Blatter Says No to Celtic in the EPL

[sdstim]

If anybody had any dreams about joining the EPL(not me) then you can forget them now. Are you happy Blatter has clarified his position?


From Sporting Life




FIFA President Sepp Blatter has quashed any notion that the Old Firm could join the Barclays Premier League.
Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini are in Scotland for the International Football Association Board meeting being held in Gleneagles.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has persuaded them to make the Scottish Cup semi-final draw on Saturday while on their trip to Scotland.
However, Blatter told Reporting Scotland that in terms of league football in Scotland, the idea that Celtic and Rangers could play in England one day - an idea that has been mooted intermittently for years - was not on the FIFA agenda.
He said: "It would be detrimental to football in Scotland if the two best teams leave to try and play in England.
"It is also good for the political aspects of sport that the four British Associations keep their different leagues."

[clover4]

The idea was always a non starter.I do think there will be a European League and Blatter will be told where to go if he tries to interfere.

[Jackie Flannery]

i must be one of the few people but i dont want Celtic to join the EPL, never have and never will. If it happens fine but i dont think its a good idea and i dont want it to happen.

A European league would be more interesting, played on a wednesday but if the champions league is anything to go on then it would lose interest fast.
As apart from the knockout stages and following Celtic the champions league is kinda boring.

an example is the first time Chelsea played Barca it was a huge game, everyone watched it, the 2nd time they played each other half as many people watched it, the 3rd time hardly anyone watched it. If a league happens then within 5 years it will be the same.

[Carntyne]

If anybody had any dreams about joining the EPL (not me) then you can forget them now. Are you happy Blatter has clarified his position?




Forget about it?

Maybe.

Everyone laughed and said it was ridiculous when it was proposed that the top teams in the English 1st division should break away and form gheir own league.

We now have the Premiership.

Blatter's opinion won't count for much if the parties involved want it to happen.

Of course it may never happen, but to say 'forget it' is a bit premature, no matter how unlikely it seems at the moment.

One way or another there will eventually be change of some sort, since discontent with the present situation has been expressed by big ambitious teams like Celtic, Ajax, Feyenoord and others, who are stuck in small unproductive leagues as far as money goes.

Where there is discontent, there will eventually, inevitably be change.

[Carntyne]

i must be one of the few people but i dont want Celtic to join the EPL, never have and never will. If it happens fine but i dont think its a good idea and i dont want it to happen.

A European league would be more interesting, played on a wednesday but if the champions league is anything to go on then it would lose interest fast.
As apart from the knockout stages and following Celtic the champions league is kinda boring.

an example is the first time Chelsea played Barca it was a huge game, everyone watched it, the 2nd time they played each other half as many people watched it, the 3rd time hardly anyone watched it. If a league happens then within 5 years it will be the same.

It doesn't matter what league a team plays in, very few supporters watch any team other than their own, so I don't know what you mean about a European League being 'boring'

How boring is watching Celtic play Motherwell, Gretna, Kilmarnock and St. Mirren four times a season?....Yawn!!!:scared0010::scared0010::scared0 010:

[magicpole]

It doesn't matter what league a team plays in, very few supporters watch any team other than their own, so I don't know what you mean about a European League being 'boring'

How boring is watching Celtic play Motherwell, Gretna, Kilmarnock and St. Mirren four times a season?....Yawn!!!:scared0010::scared0010::scared0 010:

I know four teams to play against at once four times a year, nae wonder we looked bogged down!:grinder:

[Mayoghirl]

i'd say it will be a european super league we aim to enter and is the way froward

[Jackie Flannery]

It doesn't matter what league a team plays in, very few supporters watch any team other than their own, so I don't know what you mean about a European League being 'boring'

How boring is watching Celtic play Motherwell, Gretna, Kilmarnock and St. Mirren four times a season?....Yawn!!!:scared0010::scared0010::scared0 010:


thats true and a good point but how would a european league work and it would need relegation and promotion etc to survive and what would happen to all the other leagues in countries if we have a superleague.

A superleague getting all the money and all the other teams and leagues not getting much or any wouldnt be healthy and in the long run would probably mean the standard of football would fall everywhere including the superleague if its not organised very well.

It could be a good idea but it could also be a disaster

[Jackie Flannery]

thats true and a good point but how would a european league work and it would need relegation and promotion etc to survive and what would happen to all the other leagues in countries if we have a superleague.

A superleague getting all the money and all the other teams and leagues not getting much or any wouldnt be healthy and in the long run would probably mean the standard of football would fall everywhere including the superleague if its not organised very well.

It could be a good idea but it could also be a disaster


the biggest problem with the champions league is its become a joke with 4 teams from England,Italy,Spain etc in it every year

whos to say a european league will be any different.

[Carntyne]

the biggest problem with the champions league is its become a joke with 4 teams from England,Italy,Spain etc in it every year

whos to say a european league will be any different.

Well Jackie, I note what you are saying, but for me watching Celtic v Ajax or Roma v Celtic or Celtic v Chelsea or Benfica v Celtic (fill in your own likely favourite here!) on a regular basis would be a million times more attractive than Celtic v Inverness Caley Thistle for the umpteenth time!

Incidentally, I am not suggesting that Celtic stay in the SPL and play in a European league in midweek as they do in the Champions League.

I am suggesting that all the teams in the new League LEAVE their current setup and play only in the new League.

I don't know what gave you the idea that a new league 'could be disastrous'

That was said when the top clubs in England broke away to form the Premiership and look how well that turned out!

You would never do anything if you took the view that it MIGHT turn out to be a disaster.

I'm sure when humans lived in caves, there would always be someone saying, "Don't go out looking for food. YOU might get eaten."

Aye, just stay here and starve!

[Jackie Flannery]

Thats fair enough,how would this league work then if its not a midweek league which is qualified to by similar process the champions league is at the moment from previous season in your own country.


How many european leagues would you have just 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 ?
If only 1 then after a few years its would be a bit dull same teams no relegation from it or promotion to it.

If its 2 or 3 european leagues would Celtic v FC Groningen or Celtic v Udinese or Celtic v Espanyol really be that exciting if we ended up not being in the top euro division.

When i said disasterous i meant more for all the teams,countries and leagues who would be shut out of it.

At the moment i would guess if this decision was to be made at the moment it would be made by the G14 which consists of 18 teams now and we arent in that top 18 teams so we wouldnt possibly and quite likely be included in Euro league 1 but Euro league 2 if there even was a euro league 2.


i,m not really against a european league but i,m not for big clubs sewing it all up in their favour


Well Jackie, I note what you are saying, but for me watching Celtic v Ajax or Roma v Celtic or Celtic v Chelsea or Benfica v Celtic (fill in your own likely favourite here!) on a regular basis would be a million times more attractive than Celtic v Inverness Caley Thistle for the umpteenth time!

Incidentally, I am not suggesting that Celtic stay in the SPL and play in a European league in midweek as they do in the Champions League.

I am suggesting that all the teams in the new League LEAVE their current setup and play only in the new League.

I don't know what gave you the idea that a new league 'could be disastrous'

That was said when the top clubs in England broke away to form the Premiership and look how well that turned out!

You would never do anything if you took the view that it MIGHT turn out to be a disaster.

I'm sure when humans lived in caves, there would always be someone saying, "Don't go out looking for food. YOU might get eaten."

Aye, just stay here and starve!

[Carntyne]

Thats fair enough,how would this league work then if its not a midweek league which is qualified to by similar process the champions league is at the moment from previous season in your own country.


How many european leagues would you have just 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 ?
If only 1 then after a few years its would be a bit dull same teams no relegation from it or promotion to it.

If its 2 or 3 european leagues would Celtic v FC Groningen or Celtic v Udinese or Celtic v Espanyol really be that exciting if we ended up not being in the top euro division.

When i said disasterous i meant more for all the teams,countries and leagues who would be shut out of it.

At the moment i would guess if this decision was to be made at the moment it would be made by the G14 which consists of 18 teams now and we arent in that top 18 teams so we wouldnt possibly and quite likely be included in Euro league 1 but Euro league 2 if there even was a euro league 2.


i,m not really against a european league but i,m not for big clubs sewing it all up in their favour

It's not up to me to decide how the new league would work. There are plenty of people better qualified and only to willing and able to set it up.

The idea that promotion and relegation would make a league more exciting doesn't stand up to any real examination.

Does Gretna's relegation and perhaps Dundee or St Johnstone being promoted next season get your juices flowing?

I think not!

You still haven't addressed the fact in your posts that NOTHING could be more boring than watching Celtic play cannon fodder four times every year.

Teams who have no hope of anything but survival from relegation or mid table mediocrity.

As for 'Big clubs sewing things up in their favour' isn't that what the big clubs in EVERY country does?

Celtic and Rangers here, ManU, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool in England, and so on all over the continent, and indeed the world.

It maybe shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is now, always has been, and probably always will.

The real world!

[Jackie Flannery]

well the real world is us playing in the SPL, if a euro league happens i hope we get into it thats for sure,if its only one league theres a fair chance we wouldnt.

It's not up to me to decide how the new league would work. There are plenty of people better qualified and only to willing and able to set it up.

The idea that promotion and relegation would make a league more exciting doesn't stand up to any real examination.

Does Gretna's relegation and perhaps Dundee or St Johnstone being promoted next season get your juices flowing?

I think not!

You still haven't addressed the fact in your posts that NOTHING could be more boring than watching Celtic play cannon fodder four times every year.

Teams who have no hope of anything but survival from relegation or mid table mediocrity.

As for 'Big clubs sewing things up in their favour' isn't that what the big clubs in EVERY country does?

Celtic and Rangers here, ManU, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool in England, and so on all over the continent, and indeed the world.

It maybe shouldn't be that way, but that's the way it is now, always has been, and probably always will.

The real world!

[Matthaus]

Yes, lets go for the EPL and scrap for a UEFA Cup place and try and fiinsh in the top six. Teams like Everton, Spurs, West ham etc have been trying for years top break the top four in the EPL, what makes us think we could do better? I hear the arguement of EPL money and the lure of playing for a club of Celtic's stature. But what makes us diffrent from the Spurs and Evertons of the world. We would end up like them. Paying top money and wages just to compete for the right to play for the EPL in the UEFA Cup. What about a Euro league, I hear. Is that not what the CL is? A Euro league won't happen. Logistics will make sure that won't happen. UEFA won't let it happen cos teams like Aberdeen, West Ham etc will die. Lets be happy in the fact that we are in the SPL, and we can dominate it. Lets accept that we can can do what we can do in the CL, limited money but can still get to the last 16. Porto are an example of a team that can come from a smaller league and win, so we should follow their lead. Being a G14 team doesn't auromatically mean success, Porto proved that, with the right leadership, scouting, and belief so could Celtic.

[Carntyne]

Why do people watch football?

There are many reasons, but I think we can safely say that the majority of fans watch it to be entertained, which is why Celtic supporters moan and groan even after a win, if the fare on display is poor.

'Let's be happy we are in the SPL and can dominate it!'

I find that sentence sad, as it shows a lack of ambition and confidence.

A club of Celtic's size and stature should be trying to compete with the best in the game, and getting out of the stagnating SPL would be the best way of trying to accomplish that.

We would be on a level playing field financially with all the other teams in a new league, and would not be handicapped when playing the likes of Barcelona becaue mainly of their financial muscle.

Of course we wouldn't win the league every year or second year, but that's what makes a strong league attractive.

Competition.

Last point.

You really shouldn't have to ask what makes Celtic different from Spurs and Everton.

If you know the history.......

[Jackie Flannery]

all good points and i understand where your coming from,but there is a chance we wouldnt be invited to a european league if it was only a 18 team league and only one league.

Why do people watch football?

There are many reasons, but I think we can safely say that the majority of fans watch it to be entertained, which is why Celtic supporters moan and groan even after a win, if the fare on display is poor.

'Let's be happy we are in the SPL and can dominate it!'

I find that sentence sad, as it shows a lack of ambition and confidence.

A club of Celtic's size and stature should be trying to compete with the best in the game, and getting out of the stagnating SPL would be the best way of trying to accomplish that.

We would be on a level playing field financially with all the other teams in a new league, and would not be handicapped when playing the likes of Barcelona becaue mainly of their financial muscle.

Of course we wouldn't win the league every year or second year, but that's what makes a strong league attractive.

Competition.

Last point.

You really shouldn't have to ask what makes Celtic different from Spurs and Everton.

If you know the history.......

[Carntyne]

all good points and i understand where your coming from,but there is a chance we wouldnt be invited to a european league if it was only a 18 team league and only one league.

What you say might be true Jackie, but you can't dismiss anything until you actually know what's on offer.

sdstim, who started this thread said...."If anybody had any dreams about joining the EPL(not me) then you can forget them now."

I won't be forgetting my dream, which is rather rather a negative view.

To have any hope of having a dream come true, you first of all have to have a dream.........