Aside from politicians and those involved in the hospitality trade it would be fair to say the news that Glasgow will almost certainly host the Commonwealth Games for the second time in 12 years has not been met with the same feverish excitement.

I was a reporter at the Glasgow Times, The Herald's sister title (then the Evening Times) when we waited on November 9 2007, eyes glued to the newsroom TVs, to find out if the city had been chosen to host the showpiece event.

Later, I was dispatched to capture a bit of the atmosphere at events in cycling, gymnastics and swimming and was lucky enough to watch Ross Murdoch beat fellow Scot Michael Jamieson and Calum Tait to win gold at the Tollcross International Swimming Arena.

Swimmer Ross Murdoch with his Glasgow 2014 Gold Swimmer Ross Murdoch with his Glasgow 2014 Gold (Image: PA) I was living in the area at the time so it was a lazier start to my reporting day than usual and the first time I had been to sporting events of this scale - other than football - and I felt very fortunate to get a free, front row seat.

Glasgow 2014 was described as "the standout Games in the history of the movement" by the Commonwealth Games Federation's chief executive, David Grevemberg

What I remember most about the event (aside from Usain Bolt reportedly calling Glasgow sh** and then wearing a tartan tammy to try to win back the support of the Hampden crowd)  is the atmosphere in the city over those 12 days.

Usain Bolt at Hampden ParkUsain Bolt at Hampden Park (Image: Newsquest) It's not an overstatement to say there was a palpable feeling of pride and excitement that stretched beyond the sporting venues.

People really did make Glasgow, even if a great many of the Clydesider volunteers who helped direct tourists to areas of the city they would never normally set foot in were from elsewhere.

Hundreds of volunteers were recruited to welcome visitors to Glasgow Hundreds of volunteers were recruited to welcome visitors to Glasgow (Image: Newsquest)

It wasn't just sport. With the accompanying array of cultural events held at venues including Kelvingrove bandstand it really did feel like Glasgow was at the centre of something positive and worthwhile, helping dispel some of the 'mean city' perceptions that follow the city around.

A final evaluation of the legacy of 2014, found that pride in the local area increased from 60% to 74% between 2012 and 2016 and pride in the city of Glasgow increased from 87% in 2012 and to 91% in 2016.

According to the GoWell East study perceptions that the Games had a positive impact were highest among recent residents, suggesting that the Games may have played a role in boosting the attractiveness of the area to newcomers.

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There were high levels of public support for the hosting of the event Games and pride in the areas most immediately affected by the preparation and delivery.

It's right that much has been written about the use of public funding at a time when the Scottish Government has newly announced up to £500 million in budget cuts.

Health Secretary Neil Gray appears to have assuaged these concerns, saying the Commonwealth Games Federation would cover "the majority of costs" using £100m compensation paid by the Australian state. 

It is thought the event can be staged for around the £114m mark - significantly less than the budget of £543 million for the 2014 event -  but a stripped-back games still has the potential to re-invigorate the city.

(Image: Newsquest)

Glasgow benefitted from major improvements ahead of the 2014 games, not least the establishment of state-of-the-art venues including the Emirates Arena.

While the 2026 event will not deliver anywhere near the same level of investment we might just find that some of the planned improvements in the city centre get a bit of a nudge along.

No one in the City Chambers will want boarded up shops and excavated roads to be the thing that spectators remember.