2014, what a year.

Fun and games in Glasgow with the Commonwealth Games and fun and games of a different kind with the referendum.

New faces at the top of the SNP and Labour and two of the biggest names in Scottish Politics announcing they are leaving the stage, while another looks to switch stages.

Gordon Brown, having thundered into the referendum campaign in the last few days, delivering the vow and a barnstorming speech in Maryhill, is to step down in May.

Alistair Darling who for so long held the Better Together campaign together and took Alex Salmond apart on currency in the first TV debate is also bowing out.

Mr Salmond however having resigned hours after the referendum result has unfinished business.

Having said the referendum was a once in a generation perhaps, a lifetime, event now thinks we could have another by the end of the decade and he is hoping the people of Gordon send him off to London to rumble up Westminster one last time.

His business at Holyrood is over and Nicola Sturgeon is already showing signs of a more mature, less confrontational style of government.

She has begun by reaching out to her opponents to find consensus where possible and has resisted the bombastic approach of dismissing opponents out of hand of her predecessor.

However when the chips are down, no-one is under any illusions that the new First Minister will be anything less than robust and the sharp debating skills will come to the fore.

While the transition at the top of the SNP and Scottish Government is natural succession with Sturgeon and Swinney taking over from Salmond and Sturgeon, Labour is looking to re-invent itself with Jim Murphy.

Again the party finds itself having to 'reach out' and 'listen to the people' to 'win back their trust'.

After a succession of failed leaderships in seven years Labour turned to Westminster and when Gordon Brown said no Jim Murphy stepped in.

The next two years will be crucial and if events don't go his way he could be out before he has really got started.

Mr Murphy may well have his eye fixed on 2016 and defeating the SNP at Holyrood.

But he can't allow Nicola Sturgeon to build up more momentum in 2015.

If the polls for the UK elections are accurate Labour will be trounced by the SNP in May and leaving him a year to pick up the pieces and put up a strong showing in 2016 while trying to secure a Holyrood seat.

He could do worse than take the advice of one of the stars of the Commonwealth Games, boxer Charlie Flynn.

"You kill the crocodile that's in front of you".