Talks on Old Firm switch to England put on hold

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The Nationwide League insist any deal to bring the Old Firm to England will have to wait until its problems with ITV Digital are ironed out.

Celtic's major shareholder, Dermot Desmond, has reportedly reopened negotiations over a move south. However, Football League clubs are in dispute with the broadcaster over the £178.5m owed for the remaining two seasons of their three-year deal to screen live games from Divisions One, Two and Three.

The problems in England are mirrored by television difficulties in Scotland where the 10 non-Old Firm clubs have announced their intention to quit the Scottish Premier League after Celtic and Rangers vetoed the SPL TV proposal.

But the Nationwide League maintain any further discussions over a move south by the Old Firm would be addressed once the legal wrangle with ITV Digital had ended.

A league spokesman told BBC Sport Online: "We don't know what we can offer in the way of sponsorship at the moment as we have to find another TV deal for next season.

"The idea of the Old Firm taking part in the Worthington Cup had been floated by chairman Keith Harris but it never got beyond the informal stage.

"We are always open to ideas and, if Celtic and Rangers approached us, we'd listen to what they thought. But Uefa is saying that we cannot have cross-border competitions so it does not seem to be a starter."