Poll: Hypothetically Joining EPL

Hypothetically, would you support the old firm joining the English Premiership?

  • Yes

    Votes: 950 69.2%
  • No

    Votes: 422 30.8%

  • Total voters
    1,372
Seriously mate you honestly think this is going to happen??
It’s a smoke screen for people to take the heat of the ESL and who better to bombard stations like sky and talk sport to talk about it ?old firm fans.

And yes I’m very happy to go to these places.
We’ve no even got the trophy yet are your treating it with disdain.
The OP's poll was whether we would support it or not.

Do I support it? Yes
Do I think it will happen? No

If there was a possibility of a British league that would enable us to tap in to the money the likes of the EPL teams have I'd be all for it. It would give us the financial platform to compete at a far higher level and increase our chances of European success.

I'm treating nothing with disdain, it's a hypothetical thread about us joining a league that would financially benefit us way beyond what Scotland alone could ever offer.
 
Interesting point, but maybe you could elaborate on that?
We are lucky enough to be owned by people that have our best interests at heart but they won't be around forever.

Eventually we would turn into a big corporate entity, real fans priced out, stands full of tourists like Anfield, Ibrox demolished so we can move to a new stadium next to Braehead, looking every year to maximise dividends for the investors, celebrating finishing 4th, losing every bit of identity the club has.
 
Just like pretty much every other league in Europe then.

Exactly. But this is why the game actually needs the ESL but not the ESL clubs being allowed to stay in their domestic leagues. Create the ESL franchise and let them playing their 20 odd competitive games a season whilst touring the world playing friendlies around these games.

If you took the Big 6 out of the EPL and put Rangers and Celtic in and promoted 4 Championship Clubs, it would be a brilliant league. You couldn't pick a winner of it.
 
We are lucky enough to be owned by people that have our best interests at heart but they won't be around forever.

Eventually we would turn into a big corporate entity, real fans priced out, stands full of tourists like Anfield, Ibrox demolished so we can move to a new stadium next to Braehead, looking every year to maximise dividends for the investors, celebrating finishing 4th, losing every bit of identity the club has.
I could imagine all of this, sadly.
 
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It’s all ifs and buts of course.

Right now we have guaranteed European football and in the short term we would not have that in the EPL as I do not feel that we would have the immediate finances to compete with the big 6. It’s not like some rich Arab would invest overnight.

So that’s the negative. But in the long term the cream would rise to the top.

However, the EPL way of life seems to be content with being in the European slots and not necessarily winning anything. I don’t like that.
 
No thanks, we'd just become another Arsenal or Tottenham. Aiming to finish 4th and gorge on that sweet, sweet champions league money nom nom nom.

Meanwhile, the real fans are priced out.
 
If this poll is a fair sample representation of our fans (and FF usually is to be fair) then this is pretty settled. British league certainly has the fan’s consent...
 
Closer to happening now than any other time in history. To become a truly global power again and over time have a chance to win CL is a major plus. But the EPL is sanitised crap so if we were to lose our identity and soul I'd rather stay in this cesspit of hate.
He definitely couldn't have made that argument about his Boro side
Graeme Souness said on Sky the other week if Rangers had access to the same funds as the teams in the EPL they would easily complete with the likes of Liverpool or Manchester United
 
Should be a ‘don’t know’ option.

Living down in England, I’d (selfishly) love it for the ease of seeing my team more often.

However, Rangers are firstly a Scottish team that should play in a Scottish League. And secondly, I hate the way the game is being drawn away from the die hard & true supporters, follow following at ever increasing costs.
 
Not for me as I think ST prices would rise steeply and be out of my financial zone.
This is one of the biggest crimes of the EPL! The money they get from tv dwarfs the gate receipts so much so, that a survey a couple of years ago said they could play in empty stadiums and still turn a profit, so why do they charge so much for the fans to attend? Surely the club should be rewarding their ST holders with cheaper tickets? Surely that should be the trickle down effect of those clubs gaining so much? Instead they sting the ordinary man to the point of bankruptcy.
 
Joining the EPL in its current format: No

Becoming part of a brand new and fully restructured British Football League: Yes
That's where I am.

But also of the opinion that the whole story is a load of shite based on a very vague quote from an "un-named source".
 
Quite apart from the monetary side of things for the moment - enormously important as it is -
Scotland's so-called football authorities are not fit for purpose - by any standards -
& if the truth be told they're getting worse by the day

We play in a unique league - no other country has this level of mickey mouse incompetence
Playing each other 4 times - splitting the league at 2/3rds of the season through with an uneven number of home & away fixtures left - really is bizarre

& I haven't even started on the corruptness of most other decisions - obscene salaries for donkey Doncaster - numpty compliance officers that aren't even contactable - incapacity to negotiate with T.V. companies beyond pittance levels - & I've still barely scraped the surface here

I don't like being a part of this shit-show

Given this level of ensconced corruption - I fully understand changing this from within - is some task - especially considering our current reduced representation in the wheels of power -

But we really can't carry on like this imo
Drastic changes are needed - even if joining the English League doesn't happen
 
Abandoning Scottish football to join the EPL - no.

Joining the top league as part of a full British pyramid structure featuring all clubs - yes.
 
If this poll is a fair sample representation of our fans (and FF usually is to be fair) then this is pretty settled. British league certainly has the fan’s consent...
The same fans that were up in arms 5 days ago.
 
Closer to happening now than any other time in history. To become a truly global power again and over time have a chance to win CL is a major plus. But the EPL is sanitised crap so if we were to lose our identity and soul I'd rather stay in this cesspit of hate.
We'd be no better than the Clubs that were going to jump ship to join the ESL,yes we can see the attraction coming up against the Liverpool's and Man.Utds on a regular basis I think would be box office,but that seems a cliquey kind of set up and being brought up with Rangers winning so many domestic honours would be a big miss and the big change I want to see is a shake up of the powers that be here who are running our game,or should I say ruining our game.
 
Could we handle possibly not winning a trophy in 10-20 years? I know this seasons title was nearly 10 years, but we all knew it would happen sooner rather than later.

I'd worry we became a Newcastle type club. How long since they seen their captain lift silver.
 
I never voted as I'm sitting on the fence on this , having read n seen all that's been said on the thread ,theirs pro's and cons . But imagine not just winning the battle ...... but being King's of Britain..... feck it I'm in .
 
If it was done correctly with a route in for all and jeopardy of relegation, then a British league would be a very progressive step.
 
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It'll obviously never happen - BUT - if we had the chance to leave behind the corruption of our own governing body and remove ourselves from the disdain this country has for our club and switch over to a bigger, better league that would financially help our club no end, then why the hell would any sane minded Rangers fan even think twice about it?
 
Blue tinted specs off, we would be outside top eight and mentally challengeds would be relegated, no more European football for the foreseeable it's a no for me.
 
We would be saying goodbye to everything we love about the club and becoming a corporate shitshow.


I don't know how anyone can look at big clubs down there and thinking I want to become a tourist club like them.
The so called big 6 were chosen because they are the tourist clubs. 3 in London so accessible for most foreign tourists. United and Liverpool are tourist clubs as they are the biggest in the land. City not so much a tourist club, but invited as they are continually around the top of the league and have loads of money. Outside of those 6, the rest are just clubs with lots of TV money. You're not telling me that people are rocking up at Villa Park or St James' from Japan on a regular basis. United leave 4,000 tickets to the side for every home match aimed at first and only time visitors. That is around £1 million of merchandise sold at every home match. Rangers wouldnt have space for tourists unless the Rangers board held back tickets for that purpose and I dont see that happening. Most of the clubs are not corporate shit shows at all. There are passionate ordinary fans at every club in the EPL.
 
Voted yes, but currently fine with how it is.

Preferably a better tv deal would have the Scottish league competing and more interest back into it.

However I would not opposed to a British league and try and fit the Scottish clubs in there too (i know, i know). It could only benefit clubs and get more money back into Scottish football again and get the love and crowds back interested.

It would be an absolute mess though trying to get that organised and new leagues proposed etc. Would Northern Ireland and Wales would also need to be invited too?
 
I would echo those that say they would be for it if there were a pyramid that basically joined the 2 setups.


That said, I strongly believe we now owe Scottish football the square root of hee haw and whatever suits us best should be our choice, with the same regard show to the others as they showed to us. None.
 
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Blue tinted specs off, we would be outside top eight and mentally challengeds would be relegated, no more European football for the foreseeable it's a no for me.
I think a lot of us in Scotland need European football to break the drudgery of touring crappy Scottish stadia watching crappy Scottish teams. If you have big name English clubs home and away every other week, how much would you miss Europe? If indeed qualification for Europe is not possible and who is to say it isnt?
 
Blue tinted specs off, we would be outside top eight and mentally challengeds would be relegated, no more European football for the foreseeable it's a no for me.

Don't agree with that at all.

Given access to extra resources, and married with the ethos, mentality, culture and winning tradition at Rangers, the club would be a force to be reckoned with, and quickly too.

Auchenhowie and Ibrox are already centres of excellence, where the highest standards are expected. They would, naturally, be taken to the next level given access to extra funding.
 
If it were a British League I would say yes, however we are a Scottish club in the Scottish league, and I am still celebrating title 55
 
Blue tinted specs off, we would be outside top eight and mentally challengeds would be relegated, no more European football for the foreseeable it's a no for me.
If our current team went in as it is then yes. However we would have access to the insane tv revenue they have down there and would attract more investment and therefore could improve the playing squad significantly. At that point our history and status means we would be a much more attractive side to sign for than all bar a very few of the top sides. At worst I think we would be Europa league level (after the investment) but we would be competing as one of the favourites to win it.

Look at the premier league table right now if we could pay the same wages would a player rather sign for Rangers or Leicester/West Ham/Tottenham?
 
Could we handle possibly not winning a trophy in 10-20 years? I know this seasons title was nearly 10 years, but we all knew it would happen sooner rather than later.

I'd worry we became a Newcastle type club. How long since they seen their captain lift silver.

Newcastle are a big club in Newcastle and maybe the north east, don’t think it is comparable.

We’ve proven i beyond doubt last 10 years we are Rangers fans not glory hunters, but if this was done properly with everyone’s consent couldn’t the Scottish cup continue, I don’t see why not.

We’d have to adapt to not expecting to win trophies every season, for me having a genuine chance of competing with the best again is worth that.

Getting into the CL should be about more than a few nice fixtures and a decent paycheque. A club our size deserves to have a chance of going deep in that competition and a possibility of winning it one day. For most of the history of European football competitions that has been the case, nothing changes it slips further and further away.
 
The so called big 6 were chosen because they are the tourist clubs. 3 in London so accessible for most foreign tourists. United and Liverpool are tourist clubs as they are the biggest in the land. City not so much a tourist club, but invited as they are continually around the top of the league and have loads of money. Outside of those 6, the rest are just clubs with lots of TV money. You're not telling me that people are rocking up at Villa Park or St James' from Japan on a regular basis. United leave 4,000 tickets to the side for every home match aimed at first and only time visitors. That is around £1 million of merchandise sold at every home match. Rangers wouldnt have space for tourists unless the Rangers board held back tickets for that purpose and I dont see that happening. Most of the clubs are not corporate shit shows at all. There are passionate ordinary fans at every club in the EPL.

So we would either be a tourist club or a mediocre middle of the table at best club.
 
So we would either be a tourist club or a mediocre middle of the table at best club.
Like I say, I dont think general tickets would go to tourists unless on the secondary market. Then you need to blame "fans" for selling their tickets. Mid table? I have no idea what £120 million a year of free money brings in terms of football. But you could say it was 11 players on £10 million a year each and £10 million a year for the best manager. Why does that equal mid table? At the moment its either finishing first or second in a league that isnt even mid table by comparison with most of Europe. And playing in Scotland doesnt really give you a shot at winning the EL. Prague looked OK but got gubbed by an Arsenal team we were all laughing at this week for being invited to the ESL. Its all relative.
 
I voted no because I don’t like the thought of us “joining” the EPL.
I would love to see revamp of the various FA’s that would create a British league structure that would involve all clubs a place in there somewhere for Linfield, Hearts , Hibs etc. A British Premier League overseeing British regional leagues with the opportunity for all clubs to move up
 
If this happened, Dave King's shares would cost a lot more to buy :))

I would love the English and Scottish leagues to merge. Not only would it be good for us, it would be good for all the diddies as well, renewed interest in them in whatever league they were in, with different teams to play and different places to visit. Can you imagine an Aberdeen or Hibs or Hearts fighting to win the Championship and get promoted to the Premiership? Their fans would love that kind of shit.

And I don't understand the people saying "our history is in Scotland, we should stay here"

Of course our history is in Scotland, it's where our league has been based, we've had no choice in the matter, but that doesn't mean it can't change.
Do all the people saying this not enjoy when we play in Europe, because it's not where our history lies?
 
Absolutely not for me.

I’ve seen first hand what happens to traditional English teams when they come into money.

Their identity and traditions get stripped away bit by bit and end up being infiltrated by tourists with half and half scarfs.

A move to England isn’t for me. I don’t want that for our club. Our club we worked so hard to get back to where we are now.
 
Im pretty sure that if Swansea and Cardiff were offered the chance to leave the English League and the FA Cup and go to the Welsh league and cup, they wouldn't be too interested.
 
Football is more than money.

Hypothetically, if the finances of the EPL were the same of the SPFL, would most of those saying yes still want to go?
I think so for me personally, the idea of a british league sounds much better than the league and structure we have now like the split, playing each other 4 times a season. The increase in finances is a bonus to me
 
Bears I've been reading this threads about other leagues with interest last week or so and it looks to me as this will never happen but i personally wish it would and here is my tuppence worth why.

My first game was 1960 watching Rangers play Clyde at Shawfield and have loved the rangers since like so many others ,so I like so many have seen lots of changes.
Everyone of you Ask yourself this would you work in a place were you were hated,detested,cheated,
lied about,stolen from and tried to destroy you from every person around you, with no help from anyone apart from your family, no not in a million years.

Well this has been happening for decades now but the worse happening in 2010 when all involved from other players,managers,clubs,
boards,media councils, councillors and all governing bodies aided by there government friends tried to do to destroy Rangers once and for all,we have been dictated to about our principles and history, who we can sign,what we can sing about,who we invite into our ground,but across the city they are allowed to cheat,lie openly support terrorist with there rebel bands,banners,effigies,
paedophiles and
there blatant disregard for our country and not one thing has been said or done by any of the mentioned

We got put down to the lower tiers but the only good thing about this as we have been the only club i can remember helping out every small club we played and putting them on a good financial footing for there future,something there SFA,SPFL have never done for anyone other than Celtic and themselves.

For a decade football clubs,sfa,spfl have had it all there own way with no Rangers and through these turbulent years we got no help from anyone but our own family,were we followed all over the country to support our team both on and on the park.
Once again we are the pride of Scotland winning in Europe and carrying the flag that doesn't want anything to do with us,domestically we are back at the top on a sure footing and getting stronger all the time.
We don't need Scottish football but as in the past as you have all seen it need us.
If we did move to another league success would take time and patience, which we have plenty of unlike others who were closing down parts of there stadiums,so called best fans in the world left in there tens of thousands nowhere to be seen,and now after one bad season they as before have stabbed and turned there back on there club.
Scotland don't deserve Rangers and would be better off away ,but we are a loyal club and will likely stay put but please don't forget RANGERS owe scottish football nothing.
WATP
 
Yup, an all British top flight with maybe even the SPL winners entered into the Championship play offs.
Would we end up another Aston Villa or Spurs, win f'all for decades and celebrate a top 4 finish, I don't think we would.
 
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