Scottish clubs ready to abandon Old Firm

Scottish Premier League clubs outside the Old Firm have announced their intention to resign from the league. The decision comes after the collapse of SPL TV last week, when Celtic and Rangers vetoed the proposed new television channel.

The remaining 10 clubs were angered by the decision and have now proposed to resign from the SPL with two seasons' notice. They were left facing an uncertain future when the Old Firm rejected the TV deal.

The 10 clubs are now set to carry out their threat to quit the SPL, leaving Celtic and Rangers without a league competition. However, they said the Glasgow giants can still join the newly-formed league when it is created for season 2004-05.

Both Celtic and Rangers have already intimated they wish to move away from Scotland, where they feel they are being stifled financially, but this move will come as a surprise.

The Hearts chief executive Chris Robinson said: "The 10 clubs intimated to the chairman of the meeting that we had to give two years' notice of our resignation under the rules of the SPL. The reasons for that were simply that the clubs do require to take control of their own destiny and future and to operate under rules of fairness in terms of voting structure and distribution."

Underlying the clubs' resignation is the wish to be free of the voting structure in the SPL which effectively blocks any proposals that do not have the approval of the Old Firm. In response, the Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod said: "It was very surprising. We gave them an opportunity to continue the dialogue but they seemed very intent on this purpose. There has been much said about hidden agendas but I think the hidden agenda was revealed today."

The Rangers vice-chairman John McClelland added: "We were surprised because the meeting had gone very well. It is a serious issue but we have a long time to discuss it and get it resolved."