Back of the Net!

What else could you call a league that includes the cream of English football plus two clubs that have for a very long time been too big for their boots?

Ally McCoist is reported to have claimed in the Sunday Express that Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic should be admitted into the English Premier League.

“From a Rangers point of view - and looking at it selfishly - it would be fantastic to see our club in a British Premier League.

“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.

“We would bring to the Premier League fantastic stadiums, wonderful fan-bases and huge potential.

“I know fans of clubs like Motherwell and Dundee United would not be happy but the Old Firm need to move to another level.

“This is not an attack on Scottish football but ask Rangers and Celtic fans what they think and I know what the answer would be.”

The problem here of course is that McCoist thinks the English Premier League needs Celtic and Rangers.

It doesn’t.

Not only that but if he carries on talking like this, then the rest of Scotland are going to want rid of them - possibly raising the spectre of a two-team league.

Imagine Rangers and Celtic in the English Premier League. What happens when one inevitably gets relegated (because the quality of football they play now week-in week-out is far below the standard in England)? Do they then move back into the Scottish First Division - or do they drop into League One?

What of the English teams - and there are many - whose rightful place is in the EPL?

It’s a minefield, a pointless one, in fact, and McCoist would do well to keep his mind clear of such lofty ambitions, and get on with his job.

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