The Atlantic League

[Rich Pullen]

Don't know the full ins and outs of this concept. I know it's something that's been talked about for years, I seem to recall the original idea was to bring the superpowers together for a love-in.

Now it'll be the big guns from Scotland, Holland, Portugal & the Scandinavians.

So how it work? Will be no different and the winners qualify for the UEFA competitions? I read a little bit on the BBC website which stated that Rangers and Celtic would enter Reserve teams into the SPL (would that be allowed given the fact they'd be registered in to different leagues?) I don't know.

Thoughts? Anyone?

[donkey]

Don't know the full ins and outs of this concept. I know it's something that's been talked about for years, I seem to recall the original idea was to bring the superpowers together for a love-in.

Now it'll be the big guns from scotland, Holland, Portugal & the Scandinavians.

So how it work? Will be no different and the winners qualify for the UEFA competitions? I read a little bit on the BBC website which stated that Rangers and Celtic would enter Reserve teams into the SPL (would that be allowed given the fact they'd be registered in to different leagues?) I don't know.

Thoughts? Anyone?

Can they take the 'big four' as well?

[Reg Smeeton]

Don't know the full ins and outs of this concept. I know it's something that's been talked about for years, I seem to recall the original idea was to bring the superpowers together for a love-in.

Now it'll be the big guns from scotland, Holland, Portugal & the Scandinavians.

So how it work? Will be no different and the winners qualify for the UEFA competitions? I read a little bit on the BBC website which stated that Rangers and Celtic would enter Reserve teams into the SPL (would that be allowed given the fact they'd be registered in to different leagues?) I don't know.

Thoughts? Anyone?

 Always was to give the big guns from the smaller European countries more meaningful competition...not sure how the qualification for champions league would work out,
 Seems a good idea to me...as long as it doesn't shaft the smaller clubs.

[Dazzza]

Sounds like a white elephant.

How would relegation work?  You'd end up playing the same old sides and year in year out and the novelty of pissing off to Scandinavia every other week would quickly wear a hole in the old tartan pocket.

Plus you wouldn’t get the same exposure and rivalry and it wouldn’t be long before there’s more interest in the reserve games than the other league.

It would be nice to bring back the old Anglo Italian cup in some form or the other though.

[jonny72]

Wouldn't them merging the leagues of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland make more sense?

I don't really give a toss though to be honest. If they start going on about joining the English league system again (which is never going to happen) it would be different, but as things stand - who in England actually gives a fuck?

[Samdy Gray]

It'll never work.

[SwindonTartanArmy]

the plan was always one for the "big" clubs from the "smaller league".

Clubs from smaller leagues like Rangers, Celtic, Porto, Sporting, Benfica, Ajax, and PSV have historically been just as big as the top teams in europe right now, but since the TV money came rolling in these leagues have fallen behind in the financial stakes. An atlantic league would allow these clubs to compete with the rest of the bigger clubs.

Whether it would work or not is a different matter.

[Spencer_White]

It would be a joke. Its got no history or prestige. Once the novelty has worn off they will be scampering back to their own leagues. If anything the gap could grow even wider because of it.

If Rangers and Celtic had stopped whingeing and got on with it, and entered teams in the English pyramid system they would probably be half way up by now.

[adje]

Stuff yer "superleagues"!

[Summerof69]

Why don't they just call it :

The clubs not good enough for the Champions League League.

And yes it wouldn't work.

[janaage]

Why don't they just call it :

The clubs not good enough for the Champions League League.

Porto, Ajax, PSV, Benfica (between them) have appeared in 5 European Cup finals in the last 20 years.  english clubs 6 appearances in same period.  Okay since the TV money has ploughed millions of pounds into the Premiership and the english clubs are doing very well at the minute, but once that bubble's burst then who knows how the European footballing map will look.

(please note I don't think currently the clubs of Scotland, Holland, Portugal and Scandinavia are good enough for the FINAL rounds of the Champions league - but they compete well in the groups - usually).