SPL: FIFA block Old Firm switch

FIFA have blocked Rangers and Celtic's proposed move to the English Premiership.

Both Old Firm clubs have indicated that they would prefer to play football south of the border.

But FIFA vice-president David Will insists both FIFA and UEFAclaim the game would "fall apart" if they allowed such plans to go ahead.

He said: "The Old Firm switch would not be permitted by FIFA or UEFA. In recent years there have been only two occasions where Fifa has given permission.

"A New Zealand club play in the Australian league and the two clubs in Liechtenstein are in the Swiss league.

"There is no professional set-up in these countries. Football would fall apart if Austrian clubs played in Italy, Dutch clubs in the Bundesliga."

Speaking on a Grampian TV North Tonight Special, 'Life Without the Old Firm', to be broadcast on Tuesday, Will claimed the only way Rangers and Celtic would have a chance of playing in England would be to leave their bases of Ibrox and Parkhead and move south.

He added: "They would have to move lock, stock and barrel to a home in England.

"A team cannot be based in one country and play in the national league of another."

Rangers chairman David Murray insists the Ibrox club have "no option" but to leave the Scottish Premier League.

He said: "Television is driving this whether we like it or not. People would rather watch the Old Firm on a Monday night than Middlesbrough v Southampton.

"If it doesn't happen, football as we know it doesn't have a future anyway. We can all see what's happening in the world in a variety of industries and football is not immune.

"Our commercial and retail activities bring in £15m, more than the turnover of several Premiership clubs, but we cannot squeeze any more out of the lemon.

"Our supporters are hurting at the moment so there's no way I can put prices up either. There really is no other option for us but to leave."