The manager of St Johnstone originally mentioned this earlier this year in statements cited in the Daily Record [14 March]. He also stated that the two Old Firm players ought to provide £50 million apiece to other Scottish teams.
Prior to St Johnstone’s Wednesday, December 20 trip to Ibrox, Levein reiterated the recommendation while outlining his goals to raise the national football level.
Regarding prize money, he is cited by BBC Sport [19 December] as saying, “The top two get it all.” Not all, but a significant portion in comparison to the others, yes. And that somewhat slows down the others.
“It would be amazing to watch the Old Firm compete in the Premier League of England.” Then they could afford to give the rest of Scottish football £50 million a season each. Will it occur at all? Not in my opinion.
“The competition on the field is fierce until you consider how much money the Old Firm has in comparison to the rest of the field.” However, the others are very competitive.
Really, it should go without saying that Levein’s remarks are very strange.
The former manager of Scotland is advocating for Rangers and Celtic to drop out of the division, but he also wants them to find a combined £100 million to support the teams they are leaving behind.
Levein should be reminded that Rangers, and yes, Celtic, contribute significantly to the Scottish game’s revenue stream through both their European advancement and television rights.
It wouldn’t be right to penalize the Gers for being huge drawers. Like in every competition, the top teams are inherently compensated with greater sums than the bottom teams.
Rather, it is up to the other teams, including St Johnstone, to figure out how to close the gap on the top two.
As it stands, Rangers and Celtic appear to be locked in an exciting championship battle that will only pique interest from a wider audience.
It’s safe to say that the Gers won’t be leaving town anytime soon, nor will they use half of their annual operational budget to bolster rival teams.
GET MORE NEWS HERE