North Atlantic League

**Shelsman** · 04/08/2002, 11:18 AM

It seems that the SPL are pushing to get the so called 'North Atlantic' League Cup underway next January with teams from Scotland, Denmark, Holland and Belgium in it.

First of all, would this not make it the 'North Sea' League Cup?

Second of all, all though Celtic and Rangers are doing this to avoid playing smaller clubs, should eL clubs not be pushing for a similar competition ( say eL clubs mixed up with the Scots Div1, Div2 and Div3 to replace our own League Cup? ).

**pete** · 06/08/2002, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by Shelsman
.....should eL clubs not be pushing for a similar competition ( say eL clubs mixed up with the Scots Div1, Div2 and Div3 to replace our own League Cup? ).

No.

Scottish div 2 & 3?

**Pablo** · 06/08/2002, 1:02 PM

Originally posted by Shelsman
It seems that the SPL are pushing to get the so called 'North Atlantic' League Cup underway next January with teams from Scotland, Denmark, Holland and Belgium in it.

First of all, would this not make it the 'North Sea' League Cup?

Second of all, all though Celtic and Rangers are doing this to avoid playing smaller clubs, should eL clubs not be pushing for a similar competition ( say eL clubs mixed up with the Scots Div1, Div2 and Div3 to replace our own League Cup? ).

after Shels recent 'heroics' in europe, an international competition should be the last thing on your mind!

**�anna** · 06/08/2002, 2:46 PM

the hell with all this super-league and semi-super-league nonsense. There are european competitions already in existence- we don't need to add to them.

**Shelsman** · 11/08/2002, 10:53 PM

Originally posted by �anna
the hell with all this super-league and semi-super-league nonsense. There are european competitions already in existence- we don't need to add to them.

To be honest I think it would add a bit of variety ( most fixtures are the same, how many times have we seen say, Bohs playing Shels ).
Such a competition would replace the League Cup which no-one is interested in anyway ( unless they happen to get to the semis ).
It would also show how good the Eircom League is because I would imagine that eL clubs would easily win the competition 70-80% of the time. Once this has been done then eL teams could push for Scottish Premier Teams to take part. If eL clubs play bigger and better clubs on a regular basis it would improve the standard quickly and considerably ( as it stands just 4 teams from the eL play as few as two games each in Europe every year ).

All pie in the sky I know but if the League really wanted it, it could happen.
Alternatively they could have an U21 cup where the best club U21 teams here play their Scottish counterparts on a regular basis.

Think of how much money is being spent by Irish people on replica gear and trips to Celtic, Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal etc.
If this money went into the league we would have a league similar in strength to those in Sweden and Norway.

Mattigol · 12/08/2002, 6:13 PM

I think a Celtic Cup between our teams, Welsh teams and Non Old Firm Scottish teams would be a good idea and I think the eircom League would be the best sides behind maybe Hearts.

**pete** · 13/08/2002, 9:47 AM

Any such North Atlantic league or other smaller european compeitions is just the excuse the big european clubs would need to stop even champiopns of the smaller countires getting into the "Champions" League to be replaced by midtable english, spanish, german etc.... teams.

Besides summer football rules out eL involvement in mid season (jan-feb) competitions with our neighbours for now.