We're financially outclassed and have been for some time

[murdoch1000 0]

So the SPL has actually been a little more competitive in the past couple of seaosn than at any other time in my memory (I'm still a relative young'un).

But in my opinion this is because Rangers and Celtic have got worse, rather than the other sides getting better. And in the meantime, the big European sides have become stronger than we could ever have imagined, largely thanks to massively increased TV revenues.

In my opinion, there are only 3 credible scenarios in which the Old Firm will close this financial gulf:

1. Satellite TV revenues get hit massively by the credit crunch/recesison/depression. One or two major providers (i'm thinking on the continent) go bust and renege on their contracts with France/German/Spanish leagues. This leaves some big clubs up Turd River in a dinghy, with huge outgoings and masisve debts, and reduced incomes. UEFA bails out the clubs in peril but all clubs now have substantially reduced TV money.

2. The Old Firm get accepted into the Premiership - possibly in an attempt to bolster TV revenues as a result of a similar financial situation as described above

3. Some form of Atlantic league is created as the larger teams in the wee leagues realise they have to band together - either out of fear (stave off bankruptcy because the economy's gone tits up) or ambition (we need more money to catch up with the big boys)

I think 1 is posisble, 2 is impossible. But 3 is the most likely, and I can see it being a 14-team league including:

Portugal (Porto, Sporting, Benfica)

Holland (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV)

Scotland (Rangers, Celtic)

Norway (Rosenborg)

Sweden (erm...)

Denmark (FK Kobenhavn)

Belgium (Anderlecht, Bruges, Liege)

To stay competitive, it could have relegation back to the diddy leagues (e.g. if you come in the bottom 3 you get replaced by the winners of a set of play-offs between the champions of the national leagues - e.g. Hearts could beat Alkmaar and get promoted into the Atlantic League to replace Anderlecht)

Or am I just spouting nonsense from Planet Goofball?

[Juno 2]

1. Aye.

2. Everytime I see it I hate this idea. Look, i'm as much of a we're-a-huge-club guy as the rest, but we're still a Scottish club, and having 2 Scottish clubs in an English league is just stupid. It would also mean the rest of the SPL would go bust since no one would care about them. I don't want that.

3. An Atlantic league would kill off the CL and Uefa, which in turn would hinder the banks of every club including the "big boys", which in turn would make all but the hardcore fans only go to home games, which would generate less profit.

We just have to face the music. There's only one way that every fan's dream of winning the CL can be reached, and that is if some tosser of a billionaire decides to do the Lyon thing; win the league each and every year easily and concentrate on finishing high in Europe. But attracting big players to a less than flair-y league and a cold country is about as possible as Karim Benzema being Orlando Bloom's stunt double.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

One way that UEFA is trying to redress this is to change the way cash is distributed over the tournaments - as from next year there is to be more money for the earlier stages, including group stages - also the UEFA Cup format is to change to be similar to the CL format and also more money in that competition - it will all help - with the UEFA cup acting a bit more like a Mini European League.

[jmo21 15]

the only thing about 1 is that it would effect us and the Tims as well

this summer's spending spree could never be seen again

for 2 - repeat after me.....they do not need us no matter how big we think we (and our rivalry with septic is)

[AyrBear 0]

I'd rather move to the English league than an Atlantic one

[Briton 394]

I think 1 is posisble, 2 is impossible. But 3 is the most likely, and I can see it being a 14-team league including:

Portugal (Porto, Sporting, Benfica)

Holland (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV)

Scotland (Rangers, Celtic)

Norway (Rosenborg)

Sweden (erm...)

Denmark (FK Kobenhavn)

Belgium (Anderlecht, Bruges, Liege)

To stay competitive, it could have relegation back to the diddy leagues (e.g. if you come in the bottom 3 you get replaced by the winners of a set of play-offs between the champions of the national leagues - e.g. Hearts could beat Alkmaar and get promoted into the Atlantic League to replace Anderlecht)

Or am I just spouting nonsense from Planet Goofball?

I think the only way we could do this if we recognise we must still play in a Scottish championship and UEFA's competitions. If the SPL was reduced to 8/10 teams, playing each other twice, we could then play in a competition with the Portuguese/Dutch/Scandinavians etc. This is already done by the Scandinavians with the Royal League. To make up the fixtures the other Scottish clubs could play a competition between themselves (or even a Celtic league/Atlantic league 2). The problem would be that the SPL would be unlikely to play ball, (not to mention the other effected FA's), but by coming from it from that angle we wouldn't forego CL/UEFA Cup football or get into conflict with UEFA.