A VICTORY FOR THE CITY... EVEN IF IT’S A MUTED ONE

ALL judgment on the sporting roadshow that has breezed through Glasgow can be distilled to two words: Adam Peaty. Or if one demands a longer answer: the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

The first testifies to the sheer wonder of seeing an all-time great not only on our doorstep but in our very lobby. The second nods to the importance of having first-class sporting facilities in a city and, crucially, using them.

The criticisms of the European Championships in Glasgow are obvious, but still must be noted.

First, the message of their validity, indeed, their profound quality was not made to its greatest effect. Sitting in the swimming arena in Tollcross, it was sad to see empty seats in an arena that would see repeated appearances — and a world record — from one of the greatest British sportsmen of all time.

Peaty, whose invincibility in the water is matched by a wonderfully vibrant and self-assured attitude in the press area, is one of those characters a decrepit old hack (yes, me) is delighted to both watch and listen to. The peerless Englishman was an asset to the championships — as were others — but his worth was not transmitted fully to the wider public.

There are reasons for this. The championships were held in the midst of the annual stretching of nerves that precede and accompany the qualifiers for the Europa League and Champions League.

The European Championships were trying to squeeze themselves into a tight market in terms of space in the media. The damage was done, however, before a ball was kicked.

The oft-asked question was not: ‘Where do I get a ticket to watch some of the greatest sportsmen and women in the world?’ It was more often: ‘What are the European Championships?’

Glasgow, importantly, has ensured that latter question can be answered with more assurance by more people. The European Championships as a combined sporting event works in practice.

It would have been better if the athletics competition had been in Glasgow, not Berlin, and future hosts must make the case for the championships in their entirety to be based in the same country, even if it has to be two cities.

There was the occasional moan about transport, minor, almost traditional, whinges about organisation, but none about the crowds and the facilities. Most felt that attendances were good to excellent, though the sell-out signs were rarely hung.

In sporting parlance, then, it was not a personal best for Glasgow. That was set four years ago in the Commonwealth Games. The glue of the athletics competition — the spectacle that holds major multisports competitions together — was present in 2014 at Hampden.

But 2018 was still a victory, even though it was a muted one. Glasgow proved that it could, with help from Edinburgh, Gleneagles, and North Lanarkshire, host a major event.

The pool at Tollcross was a boiling, boisterous venue that was rewarded with outstanding performances. The track cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome showed that Scotland has the capacity to embrace fully what was once an unfamiliar sport.

In my youth, it would have been absurd to suggest that not only would Glasgow have a distinct, atmospheric and modern arena for track cycling but that local talents such as Kate Archibald and Jack Carlin would win medals in it.

Yes, the absence of the athletics was a cruel loss. Yes, the inclusion of the golf was a mistake. Yes, the event could and perhaps should have been signalled far in advance with an aggressive pre-publicity campaign. But future hosts will learn from that and be grateful to Glasgow for being the guinea pigs and surviving — indeed prospering.

The ticket figures have still to be released but about 140,000 people paid to watch a series of sports that did not involve a football. Many more lined streets to watch road cycling and took in free events such as the mountain biking.

This can provide an important legacy in terms of people being attracted to participating in sport. Glasgow has shown there are venues that are accessible to all.

One can swim in the pool that Duncan Scott, Hannah Miley and Ross Murdoch graced. One can climb the vertiginous slope of the velodrome where Carlin swooped and Archibald, brother and sister, flew in pursuit of rivals.

The European Championships must be soberly judged and faults identified in its cocktail of sports, of purpose, of marketing. But they did produce a heady mix of spectacular triumph, dispiriting disaster and electric excitement.

The record will show that Glasgow 2018 was not a world best. It could, in truth, never be that given its physical and practical limitations. But it was a more than decent effort that shows potential for the idea of a unified championships and for Glasgow as a sporting host.