WITH the same regularity with which Santa places Rudolph and the elves on standby, the Celtic board seek to recruit their own band of little helpers to promote the message that football really cannot go on much longer as a credible concern without them being granted a route into England.

It is now a yearly event. Unlike Christmas, though, wishes go wholly ignored. Rather, Peter Lawwell and his fellow directors appear forever resigned to the role of Bob Cratchit looking through the toy store window.

It is nothing new to Pierre van Hooijdonk. The hoary old subject of British leagues was being bandied around when he was playing up front for Celtic 20 years ago. He returned to Glasgow this week to have a glass of cider and a bit of craic around the Fenerbahce game to find Dermot Desmond, major shareholder at Parkhead and master of the understatement, describing the Barclays Premier League as the "Holy Grail".

Clubs such as Ajax and Feyenoord, kings of Europe in the 1970s, used to bang similar drums. They have massive potential. They must find a way to close the gap between themselves and the game's new elite. Atlantic League, anyone?

Even they now seem to have accepted reality. Van Hooijdonk concedes the Dutch have finally given up all hope of seeing their leading clubs compete in Europe. The money-driven domain of world football is what it is.

The 45-year-old, however, believes Celtic are right to cling on to their dream of reliving their own glory days somewhere down the line, no matter how flimsy it may seem at the moment.

There may be nowhere for the likes of Ajax to go, but he retains a belief that a British league will happen. When it does, he believes Celtic – and Rangers, for that matter – will quickly establish a level of success and the accompanying finances that will allow them to join the coterie of superclubs currently dominating the Champions League.

"For four years, maybe, Ajax said: 'We have to be the Ajax of the 70s again'," recalled van Hooijdonk.

"There is no chance of that. You can surprise teams in a one-off game or go to another level depending on the draw you get, but we pretty much know six of the quarter-finalists in the Champions League before a ball is kicked.

"In Holland, there is a ceiling and the big clubs have hit it. Feyenoord could improve their stadium to increase revenue streams, but that's it.

"Celtic are different. If Celtic were able to join the English League, they could go to the level that Desmond is talking about. The club would explode.

"They could be big enough to join the small group of teams who could win the Champions League.

"The same exists for Rangers. It's just a case of getting to England. Within five years, they would compete for the Premier League title. They are sleeping giants.

"That, though, is the only way that they can ever think about having a Celtic team that's capable of really being there in the Champions League in March or April.

"The potential exists. The problem is that they simply cannot grow where they are.

"There is no plan for Ajax and Feyenoord. We accept they will never be able to compete with the Premier League.

"I don't think it's an unrealistic dream for Celtic and Rangers to go there, though. There's nothing that can make the Dutch teams stronger, but the UK is a family, if you like.

"You have the same currency and drive on the same side of the road. It looks, to me, like an easier situation."

Until then, Celtic's ambition remains severely restricted. Van Hooijdonk believes simply qualifying from a Europa League group that includes Ajax, Fenerbahce and Molde would represent a hugely successful European campaign.

"I think things have changed too much to even match what they did when reaching the UEFA Cup final in Seville in 2003," he said. "If you look at the squad of players and the money spent on it, it's different and that is what matters.

"If they get through this group, they've done a fantastic job."

Van Hooijdonk now works as an agent with Celtic's Nadir Ciftci one of his main clients. The Turkish forward was left as an unused substitute in Thursday's 2-2 home draw with Fenerbahce and has managed just one goal in nine appearances since joining from Dundee United, but van Hooijdonk would like to see him paired up front with Leigh Griffiths rather than painted as his direct rival for a jersey.

"One is a natural goalscorer and the other is a forward player, capable of linking up play," he said. Nadir is not Leigh's rival.

"I still hope Celtic will be able to play both of them one day. The combination would be ideal because Leigh has qualities Nadir does not have and vice-versa.

"If you are looking at Nadir as someone to score 25 goals for Celtic, you are looking at the wrong player. He scores goals, but he also creates them and has a real value for the team. He is not a 'number nine' like Leigh.

"Nadir played from the left and in behind at Dundee United. In my day, we played with just two up front and you don't see that much nowadays, but I believe we do make systems too important sometimes."

*Pierre was in Glasgow helping to launch Magners Ice Cold.