to be delivered for the whole of Scotland. I am pleased that the Parliament will have an opportunity on Thursday to discuss the games legacy.
Now, however, it is right to pause and take a moment to reflect on the extraordinary events of the past fortnight. With the eyes of the world turned to Glasgow two weeks ago, we were ready. We showed the world that Scotland provides the perfect stage to host major events. We showed that our people are among the friendliest and that even the Scottish weather can occasionally rise to the occasion and give us sunshine. Through hard work, grit and good humour, we have proven that, when we are handed such a great responsibility, Scotland delivers.
The games were described by Mike Hooper, who is the chief executive officer of the Commonwealth Games Federation, as
“the standout Games in the history of the Commonwealth movement”.
We thank him for those kind words.
I cannot think of a better way to end this statement than by echoing the words of the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Prince Imran, who has been a great supporter of the games and a great friend of Glasgow and of Scotland. He closed the games with the declaration—in a tremendous Scottish accent, which I am sure that he must have practised for quite some time—that they had been “pure dead brilliant”. All I can say is that I agree with him. Scotland and Glasgow have done us proud, and each and every one of us in the chamber should be extremely proud of what has been achieved. [Applause.]