Gillford Park were a Northern League side playing one-and-a-half miles away from Carlisle United’s ground. But now they have been re-branded as Celtic Nation and questions are being asked about whether they are a Trojan horse for Celtic to enter the English league system.
They are being bankrolled by 73-year old tycoon Frank Lynch. They have already made two signings of Scottish League players, beating off competition from senior league sides to take a player from Greenock Morton.
Gillford Park were a Northern League side playing one-and-a-half miles away from Carlisle United’s ground. But now they have been re-branded as Celtic Nation and questions are being asked about whether they are a Trojan horse for Celtic to enter the English league system.
They are being bankrolled by 73-year old tycoon Frank Lynch. They have already made two signings of Scottish League players, beating off competition from senior league sides to take a player from Greenock Morton.
Lynch says that the idea is to have a club with a Celtic identity to cater for the Scottish and Irish communities in England. They play in the familiar green and white hoops of Celtic.
But the Northern League is a tough league to get out of and it would be quite a climb even to reach the Football Conference. With all benefactor clubs, one always has to ask will the momentum be maintained if something happens to the benefactor? One only has to recall the example of Gretna just across the border.