...for now.

And watch the Premiership care as the Old Firm caves in on itself and goes bankrupt playing in front of Championship crowds whilst paying Premiership wages.

I don't think we can afford to be so smug as our own league is similarly cartel-ridden and uncompetitive, with the smaller teams vastly over-stretching themselves trying (unsuccessfully) to compete. The product is better, the framework not. The entire structure of European football needs a radical shake-up, starting with salary caps and IMHO horizontal rather than vertical structures, ie a "franchise" system from the top down without promotion/relegation between leagues. Eventually there will be a European Super League at the pinnacle of this with the 4 big English and 2 big Scottish teams in there for me. And it'll be great. Let scummy teams like mine (Hull City) play in a league we can actually win.

Imagine if Liverpool actually get that 4th Champs League spot after all. There'll probably be a tidal wave in Japan caused by the thud as every neutral fan in the country simultaneously dies of boredom.

A European Super League with two Scottish clubs (Rangers and Celtic!!!) We are talking about two teams who are more Coca Cola Championship quality than Premiership!!! Tis a pity though, that they are not in the Premiership as watching Rangers and Celtic battling with the likes of Portsmouth, Bolton and West Ham for survival would be worth watching.

As for salary caps and the franchise system, this has been suggested but its so american and totally goes against the spirit of European football, European football has a history that american sports just don`t have, clubs have a huge history that are lnked to particular cities and regions and the franchise system just wouldn`t work. I agree about capping salaries to a degree, as it has just got so out of hand. If memory serves me correctly The Bundesliga imposes some type of salary capping or at least their biggest team Bayern Munich does.

There's already salary capping in English football.

League one & League two have been doing it for years. Clubs can't spend more than 60 per cent of their total income on players salaries.

Scottish football could go down the pan, or even worse, we could be as bad as the oirish football league, armature football, at least they'll play for the jersey......

You've obviously never been to Ireland.Most of the towns those teams play in arn't big enough to support a professional football team, especially given how popular Gaelic Football,Hurling and Rugby are in Ireland.

Are you sure? I've never heard of that but even if it's true it's only applying it at a level where there is essentially parity anyway. Also the "percentage of turnover" wouldn't help Everton keep hold of Rooney etc., if anything it increases the likelihood he leaves. It's a flatter cap that's needed, which, of course, requires that the clubs in any league be on roughly the same footing.

Can you provide a source for this? I watch vast amounts of football at various levels yet have never heard of this. And why wouldn't it apply also to the Championship, which is also under the same Football League umbrella?

Unknown Soldier - of course you're right that the 2 big Scottish clubs are poor but that's due to the difficulty they face attracting top level players to a mediocre league. My point is that if you put them in a European Super League then with their infrastructure and massive fan bases they would compete. The same would be true if you put them in the EPL (after a few seasons of getting up to speed), however I don't support that within the current structure as it makes no sense. Why not let Bayern Munich have a crack at Serie A etc. There are good logistical reasons for it but it's just a minor fiddle when we really need a much bigger shake-up.

It was introduced to League two in 2003 to help try & reduce the amount of teams going into administration. League one went ahead the following season.

It was a voluntary scheme more to keep clubs solvent more than anything. I guess the reason it never went to the championship was because I can't imagine clubs trying to get into the premier league wanting to cap players wages.

I have no idea if it's still running now.

Here's the best article I can find on it.
Whelan calls for top-flight salary cap - News & Comment, Football - The Independent

Happy Birthday Old Trafford.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Old Trafford stadium (The Theatre of Dreams).
My greatest memory of the place was back in 1984 when United played Spain's Barcelona in the Cup Winners Cup quarter final 2nd leg.
United were 2-0 down from the 1st leg and faced an uphill struggle against Maradona's Barcelona.
The atmosphere hours before the kick off was nothing short of partizan.
It was clear to everyone lucky enough to have been present that night (I was one) that a United victory was imminent. There was no question of defeat.
Bryan Robson's performance was the stuff schoolboy dreams are made of.
Just watching this again raises the hairs on the back of neck.



Incredible night!!!