According to BBC, Scotland's finest, plus one other, are to join a new European League. Details below:

Celtic and Rangers are poised to leave Scottish league football in the most sensational move in the history of the game north of the border.

BBC Scotland has exclusively revealed that the two Old Firm giants have been involved in talks, with the backing of the Scottish Premier League, designed to create a European league that would start in season 2002/3.

The new set-up will feature 16 clubs from seven nations, with three sides from Scotland. The other participating nations are Holland, Portugal, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

A potential television audience of 59 million, larger than the cash-rich English Premiership, is the major driving force behind the move.

Discussions

SPL chief executive Roger Mitchell admitted: "Discussions have been going on for some time and the SPL has been at the forefront of these talks.

"This is a chance, not just for the Old Firm, but for all ambitious clubs in Scotland."

Qualification would be by merit, with the clubs finishing in the top three next season winning promotion to the new league.

In the unlikely event that the Old Firm finish outside the top three, Rangers and Celtic would remain in the SPL and be among those guaranteed substantial compensation payments for missing out on the lucrative new format.

Opposition

The previously much-vaunted Atlantic League foundered on the rock of Uefa opposition.

However, representatives of clubs from the seven nations met on Friday to continue discussions and they believe they are close to receiving the necessary backing from Uefa, the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish League.

They also stress that it is not a "breakaway" from the Scottish game and, indeed, the three clubs taking part in the European league would continue to participate in the Scottish Cup.

The other departure from the Atlantic League idea is the introduction of promotion and relegation from domestic leagues.

Guarantee

Initially, the new league would guarantee three places to Scotland, four to Portugal, four to Holland, three to Scandanavia, which would be treated as one nation, and two from Belgium.

That would mean Scotland's representatives would be involved in home and away matches with the likes of Benfica, Porto, PSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Feyenoord, Rosenborg Trondheim and Anderlecht.

Those finishing bottom would be involved in an end-of-season promotion and relegation play-off that would give clubs left behind in the SPL the chance to swell Scotland's representation further.

Games would kick off at 1pm on Saturday afternoons in an attempt to maximise television audiences.

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See also:

11 Aug 00 | Scotland Celtic slide into the red BBC News >>

10 Aug 00 | Scot Prem SPL weekend preview

10 Aug 00 | Rangers Rangers reject Albertz bid

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Links to top Scotland stories are at the foot of the page.

Hmmm - should make supporting your teamhome and away a bit interesting.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2000

Answers

Very interesting. Take the richest clubs from the 2nd tier in europe (except for Holland?) and now you have something special. But wouldn't Ajax and Porto want to remain in the CL?

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2000

It's just a shame that they can't take the top English club as well. perhaps we should start a petition? Oh and Stu i've been trying for the last half hour to click on the links on the posting , but non of them work. wat yer deein man?

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2000