By Gary Anderson at Old Trafford in Manchester

November 19 - Gemma Gibbons is flying the flag for Team England as the build-up to Glasgow 2014 heats up © Getty Images English athletes Gemma Gibbons and Keri-Anne Payne are helping to lay the groundwork for "Brand England" north of the border ahead of Glasgow 2014, it was claimed here today. 

Both Gibbons and Payne live in Scotland and are married to Scottish athletes and Commonwealth Games England (CGE) communications manager Andy Bate claimed their profile is an asset in terms of generating interest in the Games and in helping to ensure a warm reception  for Team England when they arrive in Glasgow.

London 2012 judo silver medal winner Gibbons is married to Scottish judoka Euan Burton, who will be representing his home country in Glasgow, while former world open water champion Payne lives in Edinburgh with her husband David Carry, who represented Scotland at three Commonwealth Games, winning two gold medals and also competed at two Olympics for Britain.

"Gemma is fantastic, she is an ambassador for us and she's got that Scottish angle too," Bate told insidethegames at the United City Global Sports Summit.

"It's good for the Scots and for us to have an English voice saying, 'I love Scotland'.

"You've got somebody advocating the English brand up there and who loves living in Scotland.

"Obviously you want the banter and you want the competition but there's equally a debate around how is the English team going to be received.

"I think they will be received pretty well to be honest.

"Equally, you've got Kerri-Anne Payne who also lives in Edinburgh and is married to a Scot.

"So they for us are two important brand ambassadors if you like.

"We have someone who works up in Glasgow and he is looking at how we can utilise Gemma and Keri-Anne to generate good news stories for us in the Scottish media, which I think is a good thing for everyone including the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee."

CGE communications director Andy Bates says Keri-Ann Payne is a great brand ambassador for Team England despite doubts over whether she will appear in Glasgow © Getty Images Commonwealth Games England claim Keri-Ann Payne is a great brand ambassador for Team England despite doubts over whether she will appear in Glasgow © Getty Images


























While Gibbons is set to take part in her first Commonwealth Games, it is still unclear whether Payne will return to the pool to compete in Glasgow as there is no open water competition.

Another factor casting some doubt over the Delhi 2010 bronze medal winner's participation at the Games is the fact she has lost her personal funding from UK Sport for 2014 following a disappointing performance at the World Championships in Barcelona where she finished 14th in the 10 kilometre open water event.

But, with high profile stars such as Jessica Ennis-Hill and Tom Daley due to represent Team England in Glasgow, Bate claimed the image and branding opportunities for CGE to capitalise on are enormous, particularly after London 2012.

London 2012 bronze medallist Tom Daley is another brand asset for Team England © Getty Images London 2012 bronze medallist Tom Daley is another brand asset for Team England © Getty Images

























"I don't think anyone would have bet their house on the Commonwealth Games being an absolute sell-out five years ago but it is," he told insidethegames.

"It's going to be incredibly successful.

"The [Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee] have done a great job but London has clearly changed the appetite for multi-sport Games among the British people because it was an incredible experience and we all got excited by it.

"That Olympic spirit was so profound that people just want more of that.

"We want people to be excited by us and supporting Team England."

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