THE appeal of a future cross-border cup competition to Scottish clubs is an obvious one.

Starved of significant television income and with two of the three major trophies still without a sponsor, there was more than a pang of jealousy felt when their English counterparts recently announced a new TV deal worth a staggering £5.1bn. If there is to be any advantage in being stuck right next door to one of the biggest cash cows in world football then surely it is that, somehow, there must be a way for Scottish clubs to get a quick squeeze of the udders.

To that effect, the Scottish Professional Football League board have begun discussions about the possibility of creating a cup competition featuring Scottish clubs and those in the Football League in England. It is not something likely to get off the ground until the tail-end of the decade, but it is certainly something on the agenda of several Scottish clubs as a "medium-term objective".

What would be in it for those in England, however, remains to be seen. The cachet of Scottish football has probably never been lower, as anyone grabbing hold of an English newspaper and scanning for coverage would quickly surmise. The downfall of Rangers - and the lack of Scots playing at the top clubs in England - has further stimulated the view held by many down south that Scottish football has shrunk almost to the point of irrelevance.

Television and sponsors, however, would seem the most likely drivers of any cross-border competition and those involved in the branding and marketing of English sport believe it is not an idea that would be instantly dismissed. The lure of Celtic and Rangers, despite the latter's well-documented problems, is still strong, while sponsors are also increasingly drawn to anything that seems original and fresh. An Anglo-Scottish Cup is not a new idea - it was played annually in the 1970s, originally as the Texaco Cup - but reviving it 40 years later would seem like a pioneering move in an otherwise fairly staid market.

"There is no doubt there is room for innovation when it comes to cross-border sporting activity," said Tim Crow, chief executive of Synergy Sponsorship, promoters of the Capital One (League) Cup in England. "When you talk to consumers there is definitely an appetite for it, whether it is the reintroduction of the Home Nations or something else. If it was done in the right way at club level I think it would be terrific, especially when you consider the financial implications. For whatever reason, both north and south of the border, outside of the Barclays Premier League times are tough. So it's got to be worth looking at."

The FA Cup, held up as the most esteemed club cup competition in football, is without a sponsor this season and could be ripe for a revamp. "We were just discussing in the office what a cross-border FA Cup could look like," added Crow, who couldn't comment on whether his client Capital One might also be interested in such a premise. "The FA Cup is struggling a bit, attendances are down, and it hasn't got a sponsor. It needs something and this could be it. Fans are always interested in something new if it's innovative and also credible. Football remains king on these islands."

It goes almost without saying that any such project would likely need the involvement of the two big Glasgow clubs. "If you could find a way to sprinkle a bit of Celtic and Rangers magic on a project then that would be great," added Crow. "There is no doubt they're a huge draw. They are two very big clubs. I can't imagine there is a single English club who would not like to have a game against either of them."

The recent brouhaha over the decision to stage the 2022 Qatar World Cup finals in November and December highlighted the difficulty of trying to crowbar even more games into an already crowded calendar. Steve Martin, CEO of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, who have worked with David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and the England rugby team among other sporting clients, believes a revamped League or FA Cup could prove popular with clubs and sponsors, but felt there may be opposition to the creation of a brand new competition.

"I think there would be an appetite for such an idea if you can get the right brands on board," he said. "The debate might be how it fits into the calendar, bearing in mind what's been happening this week with the World Cup. I think potential sponsors might have an eye on any new competition being seen as a third or fourth tier event behind the others. People are already complaining there is too much football. So perhaps reinventing an existing competition might be the best way forward."