[Football] Possible Bloom investment in Hearts

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Is it possible at this early stage, it's just a bit of fun with potential to make him some money in the long term?

Disrupt the monopoly in Scotland just as he's done in Belgium, with another test for the Algorithm?

 

[GT49er]

The original ban expires this month:

Brighton and Aston Villa not permitted to conduct transfer business with sister clubs

Uefa has forced the owners into making 'significant changes' and will continue to monitor the clubs involved to ensure compliance

inews.co.uk

"Until September 2024, the conflicting clubs assessed by the Cfcb are not permitted to transfer or loan players between them, they cannot share scouting networks or players databases and they cannot collaborate on technical or commercial agreements."

Yes, I know. We had a ban. It was a downside, a penalty, whatever.

 

[Barham's tash]

Yes, I know. We had a ban. It was a downside, a penalty, whatever.

But that expires so one would assume he's doing this venture with Hearts to explore the potential of using it as a route to give our players further experience.

Not sure what you're alluding to in your posts if the ban/restrictions have expired? Completely get it's not everyone's cup of tea for sure but I don't see a downside.

 

[GT49er]

But that expires so one would assume he's doing this venture with Hearts to explore the potential of using it as a route to give our players further experience.

Not sure what you're alluding to in your posts if the ban/restrictions have expired? Completely get it's not everyone's cup of tea for sure but I don't see a downside.

We were banned from trading with USG. Yes, I know the ban has now expired, but while it existed, we were subject to the restriction. What's so difficult to understand about that?

 

[Crawley Dingo]

There's only so many superstar youngsters we can take on, having Hearts share the load with Albion having first dibs on the best doubles the size of our development system with a plus they'll be learning the same language. This looks like a big win for both clubs. I'm betting Blooms investment goes to their youth academy.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

There's only so many superstar youngsters we can take on, having Hearts share the load with Albion having first dibs on the best doubles the size of our development system with a plus they'll be learning the same language. This looks like a big win for both clubs. I'm betting Blooms investment goes to their youth academy.

The same language you say?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Have any of the players we've sent on loan to Scotland got anywhere near our first team?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

But still with a total ban on buying, selling and loaning players - that was the problem I was referring to. USG was a good destination for our young loanees before we were banned from using it.

Was USG really that good for our youngsters?

Considering the two players who benefited most from loan moves there are Mitoma and Adingra, who both went primarily to get the points for a work permit I'm not sure we are missing it now.

None of Kacper Kozlowski, Alex Cochrane or Soufyan Ahannach ended up making it with us. Considering they made 18 appearances between them they hardly set the world alight there.

With the changes to the work permit rules meaning it's going to be very rare that we will need to get a player over the points threshold anymore I don't think the fact we haven't been able to loan them players over the last 18 months has caused us any real problems.

Possibly the biggest downside to the transfer ban was us not being able to go for Victor Boniface last season when he eventually moved to Bayer Leverkusen.

 

[pigmanovich]

Possibly the biggest downside to the transfer ban was us not being able to go for Victor Boniface last season when he eventually moved to Bayer Leverkusen.

Or Mohamed Amoura who is now at Wolfsburg or Cameron Puertas who left for Saudi.

 

[GT49er]

Was USG really that good for our youngsters?

Considering the two players who benefited most from loan moves there are Mitoma and Adingra, who both went primarily to get the points for a work permit I'm not sure we are missing it now.

None of Kacper Kozlowski, Alex Cochrane or Soufyan Ahannach ended up making it with us. Considering they made 18 appearances between them they hardly set the world alight there.

With the changes to the work permit rules meaning it's going to be very rare that we will need to get a player over the points threshold anymore I don't think the fact we haven't been able to loan them players over the last 18 months has caused us any real problems.

Possibly the biggest downside to the transfer ban was us not being able to go for Victor Boniface last season when he eventually moved to Bayer Leverkusen.

So you finally agree there was/could be a downside to the transfer ban, then. Which is what I was saying in the first place.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Or Mohamed Amoura who is now at Wolfsburg or Cameron Puertas who left for Saudi.

Amoura is only on loan, so we could still go for him (I don't know the terms of the loan and if there is a buy option/clause).

So you finally agree there was/could be a downside to the transfer ban, then. Which is what I was saying in the first place.

So you agree it wasn't good destination for a young players then? Which was what your main point was before you changed the goal posts. 25% success rate for young players as Mitoma was 24 when he was there so hardly a youngster. Actually Ahannach was 24 too. So we sent them 3 youngsters in 5 years before the transfer ban kicked in and one of those was to get a work permit. The idea that we are missing out loaning players to USG and that it was some hotbed for developing our younger players is simply wrong.

 

[pigmanovich]

Amoura is only on loan, so we could still go for him (I don't know the terms of the loan and if there is a buy option/clause).

There is indeed a buy option: https://rusg.brussels/en/news/amoura-goes-vfl-wolfsburg

 

[Gabbiano]

Interestingly Hearts fans seem to think this is part of some long term plan to promote and sell Starlizard data to other clubs.

Surely this is nonsense?

For one, if Bloom did that his clubs would lose competitive advantage.

For two, don't Starlizard make most of their money through large coordinated syndicate betting based on their data? Not from selling it to third parties.

For three, as if the evidence from Brighton and USG isn't already a good enough sales pitch for this without adding Hearts into the mix.

Surely Bloom is interested because he sees a chance to make profit by driving Hearts into disrupt the Old Firm and get regular European football. Whilst also being able to coordinate and collaborate with Brighton.

 

[Barham's tash]

We were banned from trading with USG. Yes, I know the ban has now expired, but while it existed, we were subject to the restriction. What's so difficult to understand about that?

Nothing but you are asserting that the ban STILL applies and WILL apply if TB makes this investment in Hearts which I think won't be the case seeing as he is Mr due diligence....

 

[GT49er]

Nothing but you are asserting that the ban STILL applies and WILL apply if TB makes this investment in Hearts which I think won't be the case seeing as he is Mr due diligence....

No. Jesus wept!

Yes, I know the ban on trading with USG is now over, I knew it last week, I knew it last bloody year! Gawd almighty!

If Bloom takes a share of Hearts, and we finish up in the Conference or Europa, and Hearts do too (which they do most seasons) then we won't be able to use any sort of advantageous trading relationship with Hearts like we had with USG!

 

[Barham's tash]

No. Jesus wept!

Yes, I know the ban on trading with USG is now over, I knew it last week, I knew it last bloody year! Gawd almighty!

If Bloom takes a share of Hearts, and we finish up in the Conference or Europa, and Hearts do too (which they do most seasons) then we won't be able to use any sort of advantageous trading relationship with Hearts like we had with USG!

So defensive...

Anyway we can play this game all day.

UEFA Rule 5 doesn't prohibit the transfer of players between two clubs with the same ownership merely implies "closer scrutiny to ensure no circumvention of FFP considerations... and ensure fair market value considerations are given to any transfers"

So again considering Bloom altered the structure of his ownership of USG to ensure we could both compete in the Europa League then once the ban expires (or expired) we would be both able to compete in the same competition AND resume player trading accepting of course that we might be asked to justify prices and or provide deeper analysis of the accounting impacts of any transfers.

This of course remains hypothetical with regards any transaction with Hearts but clearly shows a way forward that Bloom sees as beneficial.

Away from the handbags.....

...as others have stated I highly doubt the Starlizard model has evolved to generate revenue from other clubs at the expense of showing our hand with regards transfers so my only conclusion is that TB is doing it for exactly the reasons i've stated. But what do I know?!

 

[Han Solo]

No. Jesus wept!

Yes, I know the ban on trading with USG is now over, I knew it last week, I knew it last bloody year! Gawd almighty!

If Bloom takes a share of Hearts, and we finish up in the Conference or Europa, and Hearts do too (which they do most seasons) then we won't be able to use any sort of advantageous trading relationship with Hearts like we had with USG!

Maybe UEFA can fend off multi-club ownership and regulate it as hard as they've tried so far for another five or ten minutes.. but ultimately it'll change. Likely these "groups" will be the new standard and there will be a new set of football fans supporting the "City Group" or the "Bloom Group".

 

[Wallace]

Haven't read the article yet but it does make sense, Hearts are massive underachievers, a Scottish West Ham. Unbelievably they've never won the Scottish top flight, Queens Park, Dumbarton and Third Lanark have all won it multiple times. They have a very good owner in Ann Budge (shared with a fan ownership set up) but they do need more investment to compete with the old firm. But they'll only be able to compete with clever investment, not just cash, in that regard Bloom would be a great fit for them.
Edinburgh is a world renowned City and being brutally honest at the moment both Hearts and Hibs are a bit of an embarrassment to such a great city.

 

[dangull]

The last time a Scottish team apart from the Big 2 won the league was the 1984-5 season. In fact, it is more a one team league nowadays, as Celtic have won it 12 of the last 13 seasons. Celtic have a 60,000 stadium and Champions League football at the moment. I Can't really see Hearts changing that with the help of Tony Bloom anytime soon.

 

[HHGH]

Hello BHAFC fans,

Heart of Midlothian supporter here.

Not sure many are overly bothered beyond a wee raised eyebrow about something left field, but thought I would correct a couple of things that were incorrect on the thread.

HMFC have won the Scottish top flight. We were a top top side in the 1950s. Sir Alex Ferguson always has a few fond words about our teams of that era when asked. Money had not changed the football world at that point though.

We are not a “Protestant club”. We are a broad church with supporters from a great many different backgrounds as you would expect with any modern football club. The Catholic - Protestant thing is overwhelmingly a weegie thing. Our city neighbours were founded by Irish immigrants, so over the century and a half of our existence, there have been (largely unsuccessful) attempts to paint our rivalry as a reduced fat (pun intended) weegie old firm thing. This has rarely got beyond a small percentage of the fanbase, except for maybe the 70s.

We are the third biggest football club up here by fanbase, and there is a lot of potential for growth.

Aside from our success in the 1950s, we are as remarked “massive underachievers” due primarily to the financial gulf between the old firm and us.

Our history is inextricably linked to the military due to the events around volunteering for service in the McRae’s Battalion during WW1. This seems to annoy Celtic and Hibs fans for some bizarre reason, as they like to paint themselves as warrior poet freedoms fighters, and see this as a way of characterising a rival.

I have a good friend who stays down in Worthing who is a Hearts supporter. He flies up for most home games. I used to head down once a year to take in an English game and stay with him for the weekend, but starting a family puts the kybosh on these sort of things. One of his mates is a Brighton fan and a good lad, to boot.

Anyway, best of luck with the coming season. Always liked a visit to your town. Here is a search where an English lad has come up to Hearts games and made YouTube videos of his experiences:

football adventures hearts - Google Search

HHGH