Time to join the English league?

[macd123]

This is talked about every year in terms of the old firm going. But if they go, we might as well all go. The Rotherham thing really puts it in perspective and look at clubs like Bournemouth and Wigan too. We just can't compete. Is there any point in keeping on isolating ourselves?

I know the question is would they let us in? But if they can make exceptions for Swansea and Cardiff...

I'm not a lawyer but I also wonder if they could stop us (under EU law), if we were prepared to work our way up from the bottom.

One thing is for sure if it's not on our agenda and we leave it up to the Old Firm, we will be nothing but an afterthought in the whole debate.

[Greencore]

Unless any real investment is made into Hibernian and we can afford to double what these clubs are offering our staff and players then there isn't much we can do.... Same for every club in Scotland bar sevco and celtc.

[MWHIBBIES]

I quite like going to away games so...no?

[hibbyboy1]

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This is talked about every year in terms of the old firm going. But if they go, we might as well all go. The Rotherham thing really puts it in perspective and look at clubs like Bournemouth and Wigan too. We just can't compete. Is there any point in keeping on isolating ourselves?

I know the question is would they let us in? But if they can make exceptions for Swansea and Cardiff...

I'm not a lawyer but I also wonder if they could stop us (under EU law), if we were prepared to work our way up from the bottom.

One thing is for sure if it's not on our agenda and we leave it up to the Old Firm, we will be nothing but an afterthought in the whole debate.

Also think this is the way to go. May take a few years but could see us become a top team

[Billy McKirdy]

I think it's inevitable, the big two are desperate to leave the Scottish leagues and if they go I believe most bigger teams in Scotland will want to match that ambition and go too, us included.
The old firm have continually agitated to leave our leagues and consequently any sponsorship has been difficult to clinch, factor in the years of inequitable distribution to favour the big two and you get what we have now.
If they go the money on offer will evaporate.

[SanFranHibs]

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Also think this is the way to go. May take a few years but could see us become a top team

A definite NO!!! We should sort our own league out.

Assuming you are not meaning the Manchester teams, Chelsea, the Big London teams, Liverpool, what do you mean by a top team anyhow? A Newcastle, Villa, Birmingham, Leeds, Wolverhampton, Forest, Derby, Portsmouth, Wednesday, Sheff Utd? The list is a long one! And where would we start? The National Conference Scottish section?

But if it ever happened, I would be instantly finished with 'Scottish' football.

P.S. The English league don't need Celtic and Rangers and probably don't want them. If they ever leave I think it would be some kind of European Super league as I am sure UEFA would love to concoct the next level of keeping the big boys on top forever.

[KWJ]

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I quite like going to away games so...no?

Exactly. Hibs away to Plymouth on a winter Tuesday's night does not play into the hands of away fans at all. Unless we all get free flights.

[PeeJay]

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This is talked about every year in terms of the old firm going. But if they go, we might as well all go. The Rotherham thing really puts it in perspective and look at clubs like Bournemouth and Wigan too. We just can't compete. Is there any point in keeping on isolating ourselves?

I know the question is would they let us in? But if they can make exceptions for Swansea and Cardiff...

I'm not a lawyer but I also wonder if they could stop us (under EU law), if we were prepared to work our way up from the bottom.

One thing is for sure if it's not on our agenda and we leave it up to the Old Firm, we will be nothing but an afterthought in the whole debate.

You don't think a third year in the Championship makes us an "afterthought" in the "debate" anyway?

[hibbyboy1]

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Exactly. Hibs away to Plymouth on a winter Tuesday's night does not play into the hands of away fans at all. Unless we all get free flights.

What about hibs at home to chelsea/man utd/liverpool/arsenal/man city/spurs, in a 30,000 packed out easter road with the corners filled in.

[Danderhall Hibs]

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I quite like going to away games so...no?

The English leagues allow away fans into the ground.

[marinello59]

There is no good reason for the Rnglish league to let us in so it will never happen.
It's up to Scottish football to rise to the challenges we face rather than expecting the English league to bail us out.

[Oscar T Grouch]

I'm a Scotland football fan, if there was a GB league system there wouldn't be a Scottish football team so I'm oot. Playing for years in the English conferences doesn't appeal anyway.

[hibbyboy1]

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I'm a Scotland football fan, if there was a GB league system there wouldn't be a Scottish football team so I'm oot. Playing for years in the English conferences doesn't appeal anyway.

Wales have a national team and they have teams in the english league

[steakbake]

Scottish Football needs to sort itself. A move to England would be a financial disaster. At least 2-3 years playing really poor teams who'd send very few away fans before landing in League 1 at best. The OF media bangs on about it, but there's no chance it'd happen. I'd imagine the highest a Scottish club would get is the Championship, maybe a Premier League yoyo team. The top teams there have been coining it in for years - there's no way to compete with that.

[Oscar T Grouch]

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Wales have a national team and they have teams in the english league

Wales have two teams in the English league and still have their own league.

[Holmesdale Hibs]

I can't decide whether I like the idea or not. It would be good to have a few glamour ties in the cup but then I do fear we'd be lost in the lower leagues. Just look at Winbledon and Plymouth yesterday taking huge support to Wembley, our large fan base in Scotland would be nothing special down there.

I can't see it ever happening though, mainly because the old firm are more trouble than they are worth and no one wants them damaging the premier league 'brand'.

[hibbyboy1]

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Wales have two teams in the English league and still have their own league.

Could we not have 5/6 teams in the English league and keep our own league

[Alfred E Newman]

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Also think this is the way to go. May take a few years but could see us become a top team

Aye right. That's some statement concidering the fact that it's taking us a few years to get out of this crap league.

[superfurryhibby]

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Aye right. That's some statement concidering the fact that it's taking us a few years to get out of this crap league.

Touche!

Too much fantasy football for some.

It aint going to happen, ever, ever, ever....... End of

[greenpaper55]

Why would any English teams vote to allow us or any other teams to play in their league, this would make it more difficult for them to retain their own status in the league, it's a non starter. Besides , if the NATS get their way we would be a separate country so another no go !.

[Waxy]

We shouldnt join the English league though we should demand more sky tv money. All Scottish people dont subscribe to sky to watch Man utd.We're treated unfairly by sky. Maybe a British cup would be decent.

[J-C]

There has been talk for a while about a European super league which would see the top 5-6 EPL teams joining up with Europe's elite, if that happened then a restructuring of the leagues might happen.

[Oscar T Grouch]

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Could we not have 5/6 teams in the English league and keep our own league

Which 5 or 6? who chooses? It would probably not be Hibs then, it would be SPL teams. Swansea and Cardiff are exceptions to the rules.

[Islington Hibs]

Sadly Sky's money and the Celtic/Rangers duopoly has killed Scottish football. Even Celtic now struggle in Europe. Each EPL game gets £10m of TV revenue. That is more than Hibs get in a season.

Frankly it depends what you want whether you support joining the English leagues or not. If you are a traditionalist and happy playing at the current level with the chance of cups but probably not much else stick with the devil you know.

However if you ever want to see any chance of Hibernian playing at a serious level again I am afraid there is little option but to follow the money. In time Hibs would be big enough to play in the EPL and although I think more regularly a Championship side. Same is undoubtedly true of Aberdeen and Hearts. The leagues are genuinely competitive unlike the SPFL.

It is a tough call. I would be sad to abandon Scottish leagues for many reasons but Rotherham shows just how far we have sunk. In my lifetime from giving Liverpool and Leeds Utd a game to where we are now.....If it was possible, and I don't think it is as EPL have shown no interest, I would probably tend to join the English leagues.

[GreenCastle]

Whenever this is mentioned I say 1 simple thing..

The English leagues don't need Scottish teams.

Why would they want to share their money with us - where would the Scottish teams enter (at the bottom of the pyramid which is non league?), do they need the old firm nonsense ?

It's not going to happen - we need them more than they need us.

Before all the SKy / BT money etc maybe but now no chance.

Scotland needs to restructure and get the main league better and better crowds / more affordable etc.

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

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There has been talk for a while about a European super league which would see the top 5-6 EPL teams joining up with Europe's elite, if that happened then a restructuring of the leagues might happen.

If that happened then the rich clubs would only get richer and the other clubs would start to tail off considerably due to a lack of funds. All that Sky/BT money would be focuses on the Euro league.

[Ozyhibby]

Keeping Scottish teams out would not survive a legal challenge. It's only a matter of time before it happens.
I enjoy Scottish football and don't mind that we don't have the same money as England, I do see the attraction of getting away from the SFA and its corruption.
Change is coming. The bottom team in the BPL will receive £120m next season plus a £50m parachute payment. That's 3 times the turnover of Celtic, our biggest club. It would be better for Hibs, Aberdeen and Hearts to be part of this debate rather than waiting to see what happens. Staying in Scotlamd without the old firm would be suicide.


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[TAHibby]

Lunacy. How many fans would we take to royal cumbertown super police fc in the 20th tier, 400 miles away? It really doesn't make any sense at all and don't see why it would ever be granted. It took Wimbledon 14 years and that it a rare exception you would expect. We would become a Rotherham at very best and that would be after losing many years watching this trying to happen

[Scouse Hibee]

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Wales have two teams in the English league and still have their own league.

Newport makes three,how about getting some English clubs into the Scottish league set up

[JeMeSouviens]

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Keeping Scottish teams out would not survive a legal challenge. It's only a matter of time before it happens.
I enjoy Scottish football and don't mind that we don't have the same money as England, I do see the attraction of getting away from the SFA and its corruption.
Change is coming. The bottom team in the BPL will receive £120m next season plus a £50m parachute payment. That's 3 times the turnover of Celtic, our biggest club. It would be better for Hibs, Aberdeen and Hearts to be part of this debate rather than waiting to see what happens. Staying in Scotlamd without the old firm would be suicide.


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I agree with that. There is a strong push from within UEFA to make cross border leagues happen. They need to fix the problem of only Italy, Spain, France, Germany and England having large enough audiences to bring in big revenues. That leaves lots of big clubs on the outside, like Celtc, Ajax, Porto, etc.

The joker in the pack could be Catalan independence. There will be enormous pressure (from both sides) to keep Barcelona in La Liga.

I'd go for a full scale British Isles league with a regional pyramid. Hibs are a big city club with potential to be at or close to the top level and even a European power again. There's also potential from Ireland to build something big in Dublin and Cork. A rump Scottish league without the OF and no access to the top table would be consigning ourselves to history.