LONDON - Premier League chief Richard Scudamore has told Scottish football giants Celtic and Rangers to forget about joining the lucrative English top flight, insisting "no means no".

The chairmen of the 20 English Premier League (EPL) clubs decisively rejected Thursday a plan put forward by Bolton Wanderers' Phil Gartside to include the Glasgow rivals, who have two of the largest fan bases in British football, from joining an expanded, two-tier, competition.

Bolton chairman Gartside's other proposals, including a re-distribution of television money designed to promote a more competitive league and break the stranglehold of the "Big Four" - Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool - on the leading places, will now form part of a strategic review.

There has long been talk of Celtic and Rangers "moving south" but EPL chief executive Scudamore told BBC Radio Five Live: "The clubs discussed this and, as far as Celtic and Rangers are concerned, it's a non-starter.

"The clubs constitutionally voted to say we are not going to take this any further," he added.

"We have made a clear and unequivocal statement. No means no - Celtic and Rangers are not coming in."

In response, both Celtic and Rangers issued similarly bland statements making it clear they'd had nothing to with Gartside's plans.

However, Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith was far more forthright, saying: "I'm glad the uncertainty has been taken away from the situation. It wasn't beneficial having that uncertainty hanging over the game in Scotland."

There had been widespread concern in Scotland about the effect on the club game there if Celtic and Rangers, the two biggest drawcards, were no longer involved in domestic league action.

Hibernian manager John Hughes, whose side lie just behind the Old Firm in the Scottish Premier League, told Sky Sports: "I want to take my team to Ibrox (Rangers' home ground) and Parkhead (Celtic's base); I want to go to those arenas, in front of those supporters.

"And, being a manager of an SPL side, I think they're the cherry on the icing on the cake for us. I feel for them but I'm delighted they're still part of Scottish football."

Gartside, in his annual report last week, said the inequality of wealth between the "Big Four" and the rest was inhibiting competition whilst leading some teams to put their financial futures at risk in a bid to stay in the Premier League.

For example, last season champions Manchester United earned 52.3 million pounds (S$120.13 million) in television money while bottom of the table West Bromwich Albion received 31.6 million pounds (S$72.58 million) - and were still relegated.

Gartside wrote: "The gap between Premier League revenues and those of the (second-tier) Championship continues to widen and I believe a "fear factor" is beginning to emerge amongst Premier League clubs outside the top few."

However, Gartside's proposals for a redistribution of wealth are set to be opposed by the leading teams, who are likely to point out they've already agreed to all clubs receiving a fee of 4.8 million pounds (S$11.02 million) for at least 10 televised games - even if only a few of their matches are broadcast live.

And the next overseas deal for Premier League television rights could be worth nearly one billion pounds (S$2.297 billion) , almost twice as much as the current 650 million pounds (S$1.493 billion) and worth an additional six million (S$13.72 million)  pounds per club per season.