Politics
What is a British Super League, will Rangers and Celtic join, how many clubs will it have and how will it work?
THE European Super League is out but the British Super League may well be in.
SunSport can exclusively reveal that the Premier League is still working towards reforming its structure despite the European Super League being shot down in flames.
Scottish champions Rangers could soon join a British Super League[/caption]
The Old Firm could fight it out in front of a huge global TV audience[/caption]
And top of the list of plans being actively discussed is a British Super League, which would see Rangers and Celtic invited.
SunSport’s Martin Lipton gives you all the lowdown on whether the competition will come into fruition and how it would work.
How would the British Super League work? Who will join and who will go?
While the details are yet to emerge, the plan would see an invitation to Rangers and Celtic to leave the SPFL and join the Premier League.
Some of the proposers would accept a short-term extension of the Premier League as it is now, while others are already pushing for 18 clubs in the top flight.
But with 14 clubs needed to approve, including those in danger of relegation, there would be rucks – and turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.
Would the British Super League have a US-style play-off system, and how would it work?
An end-of-season play-off is one of the systems being discussed to increase interest in the competition.
It would be very easy to put into place, with a two-legged semi-final with first against fourth and playing the second leg at home, followed by a probable one-off Grand final.
What would happen to promotion from the Championship when changes were made?
Almost certainly there would be fewer up or more down, maybe over two seasons.
This is what happened when the Premier League was reduced from 22 teams to 20 in 1995 and Middlesbrough and Bolton replaced relegated Crystal Palace, Norwich, Leicester and Ipswich
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Would Rangers and Celtic also join the FA Cup/League Cup – or remain in the Scottish cup competitions?
That would be a decision for the FA and SFA to make – but it is likely that they would play in the Scottish cups if they were allowed.
Will other Scottish clubs be frozen out of ever entering via promotion? Will they be in favour of move?
Again, this is far from clear.
It is suggested the likes of Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and the Dundee clubs might see a league without the Old Firm as far more winnable.
But a Super League would only be interested in Rangers and Celtic. And what would happen if one of them got relegated?
The likes of Aberdeen could be in favour of the move if it gives them more chance of winning Scottish titles[/caption]
Why will it work this time after failed attempts in past?
That’s the million dollar question (and we’ve had enough talk about money this week).
There will be plenty of opposition, which might prove intractable.
But this time Fifa would approve – if the FA and SFA did – after signalling they backed cross-border leagues only last month.
In 2019, president Gianni Infantino said: “We need to be open to discussions.
“The Belgians and the Dutch have been discussing creating a Benelux league and these discussions have been going on for 20 years and we are always saying no, because we are based on national leagues.
“But maybe it helps? Maybe it is the only way out, maybe in Europe they have to think about this, maybe in Africa.
“I was proposing something like this for Africa. I think we have the duty to study these things then we will see where it goes.”
Gianni Infantino has declared that Fifa could be open to cross-border leagues[/caption]
How much money is involved and how would all clubs benefit from this?
Who knows? But the argument is that a British League, including the Glasgow giants with their worldwide fan bases, would have both a domestic and global appeal to broadcasters and sponsors.
What is certain is that there would be demands for greater trickle down “solidarity” payments to the lower reaches on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall.
