Football League Chairman Rejects Claims Celtic Will Join League

March 19, 2012

English Football League chairman Greg Clarke has ruled out weekend reports suggesting Celtic could be about to leave the SPL for League One or the Championship.

A report in a Sunday newspaper claimed the Glasgow giants were so keen to join English football that they were in secret talks over a move into League One – the third tier of the English set-up.

Club sources have insisted that is not the case and Clarke himself said it would be “disrespectful” to the Scottish football authorities to enter into any such talks.

“We have absolutely no intention of having any discussions with any club from another national league regarding membership of our competition, rx ” he added.

“This would be highly disrespectful to the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League and will not be countenanced by the Football League.”

It had been suggested that exploratory talks had already begun over a sensational move which would see the Parkhead club leave behind 124 years of history in Scotland and begin life in League One.

Such a move would be a financial shot in the arm for lower league clubs south of the border and would offer Celtic a route into the Premier League.

But the idea has already met with opposition from some club chiefs in England.

Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn claimed it goes against Football League rules and said Celtic would be “destroying their own history” should they leave Scottish football.

by Ismail Uddin