The age-old debate over whether Rangers and Celtic should leave Scotland for English football has resurfaced, and the Daily Record Hotline has delivered a brutal reality check to the defection theory.
Former EFL chairman Keith Harris claimed he had an agreement in principle back in 2002 to make the move happen, but callers were quick to pour cold water on the idea.
Callers dismiss 2002 agreement claim
John Scott, Grassmoor, said: "There is no doubt in my mind that some day Rangers and Celtic will need to move to a more affluent league. The longer they continue to fail in Europe, it will be inevitable. However the story of their collaboration in 2002 to join the English Championship made me smile."
Scott added: "Keith Harris states that Hearts and Aberdeen would have been in a position to win the league. At that time Livingston and Hibs were finishing third. Ironically Aberdeen were saved from relegation given Falkirk's ground did not meet the standards of the Premier League. Also at that time the split was introduced. Pretty pointless with no Rangers and Celtic."
He concluded: "So either there's moves in the pipeline now, or Harris' recollection of events is clouded by his lack of knowledge of the Scottish game 20+ years ago."
Support and scepticism from callers
Steven Anderson, Coatbridge, backed the idea, saying: "The English Championship for Rangers and Celtic? I'll crack the jokes... The likes of Bournemouth and Sunderland are thriving in Europe after a few years lapping up the Premier League TV money. Give genuine big clubs like the Old Firm a slice of that pie, with 50k+ home supports behind them, and they'd be challenging at the top within a year or two."
Paul Reilly, Larbert, disagreed, saying: "Let's face it it's never going to happen, but if it did, there's only one club from Scotland that English football would welcome. And ***spoiler alert**** it's not Rangers!"
Reilly added: "If the Ibrox side want to hang onto our coattails like they've done for years up here then we can't stop them, but they'd get left in our dust down there just like they have been in the SPFL for the last 15 years and counting."
Scottish football quality questioned
Willie Mercer, Dumfries, responded to a previous Hotline call, saying: "I wholeheartedly agree with caller Gary Hart about the poor standard of Scottish football and the gulf in quality between our top flight and the Championship down south, never mind the Premiership, and the need for something to be done to improve the quality."
Mercer criticised Craig Mulholland's incentives for Scottish Premiership teams to field homegrown young talent in cup competitions, saying the scheme would be "fragmented" and limited in numbers. He suggested incentivising lower divisions to play young Scottish talent instead, which he said would "loosen the monopoly the Old Firm have in this market."
Kane and cup shocks on Hotline agenda
Harry Kane became the first English player since Michael Owen to win the Ballon d'Or after averaging more than a goal a game for Bayern Munich. Stephen Johnstone, Ardentinny, backed Scott McTominay of Napoli as a future contender, saying: "He could become the first Scottish player after missing out last year as he is a better, meaner leaner player than Harry."
Stephen Mulhern, Dumbarton, compared Fleetwood's EFL Cup win over Arsenal to Berwick Rangers' 1967 victory over Rangers, saying: "Minnows Fleetwood turning over Arsenal in the cup must surely go down as the English equivalent of the greatest cup shock of all time. It’s certainly on par with the Jock Wallace inspired Berwick Rangers' incredible victory over Rangers back in that memorable year in 1967."
