Wind of change

[pete 2,499]

Wind of change SPFL chief Neil Doncaster admits the door could now be open for Celtic and Rangers to play in England

 

Doncaster believes Uefa are finally willing to back the notion of cross-border competition

By Derek McGregor

7th June 2017, 10:37 pm

Updated: 7th June 2017, 11:00 pm

 

SPFL chief Neil Doncaster has admitted for the first time that the door could be open soon for the Old Firm to play in England.

 

Doncaster believes Uefa are finally willing to back the notion of cross-border competition.

 

And that could reignite Old Firm dreams of playing in the world’s richest league.

Doncaster highlighted the wind of change as he revealed League of Ireland pair Sligo Rovers and Bray Wanderers are to be part of next season’s IRN-BRU Cup.

 

He said: “Nobody knows as we don’t have a crystal ball, but there is a willingness to embrace the concept of cross-border football.

 

“There is an appetite for further cross-border competition including at league level across Europe and we are well positioned, having had this competition up and running. The innovation that we have announced today will benefit the game in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

 

“And I’d like to think any future cross-border competition would equally enhance and benefit the game for all across the British Isles.

 

“We have to be open-minded about where the future takes us.

 

“We are not the biggest entity in world football, but we can innovate.

 

“There’s a real appetite to be open-minded about anything which is going to benefit the game and attract finance.”

 

Doncaster has been stunned by how things have changed since he checked in at Hampden.

 

He added: “If you asked anybody, when I arrived in the game eight years ago, if we would have any sort of cup involving the British Isles leagues, they would have said that it wouldn’t happen.

 

“It IS happening. Let’s explore any opportunities and keep an open mind about where it takes us.”

 

It would be great to get down to England just to get rid of Regan and Donkeycaster

 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/1118735/neil-doncaster-admits-the-door-could-now-be-open-for-celtic-and-rangers-to-play-in-england/

Edited June 8, 2017 by pete

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

The English don't want the OF & don't need the OF.

 

Our only hope of getting out of Scottish football is some sort of North Atlantic league

Edited June 8, 2017 by RANGERRAB

[the gunslinger 3,366]

The English don't want the OF & don't need the OF.

 

Our only hope of getting out of Scottish football is some sort of North Atlantic league

Chelsea dont but lower down teams would. Then theres sky. Bt etc.

 

 

[RANGERRAB 3,254]

Chelsea dont but lower down teams would. Then theres sky. Bt etc.

 

The English may be more receptive to us joining but they certainly wouldn't want a hardline Irish republican club whose support hate all things British joining them.

[Gribz 743]

I think a lot of fans from the big teams would rather be playing Rangers or Celtic than the likes of Burnley and Hull. But its the other 14 sides who could see their place disappearing who wouldn't want this move. Then there Championship and League 1 sides wouldn't go for it as they would request we are taking their potential slots and that we should start at the bottom tier - which I wouldn't have an issue with.

[Devil's advocaat 1,275]

As ever with the move south, I'm torn on this.

 

I'd love to see the SFA, sheep, edinburgh pikeys etc absolutely gutted and left to wallow in their own shit. I'd love to see us having the subsequent funding that EPL would allow, to compete on the big stage in the CL.

 

However, I'm a proud Scot and immensely proud of our heritage as a Scots club, and if I'm honest, the EPL doesn't really do it for me any more. Some clubs who used to have a bit of history, romance and individual identity are now financial playthings for faceless investors, such as Citeh and Chelski. I wouldn't want that for our club.

[Bluedell 5,329]

However' date=' I'm a proud Scot and immensely proud of our heritage as a Scots club, and if I'm honest, the EPL doesn't really do it for me any more. Some clubs who used to have a bit of history, romance and individual identity are now financial playthings for faceless investors, such as Citeh and Chelski. I wouldn't want that for our club.[/quote']

Moving down south doesn't change our heritage.

 

There's as much chance as our club becoming a financial plaything for someone up here as there is down south.. the only difference being is that the person would be a lot richer if we're down south. In the last 15-20 years, we have got by with people putting major cash into the club, be it Enic, King, MIH, NTL and we are currently relying on our current directors, who are not a bottomless pit. Where's the finance coming from is 5 years time?

 

As for the clubs down south becoming financial playthings. So what? Do you respect them less than the likes of Aberdeen or Hibs?

[Tannochsidebear 2,306]

As ever with the move south' date=' I'm torn on this.

 

I'd love to see the SFA, sheep, edinburgh pikeys etc absolutely gutted and left to wallow in their own shit. I'd love to see us having the subsequent funding that EPL would allow, to compete on the big stage in the CL.

 

However, I'm a proud Scot and immensely proud of our heritage as a Scots club, and if I'm honest, the EPL doesn't really do it for me any more. Some clubs who used to have a bit of history, romance and individual identity are now financial playthings for faceless investors, such as Citeh and Chelski. I wouldn't want that for our club.[/quote']

 

I think you sum up the feeling of a lot of bears, and certainly myself. Our place is here as a Scottish club playing other Scottish clubs, however if we have any desire to be a big club on the world stage, and see the big players and big clubs on a regular basis, this could only happen by joining the EPL. The danger of course would be that we would immediately become attractive to big foreign moneymen owners which our Gallant Pioneers would be turning in their graves if we sold out.

 

I think we should be looking to rip up Scottish football and start again with a super league of regional clubs with larger support bases than a professional league of 42 mostly unsustainable clubs. The history and passion of small clubs and their supporters will probably prevent this from ever happening (look how they hated themselves to death in 2012 for example) but Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Lanarkshire, Dundee, Perthshire etc. all in one league of 10 decent sized clubs would be a new concept to sponsors & broadcasters. Did rugby not do something similar recently?

[JohnMc 2,463]

Five years ago, when everyone in Scottish football was trying to kill us, we should have applied to join the Northern Premier League, the semi-pro, level 8 and bottom of the ladder, and begin our journey up the English pyramid. Frankly the standard wouldn't have been that different from Division 3 where we found ourselves and we'd be around League 1 or 2 now just a couple of steps away from the top flight down south. That league is as good as the one we're in, our support would have stuck by as, the interest and potential for sponsorship would be at least the same if not more so and, as an added benefit we wouldn't have been spending any money with clubs who literally tried to kill us. Plus we'd have earned our way through the leagues, not been parachuted in, something that will be very unpopular if it ever happens.

Our club playing in England, with all the media exposure that comes with that, would have secured our place in the game and garnered us thousands of fans for years to come.

 

I'd still be in favour of trying it today.

[JohnMc 2,463]

I think you sum up the feeling of a lot of bears, and certainly myself. Our place is here as a Scottish club playing other Scottish clubs, however if we have any desire to be a big club on the world stage, and see the big players and big clubs on a regular basis, this could only happen by joining the EPL. The danger of course would be that we would immediately become attractive to big foreign moneymen owners which our Gallant Pioneers would be turning in their graves if we sold out.

 

I think we should be looking to rip up Scottish football and start again with a super league of regional clubs with larger support bases than a professional league of 42 mostly unsustainable clubs. The history and passion of small clubs and their supporters will probably prevent this from ever happening (look how they hated themselves to death in 2012 for example) but Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Lanarkshire, Dundee, Perthshire etc. all in one league of 10 decent sized clubs would be a new concept to sponsors & broadcasters. Did rugby not do something similar recently?

 

Rugby in Scotland, Ireland and Wales simply by-passed the existing clubs and created new regional sides, these sides are owned by the governing bodies, so it would be like the SFA creating sides and running them.

 

At one time winning the Glasgow Cup was seen as a measure of success. Indeed there was also the Glasgow Merchant's Charity Cup too, something we took seriously for over half a century. But in time these faded in importance and national leagues and cups grew in importance. We're now seeing national cups start to mean less. The League Cup has already started to lose some of it's value and, in time, the Scottish cup will go the same way, it's already happened in England.

Like you I wish things didn't change, but the they do. Queens Park and Vale of Leven were once 2 of the greatest club sides in Europe, they're not today. Ajax were once the finest side in the world, today they're little more than a feeder club for Bayern, Barca and PSG. History teaches us that if we don't move with the times they'll leave us behind.