SCOTTISH footballing giants Rangers and Celtic are to be invited by York City chairman John Batchelor to join a new rebel league.
The City supremo has launched a bid that would see all the current 72 member clubs of the Nationwide League - plus Rangers and Celtic - break away to form a new football league that would be backed by American-based battery manufacturers Rayovac.
The company is a contact from Batchelor's motor-racing interests.
The new competition would be similar to the current set-up, but would control admission prices to all grounds, with half of the entrance money going to the league.
The league would use that money to pay a percentage of players' wages - with a flat rate in each division that could be topped up by individual teams - as well as having a fund to help clubs in financial difficulties.
Batchelor said: "Wages would then come down to gate receipts, not on nebulous media deals - although we would still look at that form of revenue."
Updated: 11:46 Tuesday, September 03, 2002
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