THEY were throwing large lumps of metal where Di Stefano once left a German goalkeeper looking as if he was auditioning for the sculpture section of the Kelvingrove Gallery, where Zinedine twisted and shot, where Baxter strutted and Jinky jinked.

This lobbing of the shot putt may have seemed a post-modern take on the hurling of bottles from the terraces at Hampden in less decorous times. It was also the initial action of a night that announced that athletics is back in Glasgow. And here to stay. At least until early August and the end of the Commonwealth Games.

There were 10,000 spectators inside the arena that holds a special place in football history and while they could not muster a fearsome roar they excelled at the Hampden Hoorah to welcome the Sainsbury's Glasgow Grand Prix, part of the IAAF Diamond League, to a patch of land that has an illustrious, if sometimes overlooked, athletics history.

The biggest cheer, of course, was for Eilidh Child who chose the 90th anniversary of Eric Liddell's gold medal win in Paris to record a somewhat more humble but still highly encouraging victory in the 400 metres hurdles. She beat three runners who had defeated her in the past and ran her second best time ever and her fastest of the season in 54.39.

"I really wanted to execute a good performance today and to nail my stride. I managed to do that and I think that's why it looked such a dominant performance." she said. "It was an amazing ovation from the crowd here so I can only imagine what it will be like at the Commonwealth Games. I'm ranked No.4 in the Commonwealth so I will have to fight for a medal but with a crowd like that behind me, I'm sure I will succeed."

The glittering brand of the Diamond League may disagree but for many inside the stadium - and some of those on the track - this was a dry run in the sun for the mayhem that will erupt in the arena at the end of this month and the beginning of next. The crowd then will be 44,000 strong and will be cheering as if Joe Jordan has just revealed his gums.

This was an exciting night at Hampden but it was all played out to the background of what is to come. The prospects are excellent. The national stadium looks wonderful, the athletes believe the track is fast and the shelter afforded by the stadium is helping bring quick times.

Hampden, the venerable old lady revived by a series of plastic and mortar surgery, has an athletics history that stretches back to its inception and its best is yet to come. There was little wrong with last night's prelude, however.

Child's win fair rattled the falsers of goalkeepers past no doubt residing in a patch at either end of the stadium. But there were other splendid moments. David Weir, predictably, won the T53-54 1500m in his resolute, thrilling style and then admitted mischievously that he might not receive the same loud reception if he wins his Commonwealth Games event in an England vest.

There was an imperious performance by William Sharman, who grew up in Corby, Northampton, in the 110m hurdles with a personal best of 13.21 and a fabulous run by Javier Culson in the 400m hurdles, with three British runners politely bringing up the rear. There was also an all-comers' Scottish record set in the 1500m when Sifan Hassan, the Ethiopian woman who now runs for the Netherlands, powered home in 4.00.67.

And there was even another wee bit of home success. The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team of Asha Philip, Ashleigh Nelson, Jodie Williams and Desiree Henry won the 4x100 relay and were cheered home as if Denis Law had just knocked it in at the back post. Aficonados may point out that this might not be a victory that resounds down the ages, given that another Great Britain and Ireland team were also second and the winning time of 42.74 was the best part of two seconds outside the world record.

More noteworthy was the Scottish all-comers' record set by Francena McCorory in 400m at 49.93. She claims be one of the Hampton, Virginia, McCororys but surely for a couple of weeks she could become one of the Hampden, South Side, McCororys.

In true football, bloody hell, fashion the best was left to the very last and a thrilling 100m in which Yohan Blake, the second fastest man ever behind Usain Bolt, went down as if he had just lost an argument to a 1950s centre-half. His hamstring pull left him out of the race won by Nickel Ashmeade in 9.97, the fastest time ever run in Scotland and the first under 10 seconds.

"I'm really pleased with that," said the 24-year-old Jamaican. "I felt good, the crowd is nice and the weather is lovely so I've got to be happy with that. I came here to execute and then the time speaks for itself." James Dasaolu finished fourth, equalling his season's best time of 10.03.

On the 90th anniversary of Liddell's finest 47.6 seconds, it was sobering to reflect that the Scottish great regularly appeared at national championships in the arena. His last run at Hampden, though, was followed in 1925 by a trip to China to become a missionary.

Ashmeade has a more conventional career move. He will be back to contend the 100m in Glasgow.