The recent suggestion that Celtic and Sevco could be invited to join an enlarged five division English Football League has brought out the worst in English commentators.
Fuelled by a bubble of broadcasting money that is certain to burst at some stage a generation of pundits genuinely seem to believe that clubs like Southampton, West Brom and Stoke are genuine world powers.
While those clubs, and others like Bournemouth and Watford, have worked the system perfectly, unlike fallen giants such as Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, the bottom line is that 75% of Premier League teams owe their current status to the marketing power of half a dozen clubs.
Take away Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea and the bottom suddenly falls out of ‘the greatest league in the world’ as clubs scramble for survival without the £100m payout from broadcasters.
There are plenty of obstacles for Celtic to overcome if they are to realise their true potential, there would be a ferocious debate if the offer ever came along to quit Scottish football for England but the club would survive.
With 50,000 season ticket holders regularly delivering home attendances in the top three in the UK Celtic can stand alone as a football club whatever the financial climate.
Taking issue with that claim is Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail who believes that a move south would involve the EFL but not the Premier League.
Writing in the Daily Mail he claims a move south would result in: “So no Champions League football, probably no Europa League football, and none of that lovely Premier League money either. Rangers and Celtic would as good as consign themselves to the backwaters, a pointless existence, noses pressed against the glass for ever.
“From a Football League perspective, their presence might even affect the pyramid unless the Premier League were prepared to agree that promotion candidates could finish as low as eighth.
“The unpleasant reality is that Celtic and Rangers have to solve any crisis in the economics of Scottish football from the inside; and the Football League have to realise what it is about.
“How ironic that they should be re-branded the English Football League when one of the first considerations is to open the door to another nation.”
As the broadcasting bubble prepares to burst Samuel should keep an eye on Portsmouth or Bolton and speculate as to which current Premier League clubs will plunge the depths rather than sneer at a successful football club that lives within it’s means concentrating their energies and finances on kicking a ball.