[Football] Possible Bloom investment in Hearts

[Han Solo]

Would make a lot of sense.

Both Rangers and Celtic had opportunities over the last 20-25 years collect the big fat CL money every year and invest it wisely to create clubs/teams that could challenge big teams in the Netherlands, Portugal etc.

They didn't though, they wasted all the money on temporary success, and today the top teams in Scotland has never been further behind the rest of Europe.

Its been a very comfortable ride for Celtic & Rangers to show very little competence and yet remain dominant.

Their level is actually at the low point where anyone coming in and really rocking the boat could win the league through 3-4 successful transfer windows. This would'nt be possible in most leagues but that's where the Scottish Premiership is at now.

From a business perspective it also makes sense. The money in football is in the Champions League and there's not a lot of leagues where its easier or cheaper to get to CL.
Also clear advantages for Brighton to avoid different transfer limitations and develop players.

 

[Han Solo]

I appreciate most of you won't care but as a Scotland fan, anything that can help disrupt the duopoly of the Old Firm can only be a good thing for football north of the border

It would be a revolution for Scottish club football. Its a country in desperate need of football developers and there's not many better than Tony.

 

[Marshy]

We’re not a Protestant club. A few bozos fly the Union Jack and sing the Billy Boys song but it’s a small minority.

For what it’s worth, one of the first chairmen of the club, Elias Furst, was head of the Jewish Congregation in Edinburgh.

This investment wouldn’t be straightforward as the club is now majority fan owned so would need the backing of the Foundation of Hearts (of which I’m a member).

interesting, keep us up to date Jambo if you hear anything

 

[stewart12]

It would be a revolution for Scottish club football. Its a country in desperate need of football developers and there's not many better than Tony.

yep, unfortunately (or fortunately for them) the big two have such a stranglehold over the league, would be very hard for another club to really break that. Apart from when Rangers were demoted, the only time I can remember was a one off season when Hearts finished 2nd- they had quite a mad Lithuanian (I think) owner who was ploughing money in and they briefly had a good side but it didn't last beyond that one year.

has so many knock on effects. I personally think in terms of the national team it really doesn't help that the Rangers and Celtic players don't really need to be on top of their game apart from 4ish games a season, just seems to breed complacency to me

 

[Han Solo]

yep, unfortunately (or fortunately for them) the big two have such a stranglehold over the league, would be very hard for another club to really break that. Apart from when Rangers were demoted, the only time I can remember was a one off season when Hearts finished 2nd- they had quite a mad Lithuanian (I think) owner who was ploughing money in and they briefly had a good side but it didn't last beyond that one year.

has so many knock on effects. I personally think in terms of the national team it really doesn't help that the Rangers and Celtic players don't really need to be on top of their game apart from 4ish games a season, just seems to breed complacency to me

Yeah.

Not to mention both teams are more keen on signing average players from Eastern Europe or finished PL players rather than developing their own talent. If they had the same approach as other "big fish in small oceans" teams, like Ajax, Feyenoord, Sporting, Anderlecht and so forth, both the league and the national team would be better.

I really don't think its difficult to break the stranglehold, there's just very rarely been real attempts to do it.

Back in 1990, Rangers was the wealthiest club in the United Kingdom. Almost impossible to imagine today. Given the general development, PL was always going to change that, but the main reason these clubs aren't at least as big as the Belgian/Dutch/Portuguese giants is because of incompetence. Decades of poor recruitment and stagnating development.

Luckily for TB, if he's buying Hearts, this means its not awfully expensive or awfully difficult to catch up. Six or seven good young tonybloomscouted £2-3m signings will guarantee you top 3, and if you do it 2-3 years, winning the league is a real opportunity because Celtic and Rangers aren't able to keep up with that sort of progress. Its like USG in Belgium, but easier.

Not a fan of multi-ownership but I like Scottish football and it would be incredibly interesting to see this. The two old steam engines that are Rangers and Celtic are ruining a lot and having them replaced or forcing them to upgrade will always be the key for Scotland to catch up with countries with similar leagues.

 

[nickbrighton]

having read the article, I am not sure who is paying who. Are hearts paying Bloom 10 Million for use of star lizard, is Bloom paying them in return for part of the club, is no money exchanging hands, but if successful Bloom gets 10 Million shares in Hearts

Perhaps i've missed something?

 

[Professor Plum]

having read the article, I am not sure who is paying who. Are hearts paying Bloom 10 Million for use of star lizard, is Bloom paying them in return for part of the club, is no money exchanging hands, but if successful Bloom gets 10 Million shares in Hearts

Perhaps i've missed something?

It’s not very clear, you’re right. I’ve not read it as a co-ownership thing.

 

[pigmanovich]

having read the article, I am not sure who is paying who. Are hearts paying Bloom 10 Million for use of star lizard, is Bloom paying them in return for part of the club, is no money exchanging hands, but if successful Bloom gets 10 Million shares in Hearts

Perhaps i've missed something?

My understanding is, Hearts would pay up to £10m to use Starlizard; if it were deemed a success (and pending shareholder approval), Tony would be offered a minority stake in the club within the next two years, presumably at a cost.

 

[slimes]

It seems half the hearts fans are not interested..
Bottom of a 2 team league with the standard of non league football..

Walkaway!

 

[Barham's tash]

And we'll have exactly the same problem that we had with USG if (and it is a quite likely if) we finish up in the same European competition at some point in the future.

Not necessarily. If his ownership doesn't exceed a certain threshold then he will be deemed to not be exerting significant control over Hearts.

He diluted his position in USG for exactly this reason to enable the clubs to face off against one another if they found themselves in the same competition.

 

[Vicar!]

Hearts can do one. This was the start of our unravelling.

Heart of Midlothian 10-0 Cowdenbeath

Hearts scored 10 goals without reply to condemn Cowdenbeath to the joint-heaviest defeat in their history.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[GT49er]

Not necessarily. If his ownership doesn't exceed a certain threshold then he will be deemed to not be exerting significant control over Hearts.

He diluted his position in USG for exactly this reason to enable the clubs to face off against one another if they found themselves in the same competition.

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.

 

[Barham's tash]

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.

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."

 

[Withdean South Stand]

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."

Much like Dan Ashworth not being able to interact with Newcastle during his Gardening Leave at the Albion, but Newcastle immediately picking up a couple of the players we had been linked with (and in Minteh's case, have now signed).

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Would’ve preferred Hibs. For no other reason than I love Sunshine on Leith.

Hibs have a tie up with Plucky B-Muff AFC Wee Diddy South Coast Team.

TNBA

TTF

 

[dazzer6666]

Would make a lot of sense.

Both Rangers and Celtic had opportunities over the last 20-25 years collect the big fat CL money every year and invest it wisely to create clubs/teams that could challenge big teams in the Netherlands, Portugal etc.

They didn't though, they wasted all the money on temporary success, and today the top teams in Scotland has never been further behind the rest of Europe.

Its been a very comfortable ride for Celtic & Rangers to show very little competence and yet remain dominant.

Their level is actually at the low point where anyone coming in and really rocking the boat could win the league through 3-4 successful transfer windows. This would'nt be possible in most leagues but that's where the Scottish Premiership is at now.

From a business perspective it also makes sense. The money in football is in the Champions League and there's not a lot of leagues where its easier or cheaper to get to CL.
Also clear advantages for Brighton to avoid different transfer limitations and develop players.

Yep….almost like a very clever businessman has spotted an opportunity and is striking when he thinks the timing is right…..

 

[nickbrighton]

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."

but of course the manchester club that had the exact same owner as another club were alowed to play in the same European competition with no restrictions at all

 

[Shirty]

I wonder why Hearts. No disrespect to Hearts, but 10m is chicken feed in football terms and there must be a lot of bigger clubs willing to get their hands on his knowledge for a lot more. I guess he doesn’t want to help a potential competitor but even so.

I would also think Hearts will be fishing in a different pool to us now. They're not going to be able to spend £20m-£25m on up-and-coming players like we have just done, so we we're far less likely to be going after the same targets. Were he to sell data to a premier league team, or to a team from another top league in Europe, we could find ourselves fighting over the same player.

 

[lawros left foot]

I’m all for this.

I used to go and watch the Jambos when I was based at Rosyth.

I would watch them if they were at home, Hibbies if they weren’t.
I had a mate who supported them and the crack on a Saturday was brilliant.

The football wasn’t so great, but, in those days neither were we.

There wasn’t the gulf in class between Scottish football and English football then, the top Scottish division was easily as good as the Championship level.

With a broad Southern accent though, I didn’t used to make myself heard much.

 

[Pavilionaire]

For a selfish point of view I would rather Tony had put his energies - and any spare cash - into giving Brighton a Hove a top quality indoor facility (The Amex Bloom Arena?), ice hockey team and netball team.

The only Elite League team in the whole of the south of England - including London - is the Guildford Flames who play in a modest 2,000 seat arenas, yet Nottingham, Cardiff, Belfast and Sheffield all play in excellent arenas of 8,000-odd.

Similarly, the Netball Super League has shed a number of teams, including the Guildford-based Surrey Storm, so the only teams in the south are the 2 London sides.