U-turn leaves Football League facing competition to tempt Old Firm clubs

[ian1964 10,723]

By Roddy Forsyth

 

A dramatic change of tack by Uefa means that the Football League will face competition for the inclusion of Celtic and Rangers should it choose to invite the Old Firm into the new five-division English structure proposed for the 2019-20 season, Telegraph Sport can reveal. The possibility of an Atlantic League is back on the agenda, involving clubs from Scotland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Holland.

 

It was first mooted in the 1990s, but enthusiasm waned repeatedly in the face of Uefa’s policy of maintaining the primacy of national associations. The governing body of European football maintained that the foundation of trans-national leagues would threaten the authority of national associations, but that article of faith has been weakened significantly by veiled threats by superclubs to institute a breakaway European League.

 

The immediate danger of such a schism has been averted by the agreement to permit four teams each from England, Germany, Italy and Spain to have automatic access to the Champions League group stage. However, there have been parallel talks among smaller European countries about the formation of regional groupings and The Telegraph understands that a Balkan League – comprising the former Yugoslavian countries, possibly with Albania and Greece – is the most advanced.

 

Informal discussions about a North Atlantic League have also been held, with a proposed start in 2021 to coincide with the end of the current Champions League broadcasting cycle. A North Atlantic set-up, including the likes of Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV, Anderlecht, Club Brugge, FC Copenhagen and Malmo, is more likely to confine Scottish participation to the Old Firm plus one – probably Aberdeen – but any invitation to the Scots from the Football League could be broader in scope.

 

 

 

Rangers have been more preoccupied with the immediate task of restoring themselves as a force in the Scottish Premiership after four seasons in the lower divisions following the financial meltdown at Ibrox in 2012. Celtic, though, have investigated alternative futures in detail and their belief is that the Old Firm – and also Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian – would add much greater value to the Football League than the addition of Conference clubs or franchises.

 

Celtic are understood to favour a pyramid system open to other SPFL clubs, solidarity payments, their continued participation in the Scottish Cup and the possibility of maintaining colt or ‘B’ teams in the Scottish leagues. The downside, for Celtic in particular, would be a minimum of five years without European football, assuming that they would be able to sustain continuous momentum towards the ultimate goal of a place in the Premier League.

 

The addition of the Old Firm would certainly expose lower division English clubs to the sort of atmosphere, at Celtic Park and Ibrox, that they can rarely, if ever, savour otherwise. That would also be true of visits to such resonant venues as Tynecastle, Easter Road and Pittodrie.

 

For the moment, though, we must wait to see how much appetite the Football League clubs have to be game changers - in a radical sense.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/08/28/u-turn-leaves-football-league-facing-competition-to-tempt-old-fi/

[MacK1950 2,376]

Yes read this think it is still a "pipe dream",might be okay for younger generation to follow.

Personally with time scale I would be getting on in years and would financially only be able to follow home games and that would be if prices don't go sky high.

You never know the crazy situation of down south might finally implode and a domino effect follow meaning that following football will become affordable again.

[forlanssister 3,114]

English (not Tom!) version of the story.

 

English Football League to consider Celtic and Rangers for inclusion in new 'fifth division'

 

Sam Wallace, chief football writer

 

28 AUGUST 2016 • 10:30PM

 

Shaun Harvey, the English Football League chief executive, says that his members will decide whether Celtic and Rangers can join a new ‘fifth division’ planned for the start of the 2019-2020 season.

 

The 72 EFL clubs are being asked for their opinions on how the Football League expands to four divisions of 20 teams each, as part of the ‘Whole Game Solution’. The two Scottish clubs have long been considered a possibility for the new ‘fifth division’ and Harvey says the final decision will be down to his members.

 

“We have recently gone out to our clubs to elicit their further views in relation to any different number of areas from the proposition that was first put forward. Once we have their views we can move forward,” he said.

 

“One of the simple questions is, if this is to proceed, is where should the [new] teams come from? So the only ones who will decide that are the clubs themselves, so we will see what they say. I don’t want to pre-empt anything.”

 

The Old Firm rivals would bring considerable clout to any new set-up. Both clubs have massive and fervent fan bases – Celtic had a gate of 57,758 for their 4-1 win over Aberdeen on Saturday, Rangers attracted a crowd of 48,716 for the recent win over Motherwell – as well as illustrious histories. The benefits to the wider football community in Scotland might be less obvious.

 

The new format for what was previously the Football League Trophy, now the Checkatrade Trophy, begins this week with 16 under-23 sides from Premier League and Championship clubs competing alongside League One and Two clubs. The likes of Chelsea, Leicester City, West Ham and Southampton are all competing in the trophy, but many have declined the invite.

 

Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Manchester City have all turned down the invitation. West Ham will compete but not play their games at their home ground because of restrictions in their lease on the former Olympic Stadium. Chelsea will play their games outside the international breaks because the London side do not have European commitments this season.

 

Harvey defended the decision to allow clubs from the two top divisions to enter teams into the trophy, saying that the earnings from the competition had been steadily declining, along with attendances. The prize money is now up to £1.95 million from £500,000. Of the 48 clubs in last year’s competition, 29 earned less than £10,000, the amount that a single group-stage victory is now worth.

 

Harvey said that last year attendances for the competition were down by 18 per cent, that gate receipts were down by 11.5 per cent and that change was needed.

 

Spurs did not want to compete because they are in their first season in the Under-21s Champion League competition and want to commit to that. Newcastle and Aston Villa have withdrawn because they say they do not yet know what kind of squads they will have to work with in the Championship.

 

Harvey added Manchester City “had already made commitments and sent players out on loan for the season and didn’t want to keep them at the club just for these three games”. Manchester United had withdrawn, he said, because “they felt the demands on their squad due to [junior and senior] international call-ups meant they felt they could not do the competition justice.

 

“The thing that has tended to upset some fans of our clubs is in respect of this being the thin end of the wedge and the forerunner for B teams potentially coming into the Football League pyramid. It isn’t.

 

“The two things are completely separate and I think ultimately it is the fear of that which is causing the majority of the unrest. I think the majority of our fans actually understand that creating the opportunity for young players, particularly if they are English, will help us all on an international basis.”

[ian1964 10,723]

Scottish football is dying,I was always against leaving Scottish football due to the fact that I thought it would kill Scottish football,until what happened to us,now I would jump at the chance of getting out of Scotland

[JFK-1 1,693]

Scottish football is dying,I was always against leaving Scottish football due to the fact that I thought it would kill Scottish football,until what happened to us,now I would jump at the chance of getting out of Scotland

 

Yes I think it's obvious it's a sinking ship with not enough lifeboats and those who can get in a boat are scrambling for it leaving the rest to go down like the titanic. Sky TV was the iceberg and it was first spotted around the time Gascoigne signed for Rangers.

 

Around that same time the first big Sky deal was signed by the EPL and I remember reading an article in a paper that said "Paul Gascoigne will be the last big English international to come to Scotland"

 

I didn't give it much notice at the time but it stuck in my head for some reason and has proven to be prophetic.

[lenzEK 0]

Our own 'journey' in Scottish Football over the last four years should demonstrate just how difficult it would be to get through these leagues at the first time of asking if it was to happen.

Edited August 29, 2016 by lenzEK

[JFK-1 1,693]

Our own 'journey' in Scottish Football over the last four years should demonstrate just how difficult it would be to get through these leagues at the first time of asking if it was to happen.

 

It was pretty much easy aside from one hiccup in 2014/15

[pete 2,499]

I will believe it when I see it.

[lenzEK 0]

It was pretty much easy aside from one hiccup in 2014/15

 

The first time we had any sort of competition there was a hiccup. There are dozens of good teams in the English Championship and League 1 in England.

[Frankie 8,562]

Our own 'journey' in Scottish Football over the last four years should demonstrate just how difficult it would be to get through these leagues at the first time of asking if it was to happen.

 

I think that's fair comment.

 

There may well be a very large pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but there's no guarantee of ever reaching it.