Stoke chairman Peter Coates says he would not be in favour of the Old Firm clubs moving to the Premier League. Plans for a two-tier top flight including Celtic and Rangers are due to be discussed at a chairman's meeting on Thursday.

A number of managers including David Moyes, Martin O'Neill and Harry Redknapp have admitted they would welcome the Glasgow clubs into England.

However, while Coates thinks the English game needs reviewing, he said he would not support any Old Firm proposal.

"We have lots of fine clubs in England to play and we have a system that has worked very well in a competitive sense," he said.

"We have 20 teams in the Premier League and they are all tough games. If Celtic and Rangers were to come in, after a while it would become the norm.

"It would be no big thing. I think the minuses outweigh the pluses."