Tony Bloom: I'm here to disrupt Scottish game and take on Old Firm
The Brighton & Hove Albion chairman, Tony Bloom, has spoken publicly for the first time about his £10million investment in Hearts and his intention to 'disrupt' Scottish football.
Months of negotiations were completed when Hearts' members approved Bloom's plan to buy into the Edinburgh club via a 29 per cent stake of non-voting shares. The deal means there is no dilution of voting power for the fans' group and majority shareholder The Foundation of Hearts (FoH). Bloom's long-term right-hand man, James Franks, will become a director to represent him on the board.
Bloom's £9.86million investment is a sum equal to about half of Hearts' annual turnover and amounts to a third significant source of additional income after the funds raised by the FoH's 8,000 monthly pledgers and by the annual multimillion-pound injections from the club director and benefactor James Anderson. Hearts also have about 15,500 season-ticket holders.
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