North Atlantic League now the only option for Rangers and Celtic

28 October 2009 | By Adam Fraser

The Dutch FA's proposed North Atlantic League, featuring teams from Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Scandinavia, appears to be Rangers and Celtic's only hope of quitting the Socttish Premier League after Richard Scudamore spoke out against their much-touted move to England.

Scudamore, the chief executive of England's Premier League, spoke out against the possibility of the Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic moving south of the border in an interview with ESPN.

The two clubs' desire to leave the Scottish Premier League has only increased since the summer, when the forced renegotiation of the SPL's television deal after the collapse of Setanta left a situation where the champions of the SPL receive less television money than the team that finishes bottom of the English top flight.

"I don't think it's a serious proposition for a whole number of reasons," Scudamore told ESPN. "Scottish football is Scottish football. For a traditionalist like me, that's where the Old Firm should play.

"I see the benefits for Celtic and Rangers if they moved to our Premier League but I don't think our 20 clubs are going to vote to allow these clubs into our league."

Got an opinion on this story? Send your thoughts to comment@sportspromedia.com.