Glasgow is a relatively small city, with a population of around 600,000, that certainly punches above its weight in terms of sports infrastructure.

Coming in at number nine in a recent survey to find the world's biggest sports cities, Scotland's biggest city mingles amongst the likes of Berlin, Manchester and New York in terms of sporting excellence, even ranking above cities such as Paris, Tokyo and Istanbul.

So how does such a small city compete with perhaps more glamorous, populous and better-known cities across the world?

Glasgow Celtic Football Club are a great example of why Glasgow has the standing it does within the world of sport.

Despite the recent plight of their arch-rivals, neighbours Glasgow Rangers, the Old Firm remains one of the most fiercely contested rivalries in sport and the passion and pride that surrounds both clubs in this city is immense.

The first British winners of the European Cup in 1967, Celtic have a rich history and a loyal, vocal, and vast fanbase which is widely revered throughout the world of football.

In 2003, an incredible 80,000 Celtic fans travelled to Seville as their side reached the UEFA Cup final, the majority without match tickets - the capacity of the stadium was just 57,000 - and the club subsequently received recognition from UEFA and FIFA for the good behaviour of their fans, despite losing 3-2 after extra-time to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

Glasgow Celtic fans at the UEFA Cup Final in 2003

This is just one example of the lengths these supporters from the East End of the city will go to in order to show their undying love for their club.

As I travel through Glasgow in a taxi, I get into a conversation with the driver, a burly Glaswegian man, about football.

I mention legendary Celtic striker Henrik Larsson and the driver reels off these incredible statistics about his scoring record, appearances, particular goals that he scored and memorable moments he produced throughout his career.

He then goes on to recommend me a DVD entitled "Total Larsson"; a two-disc documentary devoted to the career of the Swedish forward.

"I sat there with tears in my eyes as I watched it," he explains in a brash Glaswegian accent.

I'm not sure whether to feel disconcertion or admiration regarding the fact that supporters have such a deeply-ingrained affection towards the club, but it's certainly interesting to see just how much this club means to the green-and-white half of the city.

So it's somewhat appropriate that the new jewel in the crown of Glasgow's sports venue portfolio, the Emirates Arena, is situated right next-door to Celtic's historic stadium, which has stood in the Parkhead region of the city's East End since 1892.

The state-of-the-art Emirates Arena facility in Glasgow, which will hold events at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the 2018 Youth Olympic Games if the city's bid is successful

The juxtaposing venues are hardly similar, but together, they encapsulate all that Glasgow is as a city; developing, but never leaving its roots behind, much in the way that Celtic Park's array of statues and tributes to legends such as former manager Jock Stein stand proudly outside the Stadium, serving as a reminder that no matter how far forward the club goes, it will never disregard its past and the people that built the foundations of the club.

The ultra-futuristic £113 million ($178 million/€131 million) Emirates Arena is visually stunning, but the substance of the venue is what really matters.

Boasting an 8,000-seat arena, a 4,000-seat velodrome, a 1,200 capacity sports hall, which is home to basketball franchise the Glasgow Rocks, a state-of-the-art health spa, 4G five-a-side football pitches and top-notch gym facilities, the Emirates Arena is much more than a venue- it's also a community hub, serving the sporting needs of the people of the area in world-class fashion.

The multi-purpose arena within the Emirates Arena facility can hold up to 8,000 spectators and hosts major basketball

Since it opened just over three months ago, the Emirates Arena has already played host to the UCI Track Cycling World Cup first round and the Gymnastics World Cup, with the British Basketball League (BBL) Trophy final and the World Junior Track Cycling Championships taking place there amongst many other events this year.

The sessions offered to ride around the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in the arena are booked out for months as I'm told, but the track is empty as preparations were being made for the final of the Revolution series which was taking place that evening in front of a sell-out crowd, so I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to give it a go; a rather daunting notion for someone with practically no sense of balance and very little in the way of athletic prowess.

"I won't tell you the statistics of how many people fall off until you're done on the track, they're not pretty", says my mentor for the day as I first set foot into the velodrome, easing my nerves considerably as I attempt to clamber onto my bicycle.

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which hosted the final of the Revolution elite track cycling series last Saturday

I'm not much of a skinny-frame, ultra-skinny tires and no brakes kind of cyclist, but apparently a Raleigh Chopper wouldn't quite cut it on this track, so I had to make do with the specialist equipment provided by the arena.

I spend about half-an-hour practicing clipping and unclipping my shoes from the pedals and worrying about the significant amount of people that seem to be filtering into the centre of the Velodrome before I take to the baking hot track, which is permanently set at a sweltering 28 degrees Celsius to ensure that the track remains optimal for speed.

There's something incredibly terrifying about that first lap, even if it is on a flat surface and when travelling at a snail's pace.

I'm gripping the handlebars as if they were the edge of a cliff as I trundle round the track, wobbling away and grimacing as every person in the velodrome is no doubt getting the cameras out, waiting for the moment I inevitably fall to the Siberian pine-wood surface; I'm too worried about keeping my eyes on the track to even bother to check.

Despite the fact I didn't really manage to cross the "côte d'azur" line, riding the Velodrome is a stark realisation as to just how tough it must be for these elite cyclists that typically complete a lap of the 250-metre track in around 10 seconds.

After the incredible and slightly terrifying velodrome experience

It's an incredible sport, and I think you have to experience a few laps of the track to really appreciate just how daunting that 44 degree incline is, and how tough it is to really push yourself to the limit in the clammy conditions with spectators all around.

The adrenaline rush is sensational though, even if you don't quite manage to reach the top of the incline or reach the blistering speeds of the pro's like myself, it's an incredible experience.

The venue itself was originally to be named the Commonwealth Arena as it is due to play a starring role in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, as well as the 2018 Youth Olympic Games if the city's bid is successful.

The Glasgow bid for the 2018 Youth Olympics is clearly a strong one, but with competition from Buenos Aires, Guadalajara, Medellin and Rotterdam, the race to win the rights to host the Games is sure to be a tight one.

But in Glasgow, you see a city that is evolving, a city that is brimming with confidence and optimism as it looks to the future, using its past and its close community ties to propel it even further onwards as it prepares to host major events in sports and culture such as the Commonwealth Games next year and the Turner Prize in 2015.

The shortlist for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games will be announced this month, with the final decision on the host city due to be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne on July 4. 

James Crook is a reporter for insidethegames