By Neil Ravenscroft
December 12 2002

I've been at home with a bout of flu this week, so I seem to have been watching a lot of non Walsall related football! Still, it provoked a few thoughts. The question of the Old Firm joining the English Leagues was raised on the message board again this week, following the second live broadcast of the Glasgow derby.

It was a very entertaining game, very much in the British tradition, with plenty of blood and guts. The problem as I saw it, was that the game was not played with a lot of skill.
I actually think that the match showed that neither team would bring much to the Premiership, with Rangers being marginally the better technically, as the actual standard of play was no better than mid table.

There can be no greater contrast than watching Manchester United's consumate performance against Deportiva La Corunna last night, where the game was played at a far superior level technically. The difference between the games shows clearly why the Scottish teams have struggled in Europe in recent years.

The whole argument about the Old Firm has nothing to do with what will be brought to the English game, other than a lot more packed houses and more TV revenue. It is about money and nothing else. That is why, I think, we have to steal ourselves to it happening at some point, as Mr Murdoch's organisation will insist on it eventually and it is Sky, not the Premier League or the FA who really run the game in this country now.