Old Firm to get English invite

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Celtic and Rangers will be asked on Thursday to join the Nationwide League next season.
Located here

The move follows secret talks in Scotland last week between Celtic's main shareholder Dermot Desmond, Rangers chairman David Murray and Football League chief executive Keith Harris.

A formal invitation will be made by a Football League club "friendly to the deal" at a meeting of the League's executive committee on Thursday.

I think they seem to forget that UEFA have the final say on all this and to date they disapprove of the idea. AFAIR, the only way it can happen is if the English, Scottish and Welsh FA's play as britain in international football (something UEFA would like to see).

I dont know myself- I'm a bit sympathetic to the Scottish clubs who would now be effectively devoid of big clubs playing there and unless the FA's did merge, then I dont think it should happen.

Any opinions!?

Pigman

As far as I can tell the other clubs in scotish league want rid of Celtic and Rangers anyway so this arrangement might suit all concerned. If this is so then I couldn't see UEFA having any desire to interfere.

castie

id like to see that happen but for some reason i dont think it will

Neil3030

Originally posted by 80project
Celtic and Rangers will be asked on Thursday to join the Nationwide League next season.
Located here


AFAIR, the only way it can happen is if the English, Scottish and Welsh FA's play as britain in international football (something UEFA would like to see).

Don't some welsh teams already play in english leagues though?

Mossy Monk

if there are Welsh teams playing in the English league and Derry City playing in our league then whats the problem with the Old Firm playing in England

mike65

Good point Mossy, I've wondered in the past how they slipped by. Except UEFA may not consider such tiny clubs as worth the argument whereas The Old Firm have a high profile and international stature (somehow!). UEFA may be thinking if Celtic and Ragers go south whats to stop the top clubs in say Belgium getting togther with the top Dutch sides or Portugal and Spain likewise. Actually that rationalisation might have some merit.

Mike.

Jake

As some one who keeps a very close eye on things celtic let me fill ye in on whats been happening........

Desmond bought another load of shares friday and suddenly this news comes out on saturday, you can make of that what you will.................

This thing will happen, personally i think it may still be a couple of years away, but you can be sure its only a matter of time!

Someone mentioned Belgium-Holland........... think that is also a logical conclusion, however in a longer time frame than the OF moving south!
Also expext a scandanavian model, with finland, norway sweden and maybe Denmark, although maybe they will wish to look to the German leauge.........
Do ye see where this is going?

Anyway back to the OF!

There is already a English team playing in the Scottish league (cant remember the name) plus, as already stated, Derry in the league of Ireland and the three Welsh clubs in the English league, Desmond will use this evidence when he takes it to the european courts after UEFA reject the move.

I believe this is where the OF will win the case.
They will also site evidence of loss of earnings PLUS being put at a disadvange when competing at euro level by UEFA because of the small population, did you know Celtic received only a third of what Liverpool recieved from tv, when the money was shared out for the first group stage of the champions league from tv revenue because of the scottish population!
At every level clubs like Celtic and indeed clubs in Holland and Portugal are loosing out to clubs in the big five leagues and this will, (in my humble opinion) be deemed contrary to the EUs competiton and monopaly laws.

Personally Im apposed to the move.
I would much rather see Celtic stay in Scotland and never do well in Europe than sell their soul to the devil (sorry for the dramatics) for a bag of gold!
I think football should be about more that money, **** man u and that type of football thinking I say!
The Of should have a community responsibilty, however times have changed and the balance sheet is the bottom line!

From a security point of view it will be a disaster!
Dont know if any of you saw Hooligans on BBC 2 tonight, but the though of Celtic (with its percieved irish-republican links) playing english clubs every week fills me with horror!
Apart from oldfirm encounters (even here the violence is not planned as such but is bassed more on community tensions) and occasional incidents Scottish football doesnt suffer from the kind of organised violence that occurs south of the boarder!
Violence that will will be far worse when Celitc are the opposition.

ihatemushrooms

Interesting mail Jake and I take a lot of your points on board, but I do disagree with you wanting Celtic to remain in Scottish footie, on clinching the championship Cetlic had 95 points from a possible 105, this clearly shows their dominace. Having a club playing week in week out with only four key fixtures a year is not the road Celtic should be taking. Celtic can be the biggest and most successful club in the world.

Everything at Celtic is about the Fans. Premiership clubs are BRANDS and not football teams/clubs, to realise their potential Cetlic will have to leave the Scottish Premiership and the timing maybe just right. For us supporters we deserve the best players in the world playing for Hoops, the only way this will happen is if they play in the Premiership and this is what has to be done!

With the loss of the ITV money the Nationwide is in big trouble, players are signed into contarcts based on TV money footing the bill. If the money doesn`t come, which it won`t, the clubs will have to operate at a loss. This maybe sustainable in the short term but as SKY will be th eonly bidder for the Premiership and Nationwide TV rights in two years time the clubs are left with no option but to beef up the offering in a bid to continue to demand the money. If the proposition doesn`t get better for SKy they won`t pay more money. This will then result in less money for the Clubs and a downward spiral will begin.

Bring in two White Nights in the form of Celtic and Rangers then the Nationwide has a solid reason for charging more money for the TV rights. Nationwide is happy Celtic and Rangers are happy.

The other clubs have resigned from the Scottish Premiership already, a few weeks ago they served two years notice. This is in a bid to set up a subscription TV channel for all Scots clubs to benefit from but Celtic and Rangers refused to join.

Celtic and Rangers would be a great addition to the Nationwide, they would generate so much interest in a league that can sometimes be short on excitement, I would love to see it.

Overall as a Celt who went to Turin earlier this year to see the Juve game, I can say that it is at that level Celtic should be year in year out but they`ll never get there you less they are playing at the highest level which at this point is the Premiership.

Cetic are only a couple fo seasons away from being a top class side and the Nationwide is a stepping stone they have to take

Cerdito

One interesting thing to note is, if Rangers & Celtic join the Nationwide 1st Division then it will consist of 26 teams (presumably for all subsequent seasons). 50 league games a season?!? Ouch!

Jake

Agree with alot of what you say ihatemushrooms and Iv made the very same point about the tv-sky revenue on another thread.

Dont get me wrong, this thing WILL happen its only a matter of time, anyone who thinks differently knows nothing about how football operates now.

Just seen a quote from an UEFA official who said it would need all parties to agree before UEFA would consider it.......already a softening of opinion there then!

I just think/wish that football, especially a club with the cultural backround of Celtic above all others, should be about more than the balance sheet however in this I realise it is me who is very much pissing against the wind.

I still think though, from a security point of view it will be a disaster, Celtic fc have no hooligan attachment (probably the biggest club in the world not to have a firm?) which is something Im really proud of but how long do ye think that would last as we are sure to be a target at EVERY match involving english opposition!

Lets face it, even on this board Celtic fc fans have been branded as scum (by some not all) for booing players, how do ye think it will be if actual trouble starts following us around every week.......ye know who the English (and it seems some of the Irish) media will want to blame dont ye?
Maybe Im being sensationalist and a little over the top but somehow I dont think so.............

tHE vAGGABOND

Uefa have said that everyone would have to agree to it before it would happen..

That means that the English clubs and the Scotish clubs. The poxy, greedy scotish clubs wont agree to anything. I have no idea what the english clubs thing, a lot of plain fans over here seem to be against the idea from chatting to people and reading message baords here and there!

Anyway, Im going to see the best club over here play the mighty Arsenal tonight! Cant wait. No reason for saying that, other than to boast

ihatemushrooms

Vaggabond

The other Scottish clubs have resigned from the SPL, they`ve given two years notice.
The reason is that they want to set up a new league with pay per view etc and couldn`t get the OF to agree on revenue share.

I`ve a feeling all concerned could sort this out.

Only stumbling block is Celtic would have to resign from this years champions league, that is according to the BBC report anyway.

I wouldn`t like to see that, not at all, its a big price to pay and the Huns would love it. What will they contribute, sod all by the looks of it, who is going to give Celtic their CL money $15m I think.

One last thing for jake, unfortunately celtic do have a hooligan element its the CSC, Celtic Soccer Casuals. Not a nice bunch

What did you think of that BBC thing last night?

jonno

The scottish premiership is S***e. Let the old firm into the English first division. Celtic to be promoted and Rangers will be relegated to the second division.

bobsmith833

Originally posted by tHE vAGGABOND
I have no idea what the english clubs thing, a lot of plain fans over here seem to be against the idea from chatting to people and reading message baords here and there!

Well speaking as a Coventry fan, I don't think it's a very good idea. It might mean four huge games during the season, but would make our (already slim) promotion chances almost zero as it's hard to imagine anyone except Rangers & Celtic would finish in the top two.

ihatemushrooms

Celtic and Rangers won`t be able to win promotion for the first season possibly two as part of the deal.

These are the things the OF will have to look at to see if they think its worth while.

Coventry should get up in the mean time

prenton

The hooligan aspect would be a great worry. They had to stop the annual England-Scotland "friendly" back in the 80's (I think) because of all the fighting.

I watched the Hooligans show on BBC2 last night, can you imagine a Celtic v Millwall game. Absolutely chaos. I loved the stupidity of them, there one bit were the cops had the lads all pinned inside a pub and the guys were gagging to get out and start fighting, so the hooliogans set fire to the pub so the police would have to let them out. Should have locked the doors and let them burn.

OT: If Celtic do join the EPL I wonder will many "Irish or Keltic" fans in England stop supporting the English teams and start supporting the Celts?

Cheers
prenton

WhiteWashMan

Originally posted by Jake
From a security point of view it will be a disaster!
Dont know if any of you saw Hooligans on BBC 2 tonight, but the though of Celtic (with its percieved irish-republican links) playing english clubs every week fills me with horror!
Apart from oldfirm encounters (even here the violence is not planned as such but is bassed more on community tensions) and occasional incidents Scottish football doesnt suffer from the kind of organised violence that occurs south of the boarder!
Violence that will will be far worse when Celitc are the opposition.

rubbish, no one below the boarder gives a fig about religion, or the ira or anything like that.
besides, celtic are on tele far more thatn rangers are.

also, as for your selling your soul for gold, i reckon there are better teams south of the boarder and the chance of getting a decent game more than 4 times a year probably appeals greatly to the old firm teams. throw em in and sink or swim.

bobsmith833

Originally posted by ihatemushrooms
Coventry should get up in the mean time

Hmm... I wish I shared your optimism. Even more key players will be leaving this summer, and the "parachute payments" from the Premier League will end. I can see Ipswich, Derby, Wolves and Leicester fighting it out for the top spots with Norwich, Watford, Coventry, Sheff Utd etc. having to scrabble around for mid-table places at best.

Mountjoy Mugger

Originally posted by Jake

There is already a English team playing in the Scottish league (cant remember the name) n Celitc are the opposition.

Aye, that be Berwick Rangers, sir.

tHE vAGGABOND

The other Scottish clubs have resigned from the SPL, they`ve given two years notice.

No they have not. They have said that they are going to do it, they have not actually done it yet. Anyway, by saying evetyone would have to agree they wouyld have to agree since Celtic have their eye on the league for next season. And to be stubborn and to block the old firm, if no other reason, they would no agree to this

the CSC

The CSC is what you call a Celtic Supporters Club. For example the biggest CSC in Ireland is the Naomh Padrigh CSC in Dublin.

rubbish, no one below the boarder gives a fig about religion, or the ira or anything like that

Yup. Everyone over thinks its kinda funny if nothing else!

Jake

Originally posted by WhiteWashMan



rubbish, no one below the boarder gives a fig about religion, or the ira or anything like that.
besides, celtic are on tele far more thatn rangers are.

.

So yer telling me that the eng-er-land "fans" dont sing "no surrender to the ira"?
And that english hooligans wouldnt do anything out of the ordinary when the OF and Celtic in particular come to town?

Me thinks you need to get out more WhiteWashMan................ :rolleyes:

b20uvkft6m5xwg

I saw bits of that proggy Jake.
Frightening it was:eek:

I for one would not like to predict the meleé that may ensue at a Millwall -v- Celtic fixture next season !!