Dick Advocaat recalls how plan for Rangers and Celtic to join Premier League 'scared' clubs in England
Legendary Dutch boss returns to Hampden Park with World Cup newcomers Curacao this weekend
Dick Advocaat will return to the scene of his former glory days with Rangers on Saturday - but this time on international duty with World Cup debutants Curacao when they take on Scotland tomorrow.
The 78-year-old Dutchman, who will become the oldest coach to ever manage at a major tournament finals next month, lifted with Scottish Cup twice at Hampden Park during his memorable three-and-a-half year spell in charge of the Ibrox club in the late 1990s and early 200s.
However, ‘The Little General’ was left pondering what heights Rangers and their city rivals Celtic could have scaled if an ambitious plan to move the Old Firm clubs into the English Premier League set-up had been given the green light.
“It is special to be back,” Advocaat said on the eve of Curacao’s penultimate World Cup warm-up clash against Steve Clarke’s side. “I already have some memories as the manager of the national team of Holland playing against Scotland. But I didn’t expect to play against Scotland with Curacao, so that is a surprise.
“What I remember was the game when half of the stadium was orange (the 2000 Scottish Cup final win over Aberdeen). We had three or four Dutch players and they did really well. I remember the colour. In that way I was quite successful here. You have to be careful tomorrow!
“But that success had a lot to do also with David Murray. David was at that time the president and he was so successful with his company and he was so enthusiastic about everything.
”In the first two years, we did really well with five prizes out of six. The third year was not good for us when Martin O’Neill came in. Then Alex McLeish came in and he did well as well.
Advocaat: ‘It was a great idea’
“David Murray and myself and the people who worked there were very much involved with the training ground. I can still remember what David said. He said, ‘You can buy two good players, or we build a training ground’. So that was a mistake from me!
“I can still remember that David in that period with the president of Celtic tried to be involved in England. But they were scared to do that. And not to start in the Premier League, but to start in the fourth division. But the clubs in England refused to do that. But I still think that was a great idea.”
The prospect of both Glasgow giants joining the Premier League has been on the backburner for several years now since it was last floated and Advocaat, who helped Sunderland avoid relegation from the top-flight during a short spell at the Stadium of Light, can understand why that is the case.
“No it will never happen,” he added. “I think for Celtic and Rangers they are so big worldwide, so big it’s unbelievable. Not everybody realises that, but it’s really true.”
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