Celtic Premier League - A Scenario To Compete With the EPL

Celtic Premier League

2 automatic Champions League entries (1st, 2nd)
2 qualifying Champions League entries (3rd, 4th)
3 UEFA Cup Entries - (5th, 6th, League Cup)

Premier Division

Celtic
Rangers
Aberdeen
Hibs
Hearts
Inverness
Falkirk
Drogheda
St. Pats
Bohs
Cork
Shams
Linfield
Glentoran
Derry City
Ballymena Utd
Cardiff City
Swansea
Llanelli
New Saints

Promotion/Relegation: 3 up, 3 down

First Division

Dundee Utd
Motherwell
St. Mirren
Gretna
Kilmarnock
Gretna
Dunfermline
Sligo Rovers
UCD
Galway
Bray
Waterford
Dungannon Swifts
Coleraine
Cliftonville
Portadown
Wrexham
Rhyl
Carmarthen
Welshpool

Promotion/Relegation: 3 up, 3 down

Second Division

Hamilton
Dundee
St. Johnstone
Morton
Partick
Clyde
Livingston
Longford
Cobh
Finn Harps
Dundalk
Limerick 37
Glenavon
Newry City
Lisburn
Loughgall
Haverfordwest County
Connah's Quay Nomads
Port Talbot Town
Aberystwyth Town

Promotion/Relegation: 3 up, 3 down

Third Division

Queen of the South
Stirling
Ross County
Raith
Alloa
Peterhead
Airdrie Utd
Shelbourne
Kildare County
Monaghan Utd
Athlone Town
Wexford Youths
Kilkenny City
Armagh City
Larne
Institute
Crusaders
Caernarfon Town
Airbus UK Broughton
Newtown AFC

Promotion/Relegation: 4 up, 4 down (1 each scot, irish, n. irish, welsh from/to country specific divisions below this level)

Why it works for everyone:

Celtic & Rangers: With two automatic champions league places, the Old Firm get the security of knowing they'll be spared champions league qualifying rounds for the foreseeable future. Matches in Ireland and N. Ireland respectively give the opportunity to become a more active part of those regional fan bases. This expanded league and the increased sponsorship that will go with it offers the chance to truly compete with the best of Europe in the Champions League by opening up the amount of potential revenue and investment into the league the Old Firm play in. It gives them what they want to gain by joining the Premier League, without the negatives of joining the Premier League (not playing other Scottish clubs and competing against ManU, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool for Champs League spots).

The other Scottish teams: More champions league and UEFA Cup places mean better shots at Europe and really making an eventual run at the Old Firm.

The Irish teams: Attendances will boom when Celtic and Rangers visit, and competing in a league against them will draw significant local interest that over time mean Old Firm fans look at teams closer to home. Well-run clubs could make major leaps forward under this system.

The N. Irish teams: Attendances will boom when Celtic and Rangers visit, and competing in a league against them will draw significant local interest that over time mean Old Firm fans look at teams closer to home. Well-run clubs could make major leaps forward under this system.

The Welsh teams: Cardiff City will immediately become one of the big teams in the league and will have the best chance to knock off one of the Old Firm for a champs league automatic spot. This Celtic league offers the Welsh clubs the best chance to compete in a big league and keep meaningful UEFA tournament options available in a way superior to playing in English leagues.

What about the money? How will the lower income teams afford the travel?

A Celtic Premier League should attract major sponsorship and a certain amount of the gate and sponsorship money should be skimmed off the top and shared evenly to all teams in the 4 divisions. This is especially important at the beginning of the league and could be relaxed over a longer period of time. Celtic and Rangers could have a smaller % skimmed off the top of their gates to make it appealing enough for them to participate. Their total gates will be bigger, so a smaller percentage from them could still have them contribute their fair share to the pool.

What about the Scottish/N. Irish/Welsh teams not listed?

Below these four levels would be country-specific leagues where the champion would replace the lowest finisher of the same country in the 4th division in promotion/relegation style.

In a few years, the top league will be filled with teams from [Insert Country Here] and all of [Insert Other Countries Here] will be in lower divisions, so this is pointless isn't it?

For the first 5 years of the league's existence, limits should be placed so all levels must have at least 4 Scottish teams, 3 Irish teams, 2 N. Irish teams and 2 Welsh teams. If one of the last of these number are to be relegated, the lowest finishing team of another country not tripping up the same rule would be relegated in its place. This will allow time for the non-Scottish teams to "burn in" and establish themselves. Alternatively, there could simply be no promotion and relegation for a few years, but I feel it is fairer to set minimums for a few years rather than do away with promotion/relegation.

Four divisions are too many! It would be unworkable for 2nd and 3rd division teams!

Hopefully the revenue sharing financial model would make it workable but if you prefer, the country specific division could start below the 1st division if it was best. That isn't really the point.

I can't believe [insert club here] is in [insert division here], that is crazy!

Which clubs are in which divisions aren't the point, that's just a rough estimation based on current standings in their respective leagues or in the case of the Northern Ireland League the IFA club ratings posted in the Irish League forum. Also, you might notice I treated Derry City as a NI club in this scenario. I'm sure some thorough research would determine which clubs deserve to be in which divisions better than I could.

What is the point?

Between them, Scotland, Ireland, N. Ireland and Wales roughly have a population of 14,000,000. While this isn't close to England's 50,000,000, it would at least put the clubs in those countries in a better position to draw strong sponsorship and for the bigger clubs compete with the top clubs in Europe. Every team in the league would benefit by having a much higher potential revenue. The fans would get a more exciting club league product while maintaining their independent national teams. It should be something that benefits all stakeholders.

This was an awful waste of time, it will never happen, why did you bother?

Because Football Manager isn't customizable enough for my liking and I wish I could set a league like this up, but I can't so I figured I'd just get it out of my damned head by posting it here.

good post but a few points.

what about security?

what about facilities?

Cardiff and Swansea cant/wont leave the english league as far as i know.

what about the scottish clubs who find themselves in a second tier where they dont have the draw of the Old Firm and their chances of getting back there are 10 times harder - would they sign up?

and how weird would it be having 10000 irish celtic fans come to Dalymount to cheer on Celtic against Bohs...

This League would lead to the loss of a Scotland national team; The Northern Ireland national team; the Wales national team; The Republic Of Ireland national team into the bargain. What might replace it would some form of Celtic version of a USSR type team. Now that might mean that we always qualified for major tournaments, but there's no guarantees in football.

Over time the Champions League may require feeder competitions organised by UEFA in that context it might emerge as a Super Duper extended remix of the Setanta Cup.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

and how weird would it be having 10000 irish celtic fans come to Dalymount to cheer on Celtic against Bohs...

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No weirder than it always is when Celtic play friendlies here. We are a pathetic nation who don't support their local teams first and that is a classic example of it.

and, why would rangers play in a league called the "Celtic premier league" :)

UEFA will not allow such a concept under any circumstances, since it takes club football outside the control of the National Associations which comprise their Membership.

Champions League spots are hard enough to come by - UEFA will not allocate 4 to clubs which currently only receive two, no matter how configured.

And will the clubs themselves accept seeing their present half a dozen(?) UEFA Cup places whittled down to just three?

It will make organising the existing domestic Cup competitions a nightmare, as well as Promotion and Relegation to and from junior football in the respective countries. It will mean the end of the Setanta Cup.

The National Associations won't support it if it compromises their international teams.

Celtic and Rangers wouldn't touch it with a bargepole - they are only going to leave the SPL to join the English Premier League (who don't want or need them, as it happens)

Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham fought too hard to stay in the English League, with the potential that offers, to want to join a scheme like this.

You appear to have a somewhat inflated opinion of the Eircom League to give it 6 places in the new Premier Division against just 7 for Scotland (or 3 for the Carnegie and 2 to Wales, when it comes to it).

Your lack of regionalisation for the lower Divisions will kill many of the minor clubs stone dead, since who is going to travel (or be interested in) games e.g. between Kildare County and Caernarfon, or Armagh City and Peterhead? Think of the travelling and overnight accommodation costs the clubs will incur.

What season will this new League play? Will the Eircom go back to winter football?

These are just the problems which occur on first reading - I'm sure there are more - and for all that you have put a lot of effort into this and do make some very useful points, as an overall concept, it belongs to "Fantasy Football", I'm afraid.

You need to get out more :p
Very well thought out, but in fairness it wont work. Delaney would have a canarie if he had to give up his power trip. How could he afford his holidays if he couldn hand out fines left right and centre. Its mad I tell ya.
But seriously, the FAI can't run their own league never mind co-operate with someone else, how would four FA's get on together?

Not going to happen but interesting idea. I reckon we'd qualify for Europe from such a league.

My main problem with it (aside from the fact that I'd like to see my side playing in the premiership) is that it'd jeopardise the future of our national teams and the away trips would be a nightmare too.

Also, I bet thousands would turn up to watch Athlone Town v Airbus UK Broughton. :D

Load of horse ****.

Interesting, but despite the advanced entry level to Europe, you're still getting rid of 6 european slots that currently exist and I can't imagine any teams voting for this. Somebody like Longford for example, who you have in the 2nd division, would have no possible expectation of European football ever again. With the two team dominance, cup competitions would lose their allure as well, with one of the big two pretty much winning everything.
I can see where you're coming from, but I'd rather advance the whole league here slowly but en masse than just lump us into a contrived 4 country league.

What a load of nonsense.:rolleyes:

I hear Nick Leeson has made a spanking new DVD to guarantee Premier Div. status for GUFC just in case the above comes to pass!! ;)

Can't see how this will ever happen too many different leagues involved!

Also What are Ballymena doing in the premier division sure they aren't exactly up there even in the Irish League!

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Celtic

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Premier League

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Scottish

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The Irish teams:

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I think this thread is to blame for the credit card banner ad that appeared on the site recently :)