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Secret talks held over starting new 18-team British Super League

Secret talks have been held over starting a new 18-team British Super League in the wake of the failed European Super League plans.

The English Premier League ‘big six’ were forced by the football world to step away from their plans to join a controversial breakaway competition was met with fury.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd and Tottenham were condemned by fans, players, pundits and even Boris Johnson for their actions.

All of the sides had to issue grovelling apologies and the relationships between owners and fanbases appear to have suffered irreparable damage.

Now reports have emerged claiming that a reform of the Premier League could be on the cards with a British Super League featuring both Old Firm teams, something that has been debated for years now.

Manchester United and Liverpool were those responsible for the ‘Project Big Picture’ reforms tabled last October, however that was rejected by the majority of Premier League clubs.

It would have seen the more established teams wield far great power going forward.

Reforms looks set to be up for discussion again that could see Celtic and Rangers join in a move that would be backed by FIFA, UEFA and even the UK government, according to the report.

The report claims it would be mutually beneficial with the Old Firm clubs getting a piece of the TV revenues, while their large fan bases would help bring in bigger audiences.

The league could also be about to see a reduction of teams to just 18 while also in the plans is the option of a top-four play-off, similar to those in rugby league and rugby union.

Here are the key points from the new, proposed league:

– 18 teams

– Celtic and Rangers join

– Top four go into a play-off

– Fifa chiefs are already backing the ‘cross-border’ league

One club source said: “Whether or not the Super League was going to happen, we all feel that the Premier League has to be changed and improved.

“It is time we opened it up to Rangers and Celtic. That would make sense for everyone.”

A few months back, a pundit ended up getting mocked after stating live on talkSPORT where Rangers and Celtic would finish in the Premier League table.

Jamie O’Hara launched an astonishing blast on Scottish football – claiming that Fulham would win the Scottish Premiership title ahead of Celtic and Rangers.

The former Tottenham midfielder also insisted that both sides of the Old Firm would “struggle” south of the border if they ever made the decision to join the English Premier League.

On Thursday morning said, he said on secret talks being held over starting a new 18-team British Super League: “Right now, if they got put in tomorrow, I think Rangers would survive, they would stay up.

“If you put them in the Premier League now I think Rangers would stay up with Steven Gerrard in charge. They’ve had a great season.

“Celtic would go down, I’d put them up for relegation.”

However, O’Hara reckons if the move takes place, both clubs will be given time to adjust to the new set-up.

He added: “On that I would say that if you gave them a transfer window and a season to bed in I think they would compete for the top six because they are huge football clubs.

“They’d need a couple of seasons to find their feet.

“If Rangers come into the Premier League with Steven Gerrard as manager, are you telling me he wouldn’t be able to attract some of the best players in the world?”

 Speaking on talkSPORT’s Sports Breakfast, O’Hara said: “Yeah, I think he (Gerrard) has done a brilliant job. He’s done a fantastic job, I’ve watched him obviously this season because that statement I came out with highlighted it.

“So I thought, I best get on with Scottish football. Celtic have not been great at all with the way they’ve been playing.

“In terms of the quality, I don’t think it’s anywhere near the Premier League. I think both teams would struggle to stay in the Premier League, they’d find it tough.

“Would they survive over the course of a season, are they better than West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham? I don’t know.

“I think Fulham would win the league in Scotland. I look at it, I played with (Moussa) Dembele, who left Fulham and went to Celtic. He was good at Fulham, he was decent, scored some goals.

“He went to Celtic and he was unbelievable. I look at at that and I look at the standards…”

Rangers legend Ally McCoist hit back: “Well what about the flipside – what about the guys that have come up and haven’t done it? You’ve got Shane Duffy right away, and he’s struggled.”

O’Hara then responded: “Coming off the back of a bad injury, and he’s had his career, he’s at the end of it. Going to Scotland is like going to the MLS!”

In August last year, he claimed that Steven Gerrard should take the job at relegated Bournemouth as it was a bigger challenge than that of Rangers.

He told talkSPORT: “I wouldn’t want to disrespect the Rangers people because they are a huge football club but it is a bigger job to potentially be the Bournemouth manager.

“Rangers are a huge, huge football club but for me there are only two teams in Scotland. Bournemouth is the potential, they have just dropped out of the Premier League and to get them back into the Premier League. They are still a high profile football team.

“I would take the Bournemouth job. It’s the bigger job.”

What do you think, with secret talks currently being held over starting a new 18-team British Super League, would you approve it? Fans gave their reaction…

@sjm43221: I’m all for reforming the league cup to make it a British cup. That would be good imo

@vivavenkys: So Celtic–Rangers walk away from the Scottish league is just about the same as the big six tried here. Yes / no?

@RobMannsy: No problem with them joining our leagues, but not straight into the PL. Should have to work for it

@NishRyan: A British cup I would be up for but a British super league what’s the point everyone is slagging the super league because it’s for money what’s the difference?

@LloydDaviesNB: I’m all for a new British Cup Competition where teams from the leagues of England, Scotland, Wales and NI play a part. But not a new Super League. We’ve just spent the last 2 days doing away with one!

@Rich_Dobbo: I knew it, European Super League was all just a smoke screen for a British Super League.

@Poggymac87: Swerve a British super league but a UK & Ireland cup would be a better idea than the league cup. Imagine an away day at shamrock rovers or Sligo or witnessing Hibs singing sunshine on leith. Quarter n semi finals in the national stadiums

@Albionwestand: Imagine Rangers and Celtic fans when they realise they won’t ever win a League title ever again.

@keegan_craig: Get rid of the League Cup and have a British Super Cup with every team in the country like the FA Cup and Scottish Cup available to play. Same format as the FA cup, amateur and league teams play in their country due to expense, then higher leagues get introduced across UK.

@FIBowyer: If any team joins our league they must earn they’re status by starting at the bottom…. Why should Scottish teams or any other teams be put ahead of the teams that have earned there right to be in the league they are in….. Does that mean TNS or Linfield ahead of Derby or WBA

@pfczak: Wouldn’t be fair on the Scottish league. All for a ‘British’ league cup though.

@wellhyper: What tosh, if they wanna join the english leagues then they should start from the bottom and work their way up. They wouldn’t even get out of the championship.

@MadGas1: I’d be up for this.
*Celtic rangers into a 18 team premier league.
*4 EFL leagues of 20 teams instead of 3, no u23 teams. Get the remaining from conference or applying Scottish clubs.
* Only league and FA cup competition. Winner of fa cup gets champions league spot.
1 nation.

@AdamCrocker86: Whilst I think English, Welsh, Scottish & NI leagues should be combined.. teams need to earn their way to the top. If Celtic & Rangers want it, and think it’s worth it. Start in League 1 or 2. 3-4 seasons of graft to get to the top.

@Joey_CFC: what’s that? The PL being massive hypocrites? Surely not

@PhilTurner03: What about the other Scottish clubs? Surely we would be doing what the ESL was going to do to our smaller clubs. IF the want to merge it has to be all clubs from Scotland involved otherwise there game will be killed.

@Sn1Jacko: We don’t want any super leagues ffs.

@sportslicious: Why should English clubs be relegated to accommodate Scottish Clubs? Scots want to break away from England. Imagine hate among fans. Went to an England vs Scotland game at Wembley years ago. First time ever I was afraid at football match. Much rather resurrect the Stupid League.

@DanielGleeds: You can’t just walk into the top league at least start in the championship

@cfc_joe1888: what total bollocks. regardless of our poor form this season, we usually take a fair few scalps in Europe, lille, lazio, leipzig just to name a couple. as for rangers, they’ve just reached the quarter finals of the europa league for the second season in a row…

@mprentice90: I would have no problem with it if they earn there place and start in div 2 so only way it could be done is if you increase the prem to 22 teams or start them off in the championship/Div2. We have the same pointless debate every year.

@casson1983: If they start in the national leagues and work there way up then I’m okay with. Straight in to the prem is not going to go down well. They don’t deserve top flight football in England

@PatrickAshling: I hope they do join, they’d finish bottom and second bottom

@Dom_EFC: Would be some sick away days. Only way this would work however is to reform all British leagues, absorbing the Scottish teams into Championship/League One etc.

Fans continued to react on secret talks held over starting a new 18-team British Super League…

@Varneyshairline: Stop messing with football!!!!!!!!!! #lufc

@jackstringer19: Berwick Rangers in the English pyramid? Yes. Glasgow Rangers? Fuck off.

@RobMannsy: So we went through 72 hours to destroy a European Super League, now to be introduced to a British Super League? No thank you.

@__hassan_i: Play offs? Do we look like the championship

@Lee_RedDevil: The Old Firm clubs are Championship level clubs at best.

@BAFCMatty: I don’t wanna see a British Super League either. I like how the Premier League is.

@Daryl________: LEAVE THE FUCKING THING ALONE

@SPFLWatch: If you’re against a European Super League, but for a British Super League, then you’re part of the problem.

@sebparkinson: Rather than a British Super League, why don’t we create a cup competition where Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and English league clubs play each other and call it the British Cup? Could work like the Carabao Cup in terms of seeding, but an open draw cross-border from the off.

@skybluedave74: While football fans, pundits & media are calling for the ‘big 6’ to be punished for the European Super League shambles the same clubs are pushing a British Super League to benefit themselves. Parachute in Rangers and Celtic and end of season play offs to decide winners 😂

@YAANITEED: Just leave football alone ffs.

@Pauleva74805147: Not a bad idea the whole football pyramid needs a shake up. Celtic or Rangers win the league every year and it would make the league more competitive without them…

@HayRfc: Nah not a league but am all for a new British cup, don’t think Celtic would join but…

@ManLikeKova: I got a better idea, scrap the Carabao Cup and in it’s place make a British Cup between PL/Championship & SPL/Championship sides.

@utd_thoughts: This British Super League is a definitely worth a debate, but the only way it’ll be good for everyone is if other Scottish Teams are financially supported better. Surely a huge British cup would be better and get rid of the EFL Cup.

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