Celtic and Rangers 'big enough to be Premier League clubs' as 2009 proposal revisited

Celtic and Rangers both have the support and the size to be brought into the Premier League-system in what would be a dramatic and controversial change to British football.

That is the opinion of former Aston Villa, Tottenham and Everton scout, Bryan King, who exclusively spoke to Football Insider about the prospect.

Such action would undoubtedly have a detrimental impact on Scottish football, surely leaving the Scottish Premiership in disrepute.

Celtic and Rangers hoped to see the move happen in 2009, when Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside, proposed that the Premier League be enlarged into two 18-club divisions.

The initial plan would have seen Celtic and Rangers invited into the lower of the two leagues, but it was overwhelmingly rejected.

The rest of Gartside's plan was taken forward for further discussion, but ultimately led to nothing.

Bryan King questions why Old Firm switch never revisited

Gartside's proposal was ultimately about financial security, with the new expanded Premier League to spread the huge money produced by England's top flight further.

In 2009, Rangers revealed that they had made a loss of £12.7million in the previous year and they would go into administration just three years later.

Neither Old Firm club chose to actively join in with the proposal, but did not oppose it, either, amid a desire to enter a more lucrative league.

Speaking to Football Insider, King asked: "When is the day going to come where those two clubs will maybe be brought into the Premier League system?

"Anybody who's supported that largely, like those two clubs are [should be in the Premier League]. The competition in Scotland isn't the best, is it?

"You know, maybe that has an effect on the national team, I don't know. But if you had those two top clubs playing in the Premier League, why shouldn't it happen?

"Support-wise and club size-wise, they're both big enough to be Premier League clubs. But again, how would you restructure it?"

Tony Blair was 'obsessed' with Old Firm switch

Moving Celtic and Rangers to the Premier League has been an idea that has been discussed time and time again.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair even admitted his obsession with the idea in 2017.

"I know it sounds a bit strange but I was for a time quite obsessed with the idea that, for example, for football we should be opening up the English league and the Scottish league and having them together," he told BBC News.

"I always thought we should be looking at ways of making sure that people felt a connection."