Celtic and Rangers Women in shock 'talks' over move to ENGLISH WSL as rivals threaten move across border
Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers are reportedly involved in shock talks over a move to the Women’s Super League south of the border.
The Hoops won the league last season when the pipped their great rivals on the final day. However the financial gap with Europe is still there, highlighted by Celtic's position at the bottom of their Champions League group in their maiden campaign. Chelsea, Real Madrid and FC Twente have proved too much for them and there is a feeling that further investment is required in Scottish football to compete.
And now The Times report that Rangers held informal discussions with the FA over joining last year. These preliminary discussion have continued with Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), the company that took ownership of the WSL and Women’s Championship in August.
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Nikki Doucet is the chief executive officer of that company and is hoping the addition of the Women's Old Firm side can expand the women’s game.
The Scottish Women’s Premier League was only formed in 2022 and it is widely believed that the argument for Rangers and Celtic women to join the English system is a more realistic idea than for the men’s teams, given the relative infancy of the game in both countries.
The idea of Rangers and Celtic’s men’s teams joining the Premier League has been sporadically mooted over the last few decades. In 2009, then Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore rejected a proposal by the Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside to let Celtic and Rangers join an expanded English league calling it a “a non-starter”.
The Times reports that talks are at a very early stage and that there has been no official approach to the SWPL or the Scottish FA. The notice period for leaving the Scottish league is two clear seasons.
