Bruce seeks two-tier top-flight

Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce is calling for the Premier League to be extended to two divisions to reduce the enormous financial gap that exists between the top flight and the Nationwide League.

Bruce believes the monetary differences between playing in the Premiership and Division One are too great with clubs often facing financial ruin if they are relegated.

In recent years the likes of Leicester City, Derby County and Ipswich Town have experienced such problems after losing their place in the Premiership.

Bruce feels a two-tier competition would reduce the financial divides and also would like to see Celtic and Rangers invited to participate.

Bruce said: “You can see how difficult teams find it coming into the Premiership.

“This season Wolves, Leicester and Portsmouth are fighting for their lives. The same happened the year before when we came up.

“For me the only solution would be a Premiership One and Two and also invite Celtic and Rangers.

“I think the finances demand that. As things stand the difference between the reward and risk is just too great. You slip out of the Premiership and your club goes bankrupt.”

Bruce also believes that the Premiership has become “predictable” given the way that Manchester United and Arsenal have dominated proceedings.

He said: “It has been Manchester United and Arsenal on 10 occasions with just one title for Blackburn in the middle. I think it is predictable now.

“If you asked the average man in the street ‘pick your Premiership top five’, nine out of 10 would say Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Liverpool.

“And it is very difficult for anyone to break into that group and match them in terms of wealth and the squads they have been able to assemble over the last 10 to 12 years.”