Surely the cheques that were paid out to build the stadium were signed by the football club, using funds that had been provided as a loan by Tony Bloom - albeit a loan that he might not expect to be repaid? Or, to answer the original question ... no, Tony Bloom didn't pay for the stadium, the Club did.
If I'm wrong, someone who has read the accounts will no doubt correct me.
Someone told me today he sold his share in a betting company for £300m.
I think you'll find it was a fair amount more than that.
Someone told me today he sold his share in a betting company for £300m.
The stadium belongs to The Community Stadium Company Limited. The Community Stadium Company Limited charges rent of £1 million a year to Brighton and Hover Albion Limited.
Both companies are 100% owned subsidiaries of Brighton and Hove Albion Limted. Tony Bloom has 96% of the share of Brighton and Hove Albion Holdings Limited, costing about £65 million, and loans of about £120 million
In cash terms, TB pumped all the money in for the stadium, academy/training complex, and to meet the club's vast annual losses year-after-year, into the group company bank accounts 100% out of personal and private funds.
The Albion group companies then wrote the cheques to construction companies, and to meet all the usual costs/liabilities - wages, suppliers, VAT, PAYE, agents, transfer fees.
TB's funding has meant there has been next to no bank borrowing.
Thank you for answering my question. It makes a huge difference to the money that we have available to buy the players that we actually need as many people are saying spend the money received for Bridcutt and Ulloa but if as I suspect this has just gone in the general finance pot it isnt available. If however TB chose he could defer or suspend some of the repayments to make the money available for transfers but if he was only guarator to the bank it is unlikeky they would do that. Hence my question.
But where did the Community Stadium Company get the cash to pay for the stadium? A pensions fund?The stadium belongs to The Community Stadium Company Limited. The Community Stadium Company Limited charges rent of £1 million a year to Brighton and Hover Albion Limited.
Both companies are 100% owned subsidiaries of Brighton and Hove Albion Limted. Tony Bloom has 96% of the share of Brighton and Hove Albion Holdings Limited, costing about £65 million, and loans of about £120 million
But where did the Community Stadium Company get the cash to pay for the stadium? A pensions fund?
I'm not sure of the exact details (although I do know somebody who does know about similar deals at other clubs and who mentioned the Amex deal to me - not connected in any way to BHA), but I thought the cash received from naming rights, catering, possibly merchandising and maybe other sources is used by BHA to pay off the debt to the CSC. Transfer deals tend to be self financing
The financing deal is similar to one Bolton used to finance their stadium.
I don't think Bloom is rich enough to personally sustain all the costs.
Blimey, I read that as 'bedwetting company'!
Wrong
The loans are personal loans directly from Bloom (his money) there are no borrowing apart from this. That is why he is slowly converting said loans into direct shares. Bloom is a very rich man and can sustain the costs. He has stated this himself.
So "if" we have all this cash floating around, how come we can't afford to buy or attract any good players? FFP shouldn't be an issue if this is the case.
PS I still stand by my original post above.