Rainier Plahar
Former Rangers FC great and current assistant manager Ally McCoist recently called for Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic to be admitted into the English Premier League. The Ibrox legend who is far more known outside the UK for his voice on the FIFA video game series and not his 293 goal haul, said "I believe Rangers and Celtic are in the top five clubs in Britain and, given time – and I’m talking five, six or seven years rather than 20 – the Old Firm would compete." Arsenal fans would surely debate that as fiercely as football enthusiasts all over the world or the UK at least would debate Ally McCoist’s ambitious bid to get the Old Firm into the English top flight.
Now, is the idea of the Bhouys and Gers joining the English Premier League just arrogant talk from two clubs who have monopolised their domestic league? Or is it a workable idea that should really be looked at? It’s rather difficult to see how this arrangement will benefit anyone apart from the Old Firm.
I strongly doubt the administrative bodies of the game would allow this move as it would set a negative precedent, but what if they do? Are Rangers and Celtic going to be thrown into the Premier League straight away at the expense of two promoted teams from the Championship? Or would they be required to start their quest from the bottom leagues and play their way to the top? Surely even McCoist would rather stay in the Scottish Premier League than play in England’s fourth divison.
The SPL without Celtic and Rangers? That’s unthinkable. No doubt clubs like Motherwell and Hearts would fancy their chances without the Old Firm, but in its entirety there is no worse way for the SPL to lose its credibility, more than it already has.
"We get only £2.5M a year in TV money, while the club who finish bottom of the Premier League in England receive £38m with parachute payments. Imagine what Rangers and Celtic could do with that amount of TV money." Those are the words of McCoist as he advanced the notion that the Old Firm should play in England. Clearly, McCoist has his eyes only on the financial cake that England has to offer. It’s very difficult to see any reason else why.
After all, it is a certainty that the SPL trophy will be at the Old Firm every season. Unless of course a Russian billionaire decides to indulge himself in football and purchases an SPL club outside Glasgow. These days, he could also be a Thai or American with a few billions to spare.
Celtic and Rangers are also not too good for the SPL, as some of their fans or McCoist would want us to believe. They get to rub shoulders with Europe’s elite every season in the Champions League, and every season they fail to make any impact. Yes, the Champions League for the past decade or so has had only top clubs as winners, but if Valencia, Villareal, all the semi-finalists of the 2004 season, minus Chelsea, and even Leeds United have all made major impacts in this period, why not Rangers and Celtic?! But it could be argued that with all the extra money from the Premier League, Celtic and Rangers would be challenging seriously, on all fronts.
England’s top division is not too good for Celtic and Rangers either. Both clubs have a massive fanbase. In the UK alone, only Manchester United, and perhaps Liverpool, have claims to a bigger fanbase than Celtic. Remember, Celtic took approximately 85,000 fans to Seville for their 2003 UEFA Cup final appearance. These are massive numbers for any Club. Imagine the amount of money they would make in five years in the Premier League. They would buy most of the players they wanted and would be major contenders for honours. The Scottish Premier League is just a poor man’s English Premier League.
Sky TV pay a billion pounds for the rights to screen the English Premier League. Setanta offers far far less for the SPL. So, if with all England’s money only four clubs are genuine title contenders every season (only three have actually won it in the last decade) then it should not be much of a shock that the comparatively poorer SPL has only two genuine contenders yearly.
All in all, this issue only brings to fore the gap between England’s top league and other leagues in terms of money invested in the league. I do not believe Rangers and Celtic need England, the SPL offers them trophies and a Champions League place every single season. They only need the money.
English clubs have nothing to gain from the two Scottish giants joining their ranks, and so the Old Firm have as much of a chance playing alongside Liverpool and Manchester United as Arsene Wenger signing a 30 year old. English Premier League shareholders and boards would not permit it, they are content with their product as it is.
Maybe McCoist and Co. should just concentrate on searching for investors to pump money into the SPL. Money makes a hell of a difference these days. Just ask the blue side of London.
