LAST night saw the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony take place in Glasgow and Andrew Caulfield (Lochore), and Billy Allan (Cowdenbeath) were part of it.

Andrew Caulfield is looking forward to being involved in his third Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, and when the boxing competition starts on Friday he knows he will be in for a busy time.

The Lochore man is delighted to have been asked by AIBA, boxing’s ruling body, to be part of the technical team who will referee and judge the bouts in the men’s and ladies’ competitions and having done over 60 bouts at the last Games in Delhi, he knows exactly the exacting schedule he and the other officials will face.

Before heading for Glasgow yesterday Andrew, who now stays in Blairforge, outside Kelty, with his wife and two children, said, “We will be kitted out in our uniforms for the opening ceremony at Celtic Park on Wednesday, and it will be the start of an exciting time.

“The weighing-in sessions will take place on Thursday, then the competition will start on Friday.

“With over 400 boxers in the two competitions there will be no lack of action and we will each have plenty of involvement either refereeing or judging.” He recalled how he was asked to officiate in 60 plus bouts in the Delhi Games but he loved every minute of it and he hopes he will see as much as action on home soil.

“It might seem like a lot of bouts but once things get started you get so involved it just seems to flow along,” he went on.

“A lot of the officials here were involved in the London Olympics so it is a team that works well together and there is a really good atmosphere.” From Friday onwards there will be two sessions a day taking the form of afternoon and evening sessions and having done the last bout in Delhi when he handled the Super Heavyweight final, Andrew is hoping his name comes out the hat first to referee the first bout in Glasgow, although he knows the odds will be stacked against that happening.

“A lot will depend who the countries are involved in the opening bouts but it would be great to get the first contest in the Glasgow Games,” added the man who fought in the light-heavyweight division in the Auckland Commonwealth Games for Scotland in 1990.

“It is a real honour to be asked to officiate in Glasgow and I hope to do well whenever I am asked to be involved in a bout.” Local people will be able to see Andrew in action when he goes into the ring as television will be giving the boxing competition exhaustive coverage.

“It will give my dad a big lift, for he has not been well but the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is something he is really looking forward to,” he concluded.

Billy Allan's bowling event takes place on Monday.