Robertson impressed by planning

The organisation of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games could act as a "blueprint" for future competitions.

That is the message of the body which oversees the running of the event.

Bruce Robertson, vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), said Glasgow's organising committee has so far been "creative" and "exceptional" in some of its areas of preparation.

Robertson chaired a four-day review by the CGF's Co-ordination Commission, which included visits to the athletes' village and venues such as the newly-completed Emirates Arena.

"Overall it's been very positive," he said.

"The organising committee's plans are where they need to be: they've got good people on board and good skills.

"The exceptional parts of the bid are the legacy value of the Glasgow City Council legacy programmes and also the Scottish Government's - they are already producing results."

Robertson agreed that strategies being used by Glasgow's organising committee could be held as a "blueprint" for the future.

He added: "We plan to take some of those examples and build them into our bidding process for future organising committees so that they get more value out of their investment in the Games.

"In certain areas they are very creative. Especially the strategy of combining procurement and sponsorship, that's an area we've talked to the next organising committee, Gold Coast (Australia), about and suggested they come and have a look at how Glasgow has organised themselves."

Robertson said no concerns had arisen as a result of the review and that a number of areas are ahead of where they need to be.

Lord Smith, chairman of the organising committee for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, said: "I'm very pleased indeed.

"What perhaps struck me most of all was that they are talking about using some of the things we are doing here as a blueprint for Gold Coast and future Games, and that is very heartening.

"In particular he took out one area, which is procurement and sponsorship, and we've combined these teams, which is a very novel and innovative way of doing it.

"He is seriously impressed and is gathering information about what we're doing so that he can help the Gold Coast to start this early - because we've had to invent it ourselves.

"I think we're just quite well organised and thorough in what we do.

"We've split the thing down into various areas such as venues and Games time delivery and sponsorship and procurement and so on.

"We're getting an awful lot of help from the Glasgow City Council team, from Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Scottish Government.

"There's no politics in this - everyone wants these Games to be successful.

"If you've got a city pulling behind you and helping you all the way, it's difficult not to succeed. It's been a great team effort."

Lord Smith also said the legacy of the Games is not only an "aspiration of the future".

He said: "A lot of people seem to think legacy is something you leave behind. Legacy is happening now.

"If you went to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome right now, or the Commonwealth Arena under the Emirates banner, there's youngsters running about doing things - on bicycles, running up and down, playing football and all sorts of sports.

"That's two years before the big stars come. If you can get people involved now, before the big bandwagon roles in, I see that as real legacy."

Commonwealth Games minister Shona Robison said: "At this stage of preparations, this is a tremendous endorsement that recognises Glasgow 2014 and Games partners are on track to deliver the best-ever Commonwealth Games.

"I am particularly pleased that the Commonwealth Games Federation acknowledge that by putting legacy at the heart of the process, we are ensuring positive and lasting benefits to Scotland from the Games and providing a model that other Games hosts will aspire to."