Should Scottish teams join the English pyramid to create a British Football League?

There has been a decades long debate about Rangers and Celtic joining the Premier League. But, should all the teams north of the border join a re-organised British football league pyramid system?
Rhys from German Gills joins me to discuss!
#football #premierleague #efl #spfl

[@stevenk496]

I'm not sure people in Scotland would want that. I wouldn't want our football to become as commercial as it has down south. Football down south seems so separated from the working class and in Scotland football still feels like football.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I do like the tradition of Scottish clubs, especially in the lower leagues 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⚽️

[@Arthur.in.the.Fridge]

Absolutely not. Scottish teams should keep their own leagues.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Fair enough, not even a little bit intrigued by it?

[@Arthur.in.the.Fridge]

​@@mattthegroundhopper9242No. Totally against it. But you can have Celtic and Rangers if you want. 😀

[@johnbshannon]

started talking sense toward the end of the video, yes most 'other' clubs fans would love to see the back of Rangers and Celtic, and yes I think it would improve our league, not raise the quality initially, but make every game winnable, so for me you can have the old firm and welcome to them

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Only talking sense at the end, c’mon, you mean throughout 👍🏻⚽️

[@andrewrodgers8596]

Combine the League Cups of the entire British Isles and give the winner a CL spot. That would be a hugely successful tournament.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Ok wow, that would make things very interesting, I’m in 👍🏻

[@WarrenG-gt6re]

The respective League Cups becoming a single British Cup could be a possibility. Admit Celtic and Rangers to the EPL, but have them both continue with colt teams in the Scottish system, and include in this arrangement a compensation to the Scottish league teams - essentially a way to have some of the new found wealth flowing back into the Scottish game.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

A British league cup, now that would be worth a watch 👍🏻

[@stephenanakie3500]

A British league would be interesting, a great result for your Gillingham & also for Bromley today

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Yes, the super Gills go marching on 👍🏻⚽️

[@clintonhatt]

So in the 90s Celtic and Rangers would have been able to compete on a financial playing field. However... that was a long time ago now and the gap between the old firm and the Premier League is huge! Celtic's turnover in 2023 was less than Burnley's. They would go from Big Fish in small ponds to small fish in a huge pond. I do not think this would be a good idea for Scottish football. Or the Old Firm.

[@Hibernianfc-yh5co]

Ir Celtic rangers got the same money as what English teams from premier league give 4-5 seasons they would be in top 6 eventually. No doubt about that

[@stevenk496]

Surely if they were in the same league then they would get the TV money so that makes no sense. Celtic with english TV money would be frightening.

[@Hibernianfc-yh5co]

@@stevenk496 correct ✅

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

As previous comments have already said, give it a few seasons and they will be competing 👍🏻⚽️

[@jockychan9991]

Replacing one of the cups with a UK wide competition would be more realistic and allow us to take the good bits and add excitement. Our league Cup model with the pre season groups would be kl to get a 4 team group with one team from each home nation.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

This league cup combi idea is gaining traction 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@rosswilson2356]

I am a season ticket holder at rangers and we would definately be top 4 in 3 years just purely the money we wpuld generate we have over 45k season tickets holders sell out every home and away allocation the money would be insane coming into the club and i would imagine investors would be falling over themselfs to buy the club or invest

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Thanks Ross, I think Rangers would be a huge success in England after a few seasons 👍🏻⚽️

[@JCelticBhoy]

Could join the 2 challenge trophies together with just the same structure with the bigger teams just playing the u21's so you could get.. TNS / Shamrock Rovers / Celtic u21's / Rangers u'21's VS Wrexham / Plymouth argyle Or... Linfield / Livingston /Partick Thistle VS Birmingham city / Liverpool u21's / Man u u21's I think just mixing these 2 challenge cups in to 1 would be fine and wouldnt disrupt too much the identity of both countries main competetions 👌🏼

[@TheJpf79]

Shamrock Rovers is an Irish club they're not "British"

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I would ditch the U21s but I like the idea 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

We can invite the Irish as well to join the party ☘️🇮🇪

[@JCelticBhoy]

Great idea and makes this level of each countries competetions even more exciting but you can't have any club really from the SPL or EPL or English championship play their 1st team, it's too small time a competetion and they have bigger priorities and the u21's of the big sides are at the same level tbf of the teams playing in this competetion. So yea great idea to join the two together 👍🏼

[@ROFT]

Scotland has a higher attendance per capita for football games than England. If, however, you remove Celtic and Rangers from the equation, it's an entirely different matter. Compared to Germany, they have more professional footballers than the population of Scotland. It sounds so absurd that I regularly check that this isn't something I dreamt up.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I have heard those stats before 👍🏻⚽️

[@thisweekmetaverse]

No but Id be up for Scrapping both league cups and merging that competition adding in top 2 leagues in Scotland. If Liga MX and MLS can create a cup together surely England and Scotland can?

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I think it would revive a flagging league cup in both countries 👍🏻⚽️

[@Suspended4thYT]

Much as I would love for Rangers and Celtic to get the f&&k out of our league, if the idea of a full British league was to come to fruition - you would definitely be kissing goodbye to the national teams. FIFA/UEFA would jump on it and do away with the home nations in International football.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

FIFA and UEFA ruin everything, even my proposals 👎

[@TheJpf79]

Big teams in the EPL would love a club like Celtic and the world wide supporters that they bring, that's huge gate receipts etc big TV viewer ratings have a look at the pre season friendly crowds we brought over in America, loads of them just for pre season friendlies , smaller teams wouldn't because its a place one of them wouldn't have, you've got lots of teams already fighting for a place in the EPL and the big cash it gives them, Players like Virgil van Dijk wouldn't have been leaving Celtic for Southampton as example, KT wouldn't have joined Arsenal, lots of players past and present wouldn't be leaving a team like Celtic if they were able to pay 100k a week. maybe 6 or 7 clubs would welcome the move and were in discussions about it a long time ago, it was the diddy teams shot the idea down because none of them want to lose their spot.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

All the Celtic and Rangers fans based in London would love their away travels around England 👍🏻⚽️

[@ThomasDonnelly1888]

a lot of people will say no but not give a reason, but heres why. The english league system is far wider and deeper than the Scottish one due to many factors but mainly population. Scottish football allows teams to shine more, the audience might be smaller, but its more personal, where as england is so big that many areas get overlooked, Scottish teams comparable in size to non league clubs in england are given way more a spotlight.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

That’s a very sensible answer, I don’t like the corporate feel of English premier league clubs 👍🏻

[@andrewjohnston6338]

5 thousand Rangers for Aberdeen away games?? Away section holds 1700

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Do they not increase the allocation like other teams do?

[@andrewjohnston6338]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 no , the likes of Livingston , St Mirren will sell 3 stands to the Glasgow "giants"

[@grantelliot9803]

Stenhousemuir are league 1 in Scotland, right now. Won League 2 last season.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Yes you are right 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@DKJones247]

Would get eaten dow south, sorry but that's the truth 😢

[@honestg]

I think it's only a matter of time. Starting in a lower tier.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

But how much time?

[@honestg]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 Hopefully not toooooo long - The Gers would fit in well 👍

[@Anythingwilldo296]

Being a Celtic fan it’s the only way I’d like to go into British league as long as the rest come with

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I would love to see it but the majority opinion appears to be against it

[@Anythingwilldo296]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 a better idea would be scraping the rubbish league cup competitions in all of the FAs and invite Ireland also and have a British and Ireland league cup , with a European place for the outright winner. But defo don’t want my club abandoning the rest, I would start supporting Hibs if they did.

[@BALHAM69]

A podcast series.😮 Yea, i don’t think Scottish teams will join premier League because Scottish teams need Celtic and Rangers for revenue.😅 i do think Celtic and Rangers would make money being in premier League because tv deal and etc. Balham are home this Saturday and on Saturday 24th v Punjab United from Kent in FA vase for you Matt if you are able to attend.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Thanks Balham, I can’t do the next few weeks, already planned my games 👍🏻⚽️

[@BALHAM69]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 no worries

[@briwire138]

Rangers would be welcome. Celtic should have to join the Irish league.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

You can’t split the old firm, surely not

[@THEOBOTS]

But we’re the first British team to win the European Cup and also the holders of the coronation cup.

[@barryashfield2561]

no

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

A very clean answer 👍🏻

[@shadowKing-vr7im]

Arsenal challenge for the league mate we dont challenge for top 6 or top 8 thats a wild statement

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Fair enough, I have said wilder things in the past, like Tottenham winning the league 👍🏻

[@Martin-q7b]

Not yes ... not no.... But ..Never Never Never !!!!😅

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Fair enough 👍🏻⚽️

[@Mike-br8zt]

Hang on, is that an MSV Duisburg top?

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Yes it appears it is 🇩🇪

[@JasonGray-pb9uq]

A think it be nice man united kingdom there's nothing united about it we should be all involved and the fans would love it

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I think it would be a very good spectacle 👍🏻⚽️

[@jimmcewan417]

lol that old chestnut!

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Yes, this old chestnut, it’s never gone away 👍🏻⚽️

[@darrenagnew7098]

The scottish league would fall apart ! The small teams rely heavily on Rangers n Celtic for gate receipts

[@andrewjohnston6338]

worth it for a competitive league

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Hence the full British league 🇬🇧

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Would the crowds stay high for the non old firm games if they have a chance of winning the league?

[@andrewjohnston6338]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 of course they would , likes of Hearts Aberdeen selling 10'000 - 15'000 season tickets every year , people are not buying these just for 4 home games against the Glasgow clubs, if you look at the 5 years without rangers in the top league only one clubs average attendance went down and that was celtic

[@JasonGray-pb9uq]

Well they will be somewhere

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

👍🏻

[@LUFC123]

Rangers and Celtic aren't good enough to compete in The Premier League , they'd be bottom of the Championship teams

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Give it a few seasons and I think they will catch up 👍🏻

[@JasonGray-pb9uq]

Or a cupcompetion

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

That would be a good start 👍🏻

[@JasonGray-pb9uq]

Definitely

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Agreed 👍🏻

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

Two Englishmen plotting the invasion of Scotland 😂

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

The Scottish could be invading England if they joined the league

[@duneideann9241]

Next you will be wanting a “ British “ team in the World Cup aye gtf 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Absolutely not, I like the home nations in international football 👍🏻⚽️

[@duneideann9241]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 FIFA would deny Scotland a place if the teams joined the English leagues

[@DKJones247]

No, end of 😮😊 maybe English sides could join the Scottish Leagues ?

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

I would love Gillingham to slip straight into the SPFL championship, great away days 👍🏻⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@gspark2284]

Scottish football fan here -- no thanks , English teams have lost there roots and identities, sold up to highest bidder, football is a working class game in scotland and always will be

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Best comment so far, I agree, that’s why I always enjoy my footy travels to Scottish grounds 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

Why don't you want to be invaded by England?

[@mathewmcdermott4426]

NO

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Fair enough 👍🏻⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@robertfarrell1166]

Rangers yes Celtic no

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

They can’t be split, surely??

[@duneideann9241]

Ram yer condescending pish 🇱🇻❤️🇱🇻

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Pish, pish, pish, what does that mean?

[@duneideann9241]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 For starters mentioning Hearts 🇱🇻❤️🇱🇻 in the same breath as hibs and. Aberdeen 😆😆 pish And would rather play Europa League / Conference than play in a mundane English league - as I said pish

[@FourLeafClover67]

Naw

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Fair enough

[@IssacLHunt]

100% no and the FA should kick out all the unwanted Welsh football clubs. Why don't Scotland and Wales plus Northern Ireland make a joint Mickey Mouse league pyramid.

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Rangers, Celtic, Swansea, Cardiff, behave Issac, these are not Mickey Mouse clubs but decent clubs with long heritage 👍🏻

[@IssacLHunt]

@@mattthegroundhopper9242 say you who support some nobody never heard of team.

[@Arthur.in.the.Fridge]

​@@IssacLHunt You're a waste of oxygen.

[@Arthur.in.the.Fridge]

​@@IssacLHuntYou're a waste of oxygen.

[@clivegrenville9685]

no

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Fair enough Clive 👍🏻

[@wilfgrant2611]

NO

[@mattthegroundhopper9242]

Another very concise answer 👍🏻