Old Firm must keep battering England's door

TO PREDICTABLE scorn, Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell and Ibrox counterpart Martin Bain have made another pitch to join England's Premier League.

They must ignore the derision and keep knocking that door until it opens and believe me, it will.

Maybe not at the end of the current TV contract in 2013, but it will happen. Change is the only constant in football these days.

The type that saw the formation of England's top flight in 1992. The kind that saw the emergence of our own SPL and the creation of the UEFA Champions League.

Did anyone see Bosman or Freedom of Contract coming at the time? Recent developments convince me the big two will eventually get their wish. First was the shift in UEFA's opposition to cross-border competition.

Their original resistance flew in the face of European Union legislation. If Marks and Spencer PLC are free to trade in Moscow why shouldn't Celtic PLC have the same option?

Now UEFA have backed off saying they'll leave it up to individual leagues and associations.

Until recently the Barclays Premier League has laughed off any notion of Old Firm involvement, but there are signs of change in the air.

In August, I covered Wigan versus Manchester United at the DW Stadium. At kick-off there were thousands of empty seats. This on a summer's day when the champions were in town.

A week later I witnessed the same scenario at the Reebok where Bolton were hosting Liverpool. Empty seats are bad for the image of an organisation that has worked tirelessly to establish its reputation as the world's best.

Nobody can accuse England's top flight of complacency. The much derided 39th step was another marketing attempt at milking even more money from their global appeal.

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside may presently represent a minority who would welcome the Old Firm into a two tier set-up but make no mistake, money will drive this.

The new foreign billionaires currently buying up Premier League clubs aren't in it for the good of English football. They would entertain teams from the moon if they thought it would generate more cash.

Critics of the Old Firm's selfishness aren't hard to find. Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson, above, led the way saying: "They are only thinking of themselves. But does England really need the Old Firm?

"I don't think they would add anything to the Premiership." He's right on the first point. Of course they're acting out of self-interest.

But weren't Dundee United guilty of the same thing when co-founding the private members club now known as the Scottish Premier League?

As for his second point, he couldn't be more wide of the mark. The best thing that's happened to England's top flight has been the emergence of Manchester City as major players.

The cosy Big Four monopoly is under threat and that is great for business. Through time the Old Firm would have the same impact even if they had to start in an EPL 2.

Better still, we'd be spared the whining of those telling us Scottish football would be better off without the Old Firm. Some chance.

JUST days after watching their threadbare side lose at Ibrox, Celtic punters will note the ironic elevation of Hoops shareholder Denis O'Brien to sixth place on football's 2009 Rich List.

The wealth of the telecom tycoon, who funded the Republic of Ireland's appointment of Giovanni Trapattoni, is estimated at an eyewatering £1.73billion.

Throw in Dermot Desmond's pile and Celtic have two of the most resourceful backers in world football.

Makes you wonder why they're slumming it in the Europa League while skint Rangers are rubbing shoulders with Europe's elite.

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