Commonwealth Games 2014
It was during trips to the Celtic ground to cover the turmoil of the season just gone that I started to notice things happening in the east end of Glasgow. Big steel and glass structures being thrown up just across the road from Parkhead. At the time I was too busy reporting on Celtic's battles with the Scottish FA and the extraordinary threats against Neil Lennon and other people linked with the club to pay much attention.
I did know it was something to do with the Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow in 2014. After all, I'd been following the story on and off since Glasgow won the games back in 2007. And I knew that I wanted to take a look at these impressive buildings appearing in a landscape more familiar with urban decay and neglect.
So it was great to be able to pay a visit to the complex, especially as we got in before any other media organisation. Formally it is two separate venues: the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the National Indoor Sports Arena. These two massive indoor spaces linked together by a building known as the Hub, which will house sports administrators, and hospitality and conferencing suites.
The view from a gantry high above the velodrome was amazing. The outline of the track was already visible. One group of workmen was laying down a bed of concrete. Others were working in the area in the middle of the track. Next door in the sports arena, construction teams were working on a running track which can be raised and lowered at the touch of a button, making this a very versatile space for a range of different sports.
The icing on the cake would have been a quick chat with Sir Chris himself. I was really keen to get his thoughts on the velodrome being built in his name. Even better if he could have looked at the pictures I'd taken. But I was trying to get hold of a man whose single focus is getting ready for next summer. So realistically, it was a bit of a long shot.
Not sure if there's a lot of awareness in Glasgow and the rest of Scotland about the 2014 games just yet. Partly because everything falls under the shadow of the Olympics, partly because it's still three years away. But I predict mounting enthusiasm over the next few years.
And here's a really intriguing prospect. The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, says he wants a referendum on independence in two or three years' time. If it happened in the afterglow of a successful Scottish performance at the 2014 games, would that make a "Yes" vote more likely? Not sure. But I fully intend sticking around to find out.
You can hear James Shaw's reports from the site of the 2014 Games on Weekend Breakfast on Saturday 11 June
Related links
Photos of the site
Glasgow 2014
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