My plea to my fellow Scots - please celebrate these Commonwealth Games

I am a massive athletics fan, so I have tickets for a night at Scotstoun Stadium to watch all the action next week, and I cannot wait.

However, there definitely has not been the same buzz about the games this time around as there was in 2014. There are a few obvious reasons for this, not least the fact that Glasgow was never meant to be hosting these games.

There are no new venues being created for this competition, and some of the venues are considerably smaller. Just take the athletics for example - in 2014 it was in Hampden Park, with a capacity almost five times that of Scotstoun.

But that does not mean we cannot still put on a good show and enjoy the games, because the alternative was to have no games at all.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was working as a volunteer in the press seats at Hampden.

I was a student at the time dreaming of one day becoming an actual journalist, so it was fascinating to watch the world’s media in action - but it paled in comparison to being able to enjoy, quite literally, the best seats in the house.

There were two stand-out moments for me at the 2014 games. The first was getting the chance to watch Usain Bolt.

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The “Hampden roar” that came out of the crowd as soon as he walked onto the track is very difficult to describe. The stage presence he exuded was immense, and I will always be able to say “I saw the fastest man in the world”.

The other highlight was watching Team Scotland’s Libby Clegg winning gold in the T12 100m. Being able to sing along with the national anthem as she received her medal is something I will never forget.

As well as working at the games, it was great to see the city transformed as well. I was sleeping on a friend’s couch for the week, and during the day before my shift started I would go to Glasgow Green to watch the action on the big screens.

When I did this, I would be wearing the volunteers’ uniform, and I was always taken aback at how many people wanted to stop and speak to me or rely on me for help. It really did show Glasgow at its very best.

I am fully prepared for the competition at Scotstoun to have a very different atmosphere, but I really hope the crowd will be just as loud and as supportive.

If anything, it will be a special moment for me as I once competed as an amateur athlete at Scotstoun before it became a rugby ground.

So my plea to my fellow Scots - please celebrate these games and enjoy them. The alternative was to have no games at all.

There could be some amazing moments at these games to celebrate, not least the men’s 1500m. I am a big fan of Edinburgh’s Josh Kerr who has just set the one-mile world record. Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley could make this race a Scotland 1-2-3. These are the moments that can really bring the country together, and I for one am so pleased this is happening right here in Glasgow.