A British Cup would get the backing of the top clubs in Scotland according to Rangers supremo Ali Russell.
Rangers lead calls for the introduction of new knock-out competition
A British Cup would get the backing of the top clubs in Scotland according to Rangers supremo Ali Russell.
The Glasgow giants are set to approach the Scottish Football Association with plans to create a cross-border knock-out competition after getting the thumbs-up from fans.
The format would be different to the Anglo-Scottish Cup competition that ran from 1975-1981 as it only included teams that had not qualified for Europe and therefore barred the best teams from either nation from entering.
Russell believes the revamped competition could replace the flagging League Cups in both countries which has been devalued in the eyes of some as a handful of clubs field reserve-team players in the earlier rounds.
"As a football club, a British Cup is something Rangers would be interested in and we'd like to work with the appropriate authorities to see what is possible," said Russell.
"We want to see some positive change. We are in an entertainment industry and our feedback is that fans find the concept of a British Cup appealing
"With these sorts of things, I think at times it's very much a case of nothing ventured, nothing gained. Looking at the League Cup tournaments both north and south of the border, they have both struggled in the last few years.
"Some clubs have stopped using first-team players in them and they maybe haven't had the same standing in the football calendar as they used to.
"The situation deserves a good review and the concept we are looking at is one which I think is a good one. Why should we not connect the two tournaments?
"It would create something where there is a bit more cross-border competition than we have seen in a number of years and it would be a great opportunity for several clubs on both sides.
"The prospect of Rangers going to play against the likes of Newcastle or Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea would be a good one for fans."
