Rangers & Celtic to join the English leagues?

It may just be wishful thinking on his part, but Glasgow Rangers Chief executive , Martin Bain, is saying that he expects Rangers to leave the SPL within the next decade. It's an old argument, of course, and one that would prove highly contentious both north and south of the border.

The simple truth is that the Old Firm dominate Scottish football to a mind-numbing extent that largely brings the annual SPL title down to the four matches they play against each other. The rest of the professional sides in Scotland lead a precarious existence in terms of financial viability and the revenue from their Rangers and Celtic games is vital to their continued welfare. However, the argument that the Scottish leagues might actually thrive if they once again became properly competitive is an intriguing one. I am convinced that Aberdeen would see a re-awakening in their fan base if they felt there was something to challenge for and the Dundee and Edinburgh clubs might experience the same revival that could re-invigorate football on the East coast. I know that I would feel that making the effort to get north for a couple of games a season would be far more worthwhile. As it is, the football is just an excuse to catch-up with mates.

There is also a very strong nationalist argument in Scotland that they would be better off without the Old Firm. Like it or not, the fact is that a large majority of Celtic fans feel little affinity with the national side. Their Irish heritage and international appeal as a club with left-wing sensibilities leaves them aside from much of the rest of Scotland. You might assume that Rangers would automatically be sympathetically viewed across Scotland as the antithesis to Celtic, but the fact is they are not. The clubs long traditions of pro-Britishness gives them strong support in traditional conservative heartlands of England, Northern Ireland and large parts of Scotland, but this in itself also makes them unpopular in Scotland at large. Their fans are seen as being so pro-English that at times they are anti-Scottish. It doesn't help that the Scottish media is so Rangers biased. If you want proof of these views, you only need attend a Scotland international; Old Firm fans are conspicuous by their absence and the rare sightings of Rangers or Celtic tartans are often greeted with jeers.

The real problem for Rangers and Celtic is winning sufficient influence in England and the thorny question of where they would start and what would happen to the clubs who would inevitably miss out. The idea that they might start off in League 2 is a logical one in terms of them having to earn their place in the higher leagues, but the Football League will have a strong fight on it's hands getting all of the clubs to agree to it when two of them know they will dropping out of the league to make way. However, with the far more frequent churn at the bottom nowadays, perhaps the way could be sweetened for the two losers with a cash lump sum or other incentive to help them get back into the league the following year. Rangers and Celtic would create significant interest amongst fans of English clubs as they made their way through the leagues, which I believe they would, although you have to wonder if they would settle for several years at least outside the PL and without their financial lifelines of European football. This is the key reason why I believe it remains a step too far as things stand.

Entry into a European Super league might be the easiest way for the Old firm to get more lucrative and competitive football. Let's face it, if the Big Four dominance in England continues for much longer, they might also fancy the challenge and the clubs left behind might also find a renewed interest in a return to the days when everyone had a chance of the title and the cups were shared around.

In the meantime, I am really enjoying life in League One although would much prefer to re-enter the Championship with a young side brimming with confidence and ready to have a go