Thetownend.com

Just seen it on sky sports news that Celtic are in talks to play in league 1 next year.

I don't think they should be allowed to makes all the effort of getting promoted a joke, that's if we go up...

http://m.skysports.com/article/football//7467095

Can't possibly comment on so little information

They have been talking about it for fucking years, certainly since the late 90's, UEFA and FIFA will never sanction it.

Source is the People...so doubt there's much substance in it. Though agree with the wider point that if Celtic want to join the English leagues they should start at the bottom like everyone else.

The BSP could be a higher level than Rangers play next season.

This could be a nail in the coffin for the Scottish premier league and in general the Scottish leagues.

I'm all for it...if only to watch Alex Salmond explode.

To be honest, it's no less absurd to see Celtic playing in England than Swansea or Cardiff.

i've got nothing against it to be honest but they would have to start from the bottom, not in league 1

The only route into League One I can see for them is to buy Franchise off of Winkleman and replace them.

The MK Celtic Dons Bhoys has a certain ring to it.

But what about the hordes of hairy-arsed jocks on the piss every other weekend in sunny England?

Even Eric may struggle with them!

Well said, otherwise it takes the piss out of clubs like AFC Wimbledon, Burton, Oxford etc who have had to fight their way out the pub leagues.

To me this would be no different morally than Franchise.

But it is though, Swansea and Cardiff have always played in the English leagues, they havent ever played in the league in their own country. Both teams have played in the English leagues for nearly 100 years and not as in Celtic only want to play in our league because their league is so weak in comparison and see it purely as a money making exercise.

I've got nothing against it really. Sod it. Parkhead away trip it is.

Celtic should not be allowed to do this. It's ironic that at a time that the Scottish government was independance, Celtic wants to join the English league. The reason the Scottish league is a joke is because Celtic and Rangers have enjoyed having the bigger share of TV money, and now, after Rangers has virtually gone to the wall trying to fight each other for the title every year, they want the English money.

They can get stuffed as far as I am concerned.

Very true....

I believe that the taffs should be fucked off to the welsh league.

But i also believe that MK Dongs shouldnt exist.

I see newport county have got a trip to wembley.

Bloody taffs ;)

Ignoring the fact that the Journalist in that story seems to think League 1 is the bottom tier of the football league...

I cant see it happening, as I believe FIFA and UEFA will see it as their duty to try and maintain the integrity of their member leagues.

Just shows that Celtics spiel about not needing Rangers is a load of bollocks.

I'm trying to imagine the SPL without the Old Firm.  And I'm tempted to think it could be quite successful.

There were studies I remember reading about in relation to American Football (which I have very little interest in, but that's besides the point.)  And they showed that one of the benefits of the draft (draught?) system they have out there is that there are few teams that run away with it.  As a result, competition is much better due to the relatively level playing field - and it was found that the equality of sporting competition was one of the most important contributors to an exciting competition.

Take the Premiership as an example.  Not my cup of tea either, but I do recognise that its international appeal over the last few decades is that there are not just one or two teams at the top fighting for the title most years.  When you have 4 or 5 teams in genuine contention, you have a contest worth watching.

So back to the SPL.  To me, as an outsider, it seems a fairly pointless exercise as it stands.  Remove the Old Firm, however, and the competition comes alive.  It wouldn't be big time, sure enough, but surely as Town fans we're fairly well placed to recognise that that shouldn't be an impediment to a great league.

Considering Celtic got beat by the might of Kilmarnock today, surely League 1 is too high as Killie had a numberl of L1 and 2 rejects.

I agree. A competetive SPL would only grow in strength. People would start going to games again as it wouldnt be a 2 horse race. TV money would improve.

Obviously, this wouldnt happen over night, but I do think that the OF have ruined Scottish football, much in the same way as I think Sky TV, and the Champions League have ruined football in general.

Next season is going to be a one horse race.

Yep

What the Fuck is the Swindon Tartan Army ?
I had no idea we were a collection of bigoted alcoholic racists

*Insert lazy Crispy gag of your own choice here*

No bigoted racists here.

Surely if it was going to happen though now would be the right time as Rangers cannot afford to follow them so it would be easier allowing 1 team in rather than 2, although it would take some restructuring of the leagues, what will they do start them in L2.

allow L2 to run with an extra team or relegate an extra team, then it messes up the BSP, so many different permitations to consider though and then surely they risk a legal bid from clubs who are not happy

They should start a reserve team playing in the highest amateur league they can be elected to and work their way up like every other fucker.

I can't see how the FA, SFA, UEFA or FIFA would allow them to have one team in a domestic league in one country and another in a different country. I would assume if they wanted to play in England they would have to drop out of Scotland completly and start at the highest level that would except them (Northern prem or similar) and work up that way.

I think Jersey had been given special dispensation to pay for and accomadate the travelling team when they play at home. Would Celtic have to do the same as its a fair way to travel for some non league teams and at a cost too.

Just image 60,000 watching a non-league game!

Well, one apparently.

Talk about processes for the sake of it.

If Celtic are serious then putting them into the lower dregs of the non league setup would be a total farce, what would be the point?

Throw em in the Championship and have done with it

I reckon L1/Championship

Not next season. To move the goalposts for other teams in the league without notice would be well out of order.

...unless an existing Championship club (let's call them Portsmouth) were to go to the wall in the meantime?

 :pint: Too much of this CS ?  :)

Or this

Football League chairman rules it out.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/19/football-league-celtic-league-one

The point is blindingly obvious. They have not earned the right to play there, or any league.

The situation is no different from Franchise.

This...big time. Celtic do not deserve the right to be in any English league unless they earn that right like any other club and start from the bottom. The fallout on this forum if we were to win promotion to the Championship, as a theoretical example, only to be told to fuck off because Celtic have been parachuted in doesn't bear thinking about.

And Franchise is proof that 'minor' details like this don't matter to those allegedly in charge.

Although the article doesn't rule out league two!

surely if Darlo actually go bust couldn't they then take their spot in the football pyramid?

Or Port Vale, Hereford, Portsmouth (insert bankrupt club of choice) etc etc.

Cant ever see it happening.

No they can't be allowed to take the place of any of these teams. Ultimately the "extra" place must be taken by a team in the feeder to the football league, the conference.

Says who?

to be fair we would be pretty pissed off if we had just won the confrence and the f/l turn around and say sorry lads you cant play in the f/l as we would rather have celtic

Me and my morale crusade.

Say no to franchise football.

Can I join? Do we get "moral crusader" hats?

I suspect your membership was already assumed...

:) Where's my hat then?

The orange ones are resuable...I assume you still have one. :)

Yes, though they are more Christmas nativity halo than hat.

No "must" about it. The football league would have to accept any team into the league. Similar to the way the SPL can refuse team promotion into it due to a club not fulfilling certain criteria. Same rules apply in probably all the different leagues up and down the english pyramid.

Haven't Poole Town won their league for a few years in a row but been denied promotion due to a shite ground?

They have been promoted now

Sorry badly worded, I didn't mean it couldn't happen, I meant franchise football must not be allowed to happen.

Can't see it happening

I cant see it happening either. IF one or both of the Grusome Twosome wanted to join any particular league in the pyramid, they concievabley could. Not sure what FIFA or UEFA would say about it though.

Personally I hope both the fuckers go bust. Everyone wins then!

Franchise?

Am I right in thinking that Celtic and Rangers get the lions share of the TV money ala Spain?

Yes

Ta, tans

So surely if they split the TV money equally it would make more of a competitive league one presumes, or are the big two just so greedy that aren't interested in parity? The question then would be why are they so desperate to get into the English Leagues, the obvious answer is an even bigger slice of the cake than they are getting now.

Too greedy.

Celtic kicked up a stink this week because the other clubs wanted to change the league structure and the way money is spread out i think

Yes, the ugly sisters get something like 80% of the TV money. Most people want the league expanded to 16 teams playing each other twice, but Rantic and Celgers wont have it as they want the 4 OF games.

Interestingly, Sky apparantly will pull the plug on the TV deals if they dont have 4 OF games a season.

You need to remember that the OF have the power to control the league. The voting system is structured around allowing them to make the decisions (11/1 majority). They're never going to vote to give themselves less money. 'The good of the game' doesn't interest them at all, and to be honest, most SPL chairmen feel the same.

I'd love it if the ugly sisters died/left and we turned into something like the Irish league. It might get shown on council telly then.