British reserve League moves a step closer

Rangers have admitted that plans are well advanced for an elite British reserve league, reports the Daily Record.

The Ibrox side are talking with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton to compete in cross-border games as the SPL reserve league looks set to be discarded this month.

Gers reserve boss Tommy Wilson admits they'll look down south to find glamour opposition.

He said: "We have all these top teams on our doorstep so why shouldn't we use it. We've already played Manchester City, we're in negotiations with Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle and I've spoken to David Moyes about playing Everton down in Liverpool so we would always have a range of games.

"We're playing Blackburn at Murray Park so organising fixtures isn't a problem.

"We need the opportunity for our young players to play fixtures which aren't necessarily every week. Last season we were preparing for one of the biggest games of the season against Celtic at Ibrox when our Under-19s had a Youth Cup Final and the first team were going for the league.

"We had to put out a hybrid team which had never played before with a mixture of first team players and reserves to fulfil a fixture.

"If the league stays the same then fine but if not we'll make alternative arrangements.

"When you have to fulfil fixtures on a regular basis it can become problematic when it is a reserve team. If you organise your own fixtures there's a benefit in that."