Following two years in retirement, Clyde the much-loved Glasgow 2014 mascot made a stunning comeback tonight at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in Edinburgh.

Following his big entrance with stunt bike team the Clan, Clyde, the popular face of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, was revealed in his new role as the Team Scotland mascot, who will be cheering on Team Scotland all the way to Gold Coast 2018 and beyond.

His return was met with huge excitement by the 600-strong audience, which included Clyde’s creator, schoolgirl, Beth Gilmour, as they heard from some of Scotland’s greatest athletes in a video clip, all explaining why they think that Clyde is the man to lead Team Scotland to future Games success.

Olympic cycling gold medallists Sir Chris Hoy and Katie Archibald were amongst those that count Clyde as a dear friend, whilst swimmer Ross Murdoch and boxer Charlie Flynn recounted memories of Clyde’s support during their golden medal moments at the Glasgow Games and hailed his athletic prowess that make him the perfect role model for the team.

Ross Murdoch said: “Clyde gave the Commonwealth Games somebody that people could connect with and it was just a lot of fun. He will be a great ambassador for Team Scotland.”

Sir Chris Hoy added: “I think it is great that Clyde is back and has been adopted by Team Scotland as their mascot and he will be cheering them on in Gold Coast and boosting morale. It is a legacy from Glasgow 2014 and clearly he was and will continue to be very popular with the younger generation which is so important.”

Katie Archibald said: “Clyde is somebody who unifies us all and I really love the humour of it too.”

Explaining the reasoning behind the comeback, Paul Bush OBE, Chair of Commonwealth GamesScotland said: “2014 was a pivotal time for Scottish sport and the Commonwealth Games were fantastic for the whole nation and Team Scotland had its most successful Games ever.

“When we looked back, we felt Clyde played a really vital role in galvanising the country behind the Team and the Games and this was something we valued and wanted to build on. So Clyde coming back is very special for us and he embodies all of the Team Scotland values: proud, united, ambitious, inspirational and inclusive which are depicted in our new brand.

“I am hugely excited about the rebirth of Clyde and this is a very special moment for Team Scotland. Many thanks to the Commonwealth Games Federation and the other Glasgow 2014 partners, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government for their endorsement of this initiative.”

Martin Reynolds, former Head of Marketing for Glasgow 2014 and now marketing consultant to the Commonwealth Games Federation added: “Clyde was so much more than just a mascot, he symbolised a really passionate, proud and positive city and country. He had a serious job to do, but didn’t take himself too seriously.

“He connected with thousands of children and young people up and down the country and it is just so great to see Clyde coming back to rekindle all the enthusiasm that everybody had for the Games. He will be supporting all the athletes in the next big challenge in the Gold Coast in 2018.”

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/2_mQeySX1VU