HAVING a Commonwealth Games and an Olympics under his belt, people could have been forgiven for thinking that boxing referee Andy Caulfield would have no problems officiating in Glasgow.

But the Lochore man found taking charge of international bouts on home soil a whole new experience.

Having being involved in 60 bouts at the Delhi games, through refereeing and judging, and around 50 bouts at the London Olympics, he was expecting a busy time at Glasgow 2014. And he was not disappointed and it ended with him handling the light heavyweight final in front of 12,000 fans at a packed Hydro.

With Scotland having earlier won two gold medals, the stadium was literally buzzing by the time Andy took the ring for the bout between New Zealand’s David Nyika and Mauritius fighter, Kennedy St Pierre.

Andy told the Times, “It was a very special thing to be able to be involved in the Commonwealth Games in Scotland and it was different from any other tournament.

“The atmosphere at the SECC in the earlier rounds, and the Hydro for the finals, was electric and what an experience.” There were two sessions per day at the SECC at which there were 3500 people packed in each time, while the two sessions of finals day attracted 24,000, so the public certainly backed the competitions.

The light heavyweight division was the one that Andy fought for Scotland in at the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990, so to have the final in this division was poignant for the man who now stays in Blairforge, near Kelty.

And to have a finalist from Auckland in the ring added to the occasion for the man who runs his own painter and decorators business.

“I was hoping to get a final but you are never sure that it will happen, especially with a lot of British and Irish fighters battling it out for gold, and I spent a considerable time in a room with the other officials waiting to find out if I would get a bout,” he added.

“Then it was announced that I had the light heavy final and I was really pleased to get that one.

“It was a contest where the New Zealand fighter did most of the pressing but the Mauritian worked hard and was always in with a chance of winning the gold.

“Nyika just deserved his win but it was a really entertaining bout with the crowd warming to the toe-to-toe aproach of both fighters.” He was delighted to have three people he really admires in the sport present at the bout, former Olympic gold medallist Dick McTaggart, Scotland team guru Tom Brown, and Ray Caulfield (no relation), treasurer of the London Ex-Boxers Association.

“Dick and Tom were my coaches when I was at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, while Ray does marvellous work with the Association and it was brilliant that they were able to take in the light heavyweight final,” he added.

Andy judged and refereed at 42 contests in the gents and ladies competitions and loved every minute of it.

“The boxing was brilliantly supported by the public and the crowds were magnificent and it was a pleasure to be asked to be part of it,” he said.

“The organisation of the Games was first class and from a boxing point of view everything went perfectly with the officials very pleased with the way they were treated.

“The arenas were ideal for the two competitions and created excellent atmospheres for the fighters and the quality of the boxing was very good.” There were 34 referees supplied for the competitions by the Association of International Boxing Associations (AIBA) who came from all over the world, including Argentina and South Korea, and Andy said that everyone of them was delighted with the way they were treated.

He added that he Clydesiders volunteers played a really big part in making the Games the success it was, with the help they provided for the public, officials and competitors being absolutely superb.

Now that his latest Games event is over Andy is looking hoping to be involved in the new AIBA Professional Boxing Programme, being established in the autumn.

“This is a new venture by AIBA which will see the best amateurs joining with the current best professionals to create a fresh competitive structure which everyone hopes will breathe new life back into the pro section of the sport,” he said.

“And the great thing is that the fighters will really benefit from it with them being properly looked after and getting the right support.”