Glasgow 'on verge' of deal to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

The Scottish authorities is connected the verge of agreeing a woody for Glasgow to big the Commonwealth Games successful 2026.

BBC Scotland News understands Health Secretary Neil Gray volition clasp talks with Commonwealth Games Australia connected Monday morning.

The Australian authorities of Victoria withdrew arsenic 2026 hosts owed to rising costs.

It comes aft Australian authorities promised "a multi-million lb investment" to assistance finalise Glasgow's connection to rescue the multi-sport event.

Glasgow, which hosted the games successful 2014, is present adjacent to confirming a scaled down lawsuit featuring less sports.

A root adjacent to the talks said: "In caller weeks, the Scottish authorities has probed and tested what it would look similar for Scotland to big a scaled backmost Commonwealth Games.

"That has seen existent progress. If we stay satisfied that the nationalist purse won't person to beryllium opened to wage for these games, the assurance is rising that Monday volition bring bully news."

In different cardinal development, the UK authorities past week assured the Scottish authorities that nary nationalist wealth would beryllium required to signifier the games.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Chris Jenkins said Glasgow would present a "world class" Commonwealth Games and make a exemplary for the future.

He said the Australian backing pledge would "further heighten and support" the bid to bring the games backmost to Scotland.

Mr Jenkins besides highlighted that the games would not necessitate fiscal underwriting by either the Scottish oregon UK governments.

Instead, it would beryllium funded by a CGF concern of £100m, positive backstage income.

He said: "In utilising existing sporting, transport and accommodation infrastructure, and world-class venues and expertise, the compact conception would not lone physique connected the bequest of Glasgow 2014 but would presumption Scotland arsenic pioneers astatine the commencement of our journey.

"This forward-thinking, sustainable, and charismatic proposition is thing we are hugely passionate astir arsenic it volition let much countries to big these games successful the future.

"We judge our caller games exemplary volition pb the mode for others to follow."

The 2026 lawsuit would beryllium scaled down aft years of trouble for the competition.

It would diagnostic betwixt 10 and 13 sports, compared to 18 successful 2014.

Last week, it emerged that the UK authorities offered £2.3m to assistance screen information and information costs associated with the privately-funded event, but asked the Scottish authorities to lucifer that figure.

Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray antecedently expressed concerns astir the "reputational hazard and fiscal risk" of a bid and stressed it would not beryllium a replica of the 2014 games.

That variation featured an opening ceremonial astatine Celtic Park, arsenic good arsenic athletics astatine Hampden, which besides hosted the closing ceremony.

But to prevention wealth lone 4 venues would beryllium utilized successful 2026 – including Scotstoun Stadium and the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

Commonwealth Games Australia past week offered to span immoderate fiscal shortfall.

They person told some their Scottish counterparts and the Scottish authorities that they are prepared to put immoderate of the compensation they received erstwhile the Australian authorities of Victoria cancelled its plans.

Commonwealth Games Australia's president Ben Houston said: "We admit that the exemplary is antithetic and that that creates perceived fiscal and reputational challenges, but we person each assurance successful the model."

Commonwealth Games Scotland - who are down the Glasgow bid - person already welcomed the offer.

In a connection released past week they said the Australians' "willingness to invest, to further alleviate concerns of perceived fiscal and reputational risk, shows the precocious respect connected which our cost-effective connection is held wrong the planetary athletics and events community."