There are only two weeks to go to the Super 8 Match in Scotstoun Stadium on 7th July and the workload does not get any easier as the Super 8 Match gets closer.

Being the Team Manager for Glasgow, I am in the final stages of selecting the Glasgow Team for the Match and believe me when I say that the current performances by Scottish Athletes makes picking of the Glasgow Team absolutely fascinating. The format of the competition allows each Team two overseas athletes, athletes from a power of 10 "Draft" and an Under 20 athlete. Thankfully I am able to discuss the Team selection, with several people all of whose input I trust and respect. It is enough for me to say that these people are also excited about the Match and the final selection. For some of the events Final selection will be made after the Under 20/23 Trials taking place in Bedford on the weekend of 19/20 June.

The format of the competition seems to have caught the attention of athletes and coaches and it is fantastic to know that many of Scotland's top athletes are making themselves available to compete for this great City.

One of the great things about Glasgow hosting this Match is the opportunity to showcase Scotstoun Stadium to the rest of the UK. Within Glasgow we are quite rightly proud of the refurbished Scotstoun and we are working hard to promote the Match on the 7th July in order to ensure that the Stadium is full. That is a tall order but with 25% of the seats sold I am sure that the athletics community in Scotland will turn out in great numbers to show their support to Scottish Athletes and to make use of the opportunity to see some of the world's finest athletes perform in the first major Match to be held in Scotstoun for four years.

With sprint hurdler, Lolo Jones and javelin thrower, Asdis Hjalmsdottir, I am happy that we have two of the best International Athletes from that pool competing for Glasgow.

Add to these top athletes the likes of Dwight Phillips, Jamaal Torrance, Ashlee Nelson and Vikki Parnov, then the 7th July is going to offer British and Glasgow Athletes some world class opposition on our doorstep.

Glasgow's Captains Lee and Chris are going to have two tough races, with the announcement that Christine Ohuruogu is going to compete head to head with Lee in the women's 200m and Chris will go to the start line with Allen Johnson in the Sprint Hurdles.

The format of the competition means that competition will be fast and highly competitive. Within Culture and Sport Glasgow and UKA we have been working hard to ensure that information is presented to spectators as clearly as possible in order that you as a spectator are kept up to date with the scoring as quickly as possible. We want you to know how the performances at each event affect the match scores.

Before the Senior Match, in conjunction with UKA we are also putting on a Schools version of the Super 8 with teams from Eastern Glasgow; Southern Glasgow and Western Glasgow taking on Ayr, Edinburgh, Greenock, Inverness and Paisley. Under 15 athletes will compete in a similar format competition to the senior athletes and the final event of this Match is incorporated into the Senior match which gives these young athletes the opportunity to share the limelight with some of our star athletes. This event will take place in the evening between 4.40 and 6.30 pm and I am sure that the Clubs that these athletes belong to will be along to support  their local City, perhaps even there may be a couple of vuvuzelas to be heard that evening around Scotstoun.

Between the Schools Super 8 and the Senior Match we hope to have another competition where Glasgow City AC will take on members of the other Glasgow Sports Franchises: Glasgow Wildcats; Glasgow Rocks and Glasgow Warriors in a four event competition. The events will be High Jump; Long Jump; Shot Put and a 4 x 100m Relay where the Wildcats may be given a small advantage.

As well as managing the Team, my day job as Athletics Development Officer means I have to ensure that we create an interesting series of events around the event designed to make people not just aware of the Super 8 Match but also what a great sport athletics is. This includes liaising with UKA on a Coach and Athlete Masterclass and with assistance from Scottish Athletics we are going to be putting on a Jumps Masterclass with two of the UK's top coaches and bio-mechanist in attendance. There will be an Athlete Q and A session with a former GB Internationalist and some of the Glasgow Team members. As part of the Glasgow 2014 Legacy we are conscious that the Legacy from the 2014 Games needs to serve Glasgow and Scotland and these sessions will be open to invited athletes and coaches from all over Scotland.

To put on events like this we need approximately 150 volunteers who we try to source from the following groups;
members of the Glasgow Junior Athletics Squad are being asked to provide kit carriers;
members of the Glasgow 2014 Athletics Squad are being asked to provide assistance throughout the Meet, the Masterclasses and to be assistants to the Schools Super 8 Managers;
local college students are being asked to provide assistance, and
Glasgow Athletics Clubs and the Glasgow Athletics Association will be asked to provide volunteers during these two days.
If you wish to be involved as a volunteer, are 16 years or older and are a member of an athletics club then contact sean.watson@csglasgow.org giving your details and Sean will get back to you.

All told this promises to be two fantastic days of Athletics events culminating in the Super 8 Match on Wednesday the 7th July beginning at 7pm. Tickets for the Match are going well and you can reserve tickets by clicking here OR contacting the Ticket Hotline 08000 55 60 56

My advice is get your tickets now and look forward to a fantastic evening of athletics that shows athletics in Scotland/Scotstoun Stadium to their very best and begins our sport's countdown to Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014.

Get out and support our Team.

Brian Donaldson