Glasgow 2014

[Sir Rols]

I'm unsure if this has already been covered (just thought I'd quickly share) that it looks like (well, evident) that the rumours of a daylight ceremony for the 2014 Games are all but false - the Opening Ceremony is scheduled for 8pm. Although - being a Scottish summer I imagine like all of Northern Europe it remains light into the evening?

Where's the source for that. I thought the notion of a daytime ceremony was based on an official announcement.

I just looked up the Glasgow 2014 site trying to find a schedule - couldn't find one (or any mention on a Google search either), though the countdown bar on the official site says (as at 12.22pm Sydney time) that it's 415 days, 7 hours and 37 minutes to go. That would have the opening at 8pm Sydney time, which i think is around lunchtime Glasgow time.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Sir Rols

[Sir Rols]

And here's the original source (from Herald SCotland) with the explicit mention of the daytime opening ceremony highlighted:

Games chief's 2014 warning

The producer of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies has spoken publicly for the first time about the events and warned they cannot be expected to emulate the scale and spend of the London Olympics.
Head of ceremonies David Zolkwer, who was speaking ahead of an address to students in Edinburgh today, said part of his job in designing the ceremonies, which will be watched by an estimated one billion people around the world, was to manage people's expectations after the huge success of London 2012.
Mr Zolkwer, one of the world's leading producers of public events with experience of Commonwealth and Olympic Games, said he had noticed a big swell in interest in Glasgow 2014 in the days after London but that the Glasgow games would have to be very different.
"A lot of what I'm doing, and certainly a lot of what the organising committee is doing, is trying to manage people's expectations," he said. "We can't emulate the scale and spend that has preceded us at the Olympics even if we wanted to.
"Quite frankly, even in comparison to quite recent Commonwealth games, it is a modest budget. So to try to emulate precedent is not the way forward – what we have to do is be different through wit and guile and innovation. I think in the process Glasgow and Scotland can help redefine what ceremonies should be about in the 21st century."
Mr Zolkwer, who is director of public events at agency Jack Morton Worldwide, will be explaining some of the challenges of organising big events to students and staff at Queen Margaret University today. It will be his first public presentation in Scotland since taking up his appointment.
Mr Zolkwer said he was still in the fact-finding stage of his job and would not be able to reveal his first ideas for the ceremonies until early next year.
"We're looking at what should 21st-century ceremonies look like, how can they be more inclusive and digital," he said.
"I think ceremonies can sometimes be done to places and they become chest-beating exercises and it's all about how fantastic we are and I'm just not sure that's the way forward."
Mr Zolkwer's experience of big events includes the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 and Melbourne in 2006. He was also a consultant to the Beijing organising committee for the 2008 Olympics and was creative director of the Royal Wedding celebrations in London's Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square last year.
Mr Zolkwer said he was determined to wring every penny out of every pound in 2014 and that one advantage of Glasgow's ceremonies was that they would be happening during the day rather than at night.
"That completely changes the vibe of the experience; it means we won't be spending a huge amount of money on lighting."
Mr Zolkwer, who is from Manchester, is now spending most of his week in Glasgow getting to know the city. "I'm completely thrilled – right from the start of the bidding process, I felt I had a right fit for Glasgow," he said.
Today's event at Queen Margaret University will involve Mr Zolkwer talking to event management students about his experiences with Jack Morton, his career to date, and his challenges in delivering the Commonwealth Games.

Herald Scotland

[runningrings]

Where's the source for that. I thought the notion of a daytime ceremony was based on an official announcement.

I just looked up the Glasgow 2014 site trying to find a schedule - couldn't find one (or any mention on a Google search either), though the countdown bar on the official site says (as at 12.22pm Sydney time) that it's 415 days, 7 hours and 37 minutes to go. That would have the opening at 8pm Sydney time, which i think is around lunchtime Glasgow time.

This is interesting. The actual info in the website itself was there about 12 hours ago - but looking at my search history I now cannot see it on the same page I looked at last night. However... when googling the URL - it does bring up this bit of HTML text, which might reveal that it should be perhaps hidden?

I did absolutely see it in black and white on the website though just 12 hours ago. If I had known it would disappear I'd have taken a screenshot. So its either a error because its meant to be a reveal, or its just simply a mistake - and it goes ahead during the day.

Glasgow 2014

www.glasgow2014.com/‎

Skip To Main Content. Home · show clock. Glasgow 2014 Games Opening Ceremony23rd Jul 2014 20:00 (GMT). show clock ...

http://www.google.com.au/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=glasgow+2014+opening+ceremony+tickets&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=zQOsUaDBHcWlkQXSx4FA

Furthermore - the countdown clock itself on the Glasgow 2014 website is inaccurate, because it is not calculated from the website itself (eg/ Glasgow time) but rather depends on the users own settings. So the time we're seeing as if the Games were taking place in Sydney, so its about 12 hours wrong... and wrong for anybody else outside this timezone. I just changed my timezone setting from Sydney to Perth and the clock went back by 2 hours!!

Also note that the time on the Google cut+paste shows 20:00 GMT

Edited June 3, 2013 by runningrings

[Sir Rols]

Furthermore - the countdown clock itself on the Glasgow 2014 website is inaccurate, because it is not calculated from the website itself (eg/ Glasgow time) but rather depends on the users own settings. So the time we're seeing as if the Games were taking place in Sydney, so its about 12 hours wrong... and wrong for anybody else outside this timezone. I just changed my timezone setting from Sydney to Perth and the clock went back by 2 hours!!

If that's the case, it's a pretty weird way to do it, especially as a countdown clock to an particular moment. And then there's the post of the Scottish Herald story explicitly quoting the head of ceremonies as relishing the idea of a daytime ceremony.

On the con side, I agree, it would seem a bit strange to have the ceremony on at lunchtime or before ion a Wednesday in Glasgow - though perhaps being in July it's at least in a holiday period.

I did find a schedule, but it just lisetd the day of the ceremonies, not the starting times.

[Scotguy]

Gymnastics Venue:

[Alexjc]

That's such a cool venue, just such a shame a Scotland National Stadium wasn't built on the docklands site next to it!

[Scotguy]

Yeah and no Alex. It would have been nice to have a brand new national stadium, but like the Stadium New Zealand idea for RWC2011, costs and do we really need it came into play.

Hampden serves its purpose well, is serviced by a very close train station and multiple bus routes. Having 3 50,000+ stadiums in the city already is sufficient for a city of Glasgow's size and the events that it hosts.

[Scotguy]

Glasgow Commonwealth Games Mountain Bike venue open

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22956041

[JMarkSnow2012]

Returning briefly to the "daylight opening ceremony" issue: sunset in Glasgow that day will be around 9:40pm, and "civil twilight" will last to about half-past 10 (there is no figure for "astronomical twilight" because it won't get completely dark at all on that night). An 8pm start to the OC would probably be about right for a firework finale.

[Scotguy]

2014 Mascot Clyde, catches up with 2012 mascots:

[Alexjc]

...Hmmm...Why do I get the funny feeling that next year's CWGs will be a nationalistic political launch pad for devolution?

[Ikarus360]

^^ Well, so far I haven't felt that they're using it as a political portal to promote Scottish independence, but I agree that i'm kinda fearing they might do that next yer since the referendum will be just some months before it.

Anyway, to be truly honest, I doubt the devolution will ever happen. You can tell the great majority of Scotland prefer to stay in the union and I think the referendum is probably being used as a personal project for dumb politicians who don't really represent the majority of the people.

[Alexjc]

More a tongue in cheek comment at the photo...Likewise, I can't see a clean break by Scotland, all very well having oil but they will still need England for everything else.

I would expect to see a very 'Scottish' event next year just as they did in 1986.

[Rob2012]

^^ Well, so far I haven't felt that they're using it as a political portal to promote Scottish independence, but I agree that i'm kinda fearing they might do that next yer since the referendum will be just some months before it.

Anyway, to be truly honest, I doubt the devolution will ever happen. You can tell the great majority of Scotland prefer to stay in the union and I think the referendum is probably being used as a personal project for dumb politicians who don't really represent the majority of the people.

Devolution has already happened. That's why Scotland has its own Parliament. The vote is for independence, and as you say it only has minority support at the moment (though it's not an insignificant minority by any means).

But if the Games does become politicised in this way, it'll lose my support, and I won't be watching. I don't think it will be though. Salmond's a much cleverer politician than that. He'll sit back and no doubt after it's finished it'll become a tool for the SNP's cause (which is why I think considering all the wrangling there's been over the wording of the ballot question it's strange that nobody has questioned how neutral the timing of the vote will be).

Anyway, this ain't a politics thread...

Edited June 22, 2013 by RobH

[Scotguy]

A few clear up of facts here:

Firstly as Rob points out Scotland has had Devolved powers since 1999 - so it has already happened.

Secondly: Well, so far I haven't felt that they're using it as a political portal to promote Scottish independence, but I agree that i'm kinda fearing they might do that next yer since the referendum will be just some months before it. - Wrong, The Independence Referendum is happening on the 18th September long after the games have closed.

Thirdly: I think the referendum is probably being used as a personal project for dumb politicians who don't really represent the majority of the people. - Wrong again, The SNP have never been shy of letting the public know of their intentions to hold a referendum on Scottish Independence and they have campaigned and included this in their manifestos and at the 2011 election they won a majority of seat in a MMP system, so i think that it does represent the majority of the people.

Fourthly: it's strange that nobody has questioned how neutral the timing of the vote will be - In their 2011 election manifesto before winning a majority, the party stated that if they won they would hold a referendum in the second part of their term in government. The term is 2011 - 2016, so 2014 is in that second term, and David Cameron himself signed the Edinburgh Agreement which made the date set.

So the SNP make no secret of their plans, yet people still vote for them and their policies, whether that will turn into a yes vote next year, i think depends on the voter turnout - the most recent bi-election in Aberdeen was 38%. So if people are convinced that the majority don't want independence and think the no vote will win then by not voting they may hand it to the Yes camp.

I don't think the Commonwealth games will be used as propaganda for the referendum, the Battle of Bannockburn anniversary will do that. It will however promote Scotland and Scottishness and sport.

[Scotguy]

But if the Games does become politicised in this way, it'll lose my support, and I won't be watching.

Did you also loose your support for the Olympic Games when being held in China in 2008, when they were highly used to show the world the new awesome China despite their atrocious rate of human rights abuses?

Edited June 22, 2013 by Scotguy

[Rob2012]

I didn't say the SNP weren't doing things openly or correctly by the way. They quite obviously are, but I don't know why, when there's been such wrangling over the exact wording of the question, nobody seems to have questioned the timing. That's all I'm saying. It seems odd.

My point still stands about the CWGs and the timing of the vote anyway - it's a personal observation. Whether Cameron's signed it off or not, I personally don't like the fact that the vote will be so soon after that event and find it odd (probably because the CWGs only comes onto our radar every four years) no public figure has thought to question the timing in relation to Glasgow 2014.

[Scotguy]

I didn't say the SNP weren't doing things openly or correctly by the way. They quite obviously are, but I don't know why, when there's been such wrangling over the exact wording of the question, nobody seems to have questioned the timing. That's all I'm saying. It seems odd.

My point still stands about the CWGs and the timing of the vote anyway - it's a personal observation. Whether Cameron's signed it off or not, I personally don't like the fact that the vote will be so soon after that event and find it odd (probably because the CWGs only comes onto our radar every four years) no public figure has thought to question the timing in relation to Glasgow 2014.

Perhaps the UK:OK supporters think that it will make people more likely to vote no, having athletes from the UK coming together for such an event, kinda like the London 2012 effect. Or perhaps it a stupid mistake not to question it. Either way they had ample time to challenge, question or try get it changed, and the Electoral Commission are happy with both question and date.

[Rob2012]

Did you also loose your support for the Olympic Games when being held in China in 2008, when they were highly used to show the world the new awesome China despite their atrocious rate of human rights abuses?

Firstly, every country shows how awesome it is during their Games. I'll have no problem with Scotland doing that in 2014 - that's what I expect! When I said politicised I meant directly and explicitly linking the event to the referendum. I don't think that will happen in any way, as I've already said, but if it does I'll be reaching for the off button.

Secondly, we're all hypocrites when it comes to these mega-Games in countries with human rights abuses because we all watch in awe despite knowing the problems. But, you know, I hold Scotland in higher regard than China and I think an overtly political fortnight in 2014 would be a let down. As I said, I'm quite sure that's not what Glasgow will give us, so I'm not worried.

[Scotguy]

. As I said, I'm quite sure that's not what Glasgow will give us, so I'm not worried.

That makes two of us

[Rob2012]

Before we get off politics by the way, and since you've had your finger on the pulse more than me with this, do you think the YOGs bid could be adversely affected by uncertainty over the outcome of the referendum? I've wondered this a few times. Obviously I support Glasgow 2018, but what would the situation be with NOCs, funding, athlete qualifications etc. come 2018 if the result was a yes for independence?

[Scotguy]

To be honest Rob, i am not 100% sure.

I guess the IOC, if Glasgow won the bid, to give the games to another city if they felt that it would disrupt organisation etc.

The Games would be 2 years after the first elections if the country became independent, so hopefully they would be able to sort something out. I guess they are waiting to see who wins later this year and then the Glasgow 2018 committee would have to answer those questions for us.

[Scotguy]

BP announced as official partner for Glasgow Commonwealth Games

http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/230479-bp-announced-as-official-partner-for-glasgow-2014-commonwealth-games/

[intoronto]

Before we get off politics by the way, and since you've had your finger on the pulse more than me with this, do you think the YOGs bid could be adversely affected by uncertainty over the outcome of the referendum? I've wondered this a few times. Obviously I support Glasgow 2018, but what would the situation be with NOCs, funding, athlete qualifications etc. come 2018 if the result was a yes for independence?

Might be an issue. South Sudan still has no recognition and it has been 2 years.

[Scotguy]

The Hydro in Glasgow to host 2013 Mobo Awards

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-23033282