Let the Lisbon Lions Roar Again

It is an argument which has raged on and on in the past decade and beyond, but last nights stuttering 0-0 draw at home to Aalborg can conclude only one thing: Celtic must DUMP the Scottish Premier League.

Celtic are a global club with a fanbase to rival that of giants Manchester United and Real Madrid, but their affiliation to their domestic league has only acted as a hinderance to their growth off the field, and their progress on it. The SPL doesn't offer the week-in-week-out competitiveness that the likes of Arsenal, Benfica and even Aalborg are accustomed to. Sure, the 50,000 who turn up without fail are happy to see the Bhoy's trounce Falkirk 3-0, but it's when Aberdeen becomes AC Milan, Inverness becomes Inter and Motherwell becomes Man Utd that the head, not the hoops, starts to spin.

It has been just over 40 years since the Lisbon Lions roared to a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in their greatest ever night. Since then the nearest they have come to european glory was the 3-2 UEFA Cup final defeat to Jose Mourinho's Porto in 2003.

I don't want to cascade the SPL too much. It has improved, but with all attentions, money and resources south of the border, it will always remain a substandard league not conducive to supporting Celtic's European ambitions. Many players have snubbed Celtic and Rangers because they do not feel the SPL is worthy and that their talent should be showcased on a much bigger stage.

The solution? ...to jump ship and join the football league.

The FA blocked such a move for the two Old Firm clubs to join the then First Division (The Championship) back in 2002. The FA's rules dictate that only English and Welsh clubs can take part in the Premiership and the Football League, which are run on a pyramid structure that cannot be circumvented. UEFA said they would only consider such a move by Celtic and Rangers if the national associations agreed to it, killing off the proposal.

Six years later and a lot of water has gone under the bridge. The recent proposal by Premier League chief Richard Scudamore for a 39th game overseas shows a willingness for expansion (as well as to advertise the brand in developing markets and raise £5million per game). But instead of taking the league half way round the world for a quick buck, why not look a little closer to home for expansion. Take the game to Glasgow and in years to come the Lisbon Lions might just roar again.