The Scottish League Cup, sponsored by CIS Insurance, is a competition that is failing to grip the imagination of the Scottish public particular since the SFA removed qualification to the Uefa Cup for the winners. O'Neill believes that the carrot of a game against English opposition would restore the Cup to it's former glory.

England's League Cup is also not treated as seriously as you would have hoped by many Football League clubs, including Manchester United who were comfortably beaten 2-0 by First Division West Bromwich Albion this season in a game that Sir Alex Ferguson decided to field several youth team players. The possibility of a Cup final against his former club Rangers would surely see United's Scottish boss treat the competition with more respect.

O'Neill's Celtic side face Hibernian in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup this week, and the winners of that tie will face Glasgow Rangers in the semi-finals. The Irish-born manager hopes that the British Cup will be instated quickly so that the two winners can meet in an end of season show down, but in reality it will probably be the following year.

"I think the competition would obviously take on a greater significance if there was a game like that at the end of the season. But that is calendar permitting, especially if the side down south is involved in the latter stages of European competition." said O'Neill.

The decision of the Premier League chairman is set to be the final piece of the jigsaw to decide whether or not the match will go ahead. It will then be decided if the game, which would become an annual event, will take place at the end of the current season or the following year. The date of the game is likely to be in May, with a game in this month preferred to a pre-season match-up to prevent it becoming a glorified friendly.

The format of the possible competition has not been discussed, but it would likely to be either a one-off game with the venue switching between the countries each season, or a two-legged affair. Carling have shown positive backing to the plans, and are the lager giants are set to offer prize money of £400,000 for the winners and £300,000 for the runners-up, plus there will be the obvious share of television revenue for both clubs involved.

What do you think of the ideas? Should the British Cup between the two league winners, rather than the League Cup winners? Or is this way the best way to give life to the two trophies? Post your thoughts on the ManUtdWeb messageboard.

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