Brighton & Hove Albion has been riding waves of success in recent years since the club was promoted to the English Premier League back in 2017. Lately, it has achieved relative Europa League success, coupled with bagging huge player sale profits due to incredible scouting.
Now, its billionaire owner, Tony Bloom, who made his fortune in poker and betting, has invested in a new club in the Scottish Premiership — Heart of Midlothian.
Bloom, who is well known for his use of analytical data to achieve sporting success, purchased a 29% share of Hearts in the form of non-voting shares for approximately £9.86 million ($13.4 million).
The deal is carefully structured to adhere to UEFA regulations, which limit common ownership among clubs competing in European tournaments. Previously, Bloom was compelled by UEFA to reduce his influence over Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise after both they and Brighton qualified for an aforementioned Europa League spot simultaneously last season.
Union Saint-Gilloise, another underdog success story backed by Bloom, captured its first Belgian league title in nine decades this year and will compete in the Champions League group stage for the first time. In contrast, Brighton narrowly missed securing European qualification this season, finishing a more than respectable eighth in the English Premier League.
What’s next for Hearts?
Hearts, who last secured a Scottish title way back in 1960, finished seventh domestically last season, falling short of any European spots. If you haven’t followed Scottish football, it has been overwhelmingly dominated by Celtic and Rangers, who together have secured the past 40 league championships, so any inroads Hearts can make in the Bloom era will be impressive.
Bloom expressed optimism about his latest investment, stating, “I am absolutely thrilled to be investing in Hearts. I firmly believe in the club’s ability to disrupt the pattern of domination of Scottish football which has been in place for far too long.”
Hearts supporters will be hoping Bloom’s successful track record can finally translate into sustained competitiveness for their club, whose most infamous near miss came in 1986 when they squandered a championship lead on the season’s final day, allowing Celtic to snatch the title away with two late goals at Dundee.
