Premier League chairmen meet to discuss Rangers and Celtic move

The 20 Premier League clubs meet today, with the possible expansion of the league into a two-division competition and the addition of Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic firmly on the agenda.

The desire of both clubs to quit Scottish soccer was only enhanced this summer, when the collapse of Irish broadcaster Setanta saw the league's television revenues cut dramatically. The renogotiation of the SPL's rights, in a deal with Sky Sports and ESPN, halved the league's broadcast income. The champions of the SPL now receive less television money than the club that finishes bottom of the English Premier League.

A number of Premier League managers have spoken out in favour of the proposal, including former Celtic coach Martin O'Neill, now manager of Aston Villa. "I would like to see both teams in the Premier League. I think it would make the Premier League even stronger," O'Neill told reporters this week.

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However, Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has openly spoken out against the proposal.

Should the Premier League reject the move, another option for the two Scottish clubs is the Dutch FA's proposed North Atlantic League, featuring teams from Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Scandinavia.

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