Old Firm's English invite explained

Will Rangers and Celtic soon be playing in England?

By Tom Fordyce BBC Sport Online

 Have your say here: should the Old Firm clubs join the Nationwide League?

Will Rangers and Celtic be playing in England next season?

It is a possibility. Celtic's biggest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, has had talks with Rangers chairman David Murray and the English Football League chairman Keith Harris.

A plan is in place to invite the Old Firm clubs to join the Nationwide First Division in time for the start of next season - but it is far from a done deal.

How would any switch take place?

BBC Sport understands that a formal invitation to the Old Firm will be made by a Football League club "friendly to the deal" at a meeting of the League's executive committee on Thursday.

The proposal will then be put to a vote among the 72 member clubs of the Football League.

Is the Football League itself in favour?

Chief executive David Burns has told BBC Radio Five Live that Thursday's meeting would be a regular meeting, and that Celtic and Rangers would not be on the agenda.

But BBC Business Editor Jeff Randall, who uncovered the story, said: "David Burns is correct - it is not on the agenda because the proposal will be brought up under Any Other Business.

"It will be put forward by the chairman of a Division One club. The proposal could, of course, be rejected by the League membership."

Burns has contested claims that the Old Firm duo would increase interest in the Nationwide League.

He said: "Celtic and Rangers are the two biggest sides in Scotland, so should we say that moving Arsenal and Manchester United to the Spanish League would give that competition a boost?"

What would be the effects on the English First Division?

It would be expanded to 26 clubs for at least one season. The inclusion of the Old Firm clubs would be a huge boost to chairman looking for a new broadcasting deal to replace the lost ITV Digital funding.

But both Rangers and Celtic would expect to be promoted into the Premiership at the end of their first season - and this would make it much harder for clubs like Wolves and Norwich to also go up.

Could the Old Firm clubs be promoted to the Premiership?

The Premiership's rules say that the top-flight must accept clubs who win promotion from the First Division - and some clubs are believed to welcome the bigger attendances and TV revenues the Old Firm's inclusion would bring.

But clubs against the switch could argue in court that the Premiership is an English competition which can only accept English clubs.

What are Rangers and Celtic saying in public?

Rangers chairman Murray is keeping his options open, saying that plans to continue discussions with the Football League will go ahead.

Celtic chairman Dermot Desmond

Murray has also made it clear that he is prepared to negotiate with Scotland's other top-flight clubs in order to sort out a future for the Scottish Premier League.

Celtic, meanwhile, have yet to make any public comment on the deal.

What is the stance of the Scottish Premier League?

The SPL is giving out mixed signals on the possibility of the Old Firm switch.

SPL chairman Lex Gold says the clubs would need to serve a two-year notice period before quitting the domestic scene, but welcomed fresh talks about how the existing 12 SPL clubs could change their current structure.

"No approach has been made from the Nationwide League or Rangers and Celtic about the two-year notice they would need," he said.

"It's clear they have ambition, and we at the Premier League are not against change provided it is ordered and considered.

"But we still have no media deals, and I'm trying to bring all 12 clubs together again so we can discuss these things within the league in a sensible and balanced fashion."

What about the rest of the Scottish clubs?

Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston is hopeful that a peace deal can be reached to keep Celtic and Rangers in Scotland.

"I'm optimistic common ground can be found," he said. "It was made clear (in talks with David Murray) that the Nationwide League is a non-starter as far as Rangers are concerned."

Dundee United manager Alex Smith warned Rangers and Celtic that life in England would be tough.

"The Nationwide is not all about glamour, and they will not win every week as there are plenty of big clubs that can't get out of it," he said.

"It won't be a rosy situation for them, and I hope they stay in Scotland - I think they have a big responsibility to the rest of the game here.

"If we lost the Old Firm, Scotland loses virtually a whole city football-wise. The Nationwide clubs are not interested in Scottish football and it's my feeling they are only interested in a television deal for themselves."

What does the Scottish Football Association think?

SFA chief executive David Taylor says: "For the foreseeable future, it is simply not possible for the Old Firm to go.

"Fifa does not favour this, Uefa does not favour it and the national associations - the SFA and the FA - view it with some concern.

"Of course, anyone is free to challenge the structures in place but it would be a dangerous road to go down for a club. This is simply not going to happen."

Would Uefa support any potential move?

Spokesman Mike Lee told BBC Radio 5 Live: "There is nothing for Uefa to consider at the moment. Until or unless there is agreement between the Scottish Football Association and the English Football Association there isn't really a proposal on the table.

"We believe clubs should play in their own country. That's what association football is based on, and that for Celtic and Rangers is Scotland.

"That would be our strong preference, but if there is agreement from all parties, it would have to be looked at."

Where does this leave plans for an Atlantic League?

European clubs have insisted that an Atlantic League - the proposed pan-continental league featuring teams from Scotland, Holland and Scandinavia - are not yet dead in the water.

A spokesman for PSV Eindhoven said, ""All the options are open at this moment. We are still talking about the Atlantic League and see what we can get and what we can organise."