Auld Firm in the premier league

[Firestorm]

Raises its head again

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/footba..._article_id=628417&in_page_id=43&in_a_source=

If this ever does go ahead (which I doubt it will) , I would imagine that other SPL teams would come into contention for a place in the premier league 2nd division. Maybe some going for the Football Leagues top tier too.
I reckon this would add maybe 10 clubs to the current 94 and could well result in regional leagues below the 3rd teir (Football league to teir)

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

If this goes through, some serious questions need asking.
Hopefully as it appears this is not in the interest of the big 4 plus it will severely dent the chances of either Glasgow's teams Champions League (or even Europa League) involvement, it won't happen.

Totally smacks of self-interest by Gartside if you ask me.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I can see a Euro league happening before this and I for one can't wait to wave the greedy b*stards farewell.

 

[Gremlin]

I'd like to know why they think they can go straight into the Premier League? Bit of a slap in the face for the likes of Fulham, Wigan etc. who've worked hard over recent years to move their way up from the bottom. And what kind of message does it send out to the remaining 72 league clubs?

When my house is in a mess I tidy it up, I don't try and move into next door's.

 

[Uncle Leo]

When my house is in a mess I tidy it up, I don't try and move into next door's.

I did. They've got a cleaner so it's much tidier. Although their garden's not as nice as mine.

 

[RobM]

Celtic/Rangers won't enter the Prem' because they'd never win it.

 

[Manchester Shrimper]

If this ever does go ahead (which I doubt it will) , I would imagine that other SPL teams would come into contention for a place in the premier league 2nd division. Maybe some going for the Football Leagues top tier too.
I reckon this would add maybe 10 clubs to the current 94 and could well result in regional leagues below the 3rd teir (Football league to teir)

Uh? Have you seen the quality of SPL football? Below the Old Firm maybe Hearts are Championship quality, I'd be surprised if any others could cut it that level.

At the end of the day, the plans will never get off the ground. If these plans were to go ahead, it would require a majority of Prem teams to approve them. If there's 18 teams in the re-organised Premiership, 2 of whom would be Rangers and Celtic, it would cut the English allocation from 20 to 16 and which Premiership teams would vote for that? Maybe the 6 that would feel confident of not going down?

 

[Firestorm]

Uh? Have you seen the quality of SPL football? Below the Old Firm maybe Hearts are Championship quality, I'd be surprised if any others could cut it that level.

At the end of the day, the plans will never get off the ground. If these plans were to go ahead, it would require a majority of Prem teams to approve them. If there's 18 teams in the re-organised Premiership, 2 of whom would be Rangers and Celtic, it would cut the English allocation from 20 to 16 and which Premiership teams would vote for that? Maybe the 6 that would feel confident of not going down?

But they are talking about a two tier premiership and IIRC previous discussions on that subject have not included promotion / relegation from/to the football league. I would expect About Half of the championship, plus 4 or 5 Scottish teams and maybe Leeds to be invited to join the Premier league 2nd Division ,

I don't think it will get off the ground , but the idea hasn't gone away after a good few years

 

[steveo]

They would have to amalgamate English and Scottish leagues and split the lower divisions into North and South, which may not be a bad thing.

However, think of the trouble you would get with that many jocks traveling to away games and why would we want them. If the Prem was to expand, why not add PSV and Ajax, or PSG and Marseille

 

[Slipperduke]

I very much doubt that the Old Firm would want it. Rangers, for one, are saddled with enormous debt that can only be serviced by regular participiation in the Champions League. In Scotland, they always get a crack at it. In England, they'd struggle.

Plus, what would happen to all of their prospective signings? Most of their key players only came along for regular CL football. Who are they going to sign when they come 8th?

Sure, for the first few seasons they might do alright, given the added TV money. However, if they didn't nail their place in the big four immediately, they'd be like every other team in the EPL. Doomed to a league within a league

Financially speaking, there's very little difference between the Old Firm and teams like Newcastle, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland. 40k+ crowds, big stadiums, lots of history. Hasn't done them much good against Abramovich's chequebook.

As for the rest of them, well, there's a reason that Hammell was able to bounce from Southend to the SPL.

 

[Davros]

As for the rest of them, well, there's a reason that Hammell was able to bounce from Southend to the SPL.

and more recently, the same reason Foran was able to go and score goals!

 

[Scottish_Shrimpers]

don't understand where the other SPL teams coming into the english leagues has come from. that would never happen. As a fan of a scottish club (outside the old firm) i am in two minds whether it would be a good idea. on one hand i would miss the old firm because theres nothing better than beating celtic and rangers (although it is not a regular occurance) on the other hand for the likes of Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee United, every season they're battling for third place (=european place) and one of the two domestic cups, and at times the league does come across as being very uncompetitive.

I believe, reading different scottish fans forums etc.. and my own opinion that a scottish league without rangers or celtic would be very beneficial. yes there wouldn't be as much money generated through the likes of tv deals, however, if you take the old firm out then the league is really anyones for the taking. the standard wouldn't improve either however, there would be a real competitiveness about the league, and that would improve attendances. fans want glory more than performances and the big matches. rangers and celtic could still compete in the scottish cup and the european places given to scottish clubs could be cut down to say first place = champions league. 2nd and 3rd place = Europa League.

obviously theres a massive problem for rangers and celtic just entering into the premiership, and i dont think they should, if an EPL2 is created then they should go into that with the majority of championship teams. remember the english football system has three welsh teams competing, so not letting the old firm in "just because their scottish" is not a valid reason.

the old firm simply are not good enough anymore for the premiership, but from revenue premiership clubs get, i dont think rangers and celtic would suffer financially. one last thing to remember rangers and celtic are like manchester united in terms of fan base, they come from all over britain. they may play in the scottish league but a distinct proportion of the fans of both teams do not consider their team to be scottish. hence the flying of union jacks and irish flags.

if all this is the case then i dont see why they cant enter the english league aslong there put in a place where it as fair as possible. think more benefits could come out of this than negatives!

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

don't understand where the other SPL teams coming into the english leagues has come from. that would never happen. As a fan of a scottish club (outside the old firm) i am in two minds whether it would be a good idea. on one hand i would miss the old firm because theres nothing better than beating celtic and rangers (although it is not a regular occurance) on the other hand for the likes of Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee United, every season they're battling for third place (=european place) and one of the two domestic cups, and at times the league does come across as being very uncompetitive.

I believe, reading different scottish fans forums etc.. and my own opinion that a scottish league without rangers or celtic would be very beneficial. yes there wouldn't be as much money generated through the likes of tv deals, however, if you take the old firm out then the league is really anyones for the taking. the standard wouldn't improve either however, there would be a real competitiveness about the league, and that would improve attendances. fans want glory more than performances and the big matches. rangers and celtic could still compete in the scottish cup and the european places given to scottish clubs could be cut down to say first place = champions league. 2nd and 3rd place = Europa League.

obviously theres a massive problem for rangers and celtic just entering into the premiership, and i dont think they should, if an EPL2 is created then they should go into that with the majority of championship teams. remember the english football system has three welsh teams competing, so not letting the old firm in "just because their scottish" is not a valid reason.

the old firm simply are not good enough anymore for the premiership, but from revenue premiership clubs get, i dont think rangers and celtic would suffer financially. one last thing to remember rangers and celtic are like manchester united in terms of fan base, they come from all over britain. they may play in the scottish league but a distinct proportion of the fans of both teams do not consider their team to be scottish. hence the flying of union jacks and irish flags.

if all this is the case then i dont see why they cant enter the english league aslong there put in a place where it as fair as possible. think more benefits could come out of this than negatives!

Isn't one of the ideas to let the Old Firm reserves (or an U23 team of 95% Scottish players) still play in the SPL though? This might have stemmed from the fact they were thinking of entering teams in the Scottish League once the SFA have adopted a pyramid structure. Think SPL2 might also be close to happening which seems to make more sense. My local team (oldest league club still in existence in Scotland I think???) Clyde struggle to get 1,000 each week. If the league system wasn't such a joke (& the Scottish Assembly get their way and fund free football tickets for children) then who knows what might happen.