Latest news with #TonyBloom
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'A balanced squad with not a huge amount more to be done'
Brighton & Hove Albion have made a fast start to the summer transfer window but the majority of incoming business appears to be done. The capture of young Greek star Charalampos Kostoulas has certainly grabbed the headlines and the Seagulls appear to have fought off strong competition for his arrival of Diego Coppola, currently performing at the European Under-21 Championship, from Hellas Verona also indicates a remoulding of the defence with the statistics for the 21-year-old's season in Serie A presenting a strong, physical profile. Both will have to transition to a new country and a new league but Brighton has a track record of helping young potential settle into a new environment. Kostoulas will be helped by the arrival of fellow Greek forward Stefanos Tzimas who signed for the club in January but remained on loan at Nuremberg. Coppola meanwhile will be joined by free agent Olivier Boscagli who is expected to join on 1 July after his contract at PSV owner and chairman Tony Bloom this week told ITV Racing he did not think there would be "a huge amount more" business done by Brighton but that the club always stays alert to any opportunities that may arise in the short-term. Now the focus will inevitably switch to departures. Joao Pedro appears to have several suitors, Kaoru Mitoma will be in demand and Carlos Baleba is bound to have his admirers but the management have always only allowed key players to move at the right the arrival of two defenders there may not be room for the likes of Igor Tudor in the squad next season while extended contracts for James Milner and Tariq Lamptey provide continuity with both hoping to put their injury concerns behind the squad looks balanced in terms of age and experience. With one Premier League season under his belt, Fabian Hurzeler should be more adept at getting the best out of his team. The 32-year-old has stressed his desire for physicality and intensity in his squad and both appear to be reflected in the deals done so far.
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Scotsman
a day ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Inside Hearts' EGM that approved Tony Bloom deal - where the optimists outnumbered brave dissenters
Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... On the day Hibs were drawn against FC Midtjylland in Europa League qualifying, Hearts saw their own match-up confirmed. It's now very nearly official: Tony Bloom owns a stake in the Tynecastle club, after shareholders overwhelmingly approved the Brighton & Hove Albion owner's proposed £9.86 million investment. Chairperson Ann Budge expects the deal to be completed within 'the next seven to ten days'. Unlike the Hibs v Midtjylland pairing, this isn't a temporary coming together. Rather, it's hoped, the financial contribution from Bloom, together with his and his associates' expertise, will help sustain the Tynecastle club for many years to come. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But perhaps underlining the way football is going, and how the tentacles of certain rich and increasingly tech-orientated owners are being wrapped around the game, the identity of Hibs' European opponents does seem relevant. They were until fairly recently owned by Matthew Benham, Bloom's old pal. They met when Bloom recruited Benham at the betting firm he set up in the early 2000s in London. Hearts fans have overwhelmingly approved a near £10m investment from Brighton owner Tony Bloom. (Photo by) | Getty Images They have since fallen out, going their own different ways to deliver success at two of Britain's most go-ahead football clubs - Brighton and, in Benham's case, Brentford. They have transferred their skills into the football arena, where data and statistics have become king. It's the ground on which Hearts have chosen to build an annex. Jamestown Analytics, an offshoot of a data firm started by Bloom, have signed an agreement with Hearts. They've already had a significant say in recent recruitment, with varying degrees of success it must be said. Nevertheless, money is money, investment is investment. However admirable is the largesse of Hearts' support, who continue to plough money into the club through monthly donations, it's not brought significant reward on the pitch. Another push is required, particularly given the absence of European football in the coming season. Significance of vote cannot be downplayed While not completely unanimous, Bloom's investment proposal breezed through at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders at Tynecastle. The entrepreneur will have a 29 per cent stake in the form of a new tranche of non-voting rights shares. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts will remain to all intents and purposes a fan-owned club but the ownership structure has changed as has the club's articles of association, so it's impossible to downplay the significance of the day, even if the club's own website took a minimal approach to reporting what had occurred in the Gorgie Suite. 'At the general meeting of the club, held this evening, we are delighted to report that all three resolutions have passed,' it reported shortly after the meeting had concluded at around 5.40pm, following a 5pm start. It hadn't even taken as long as a half of football for the Foundation of Hearts' (FoH) shareholding to be reduced by almost a third, regardless of voting rights. Admittedly, while newsworthy, it wasn't particularly sexy. It wasn't about a cup being hoisted towards the heavens. It wasn't a major new signing – not yet at least. And, of course, the suspense was limited – after all, the approval was all but guaranteed to be gained from shareholders who were nearly all salivating at the chops of the prospect of Bloom coming on board, particularly given the recent strides made by Hibs following fresh investment from the Black Knights Group. Seven board members sat at the top table. Among them was benefactor James Anderson, who along with wife Morag is estimated to have gifted as much as £20 million to the club, which does put Bloom's investment in perspective. That's not to say fresh funds are not welcome, of course. Bloom himself was not present to the evident disappointment of some of those gathered in the room. Hearts chairman Ann Budge, chairman of the Foundation of Hearts Gerry Mallon and chief executive Andrew McKinlay. | SNS Group Concerns aired over 'waffle' Following a short questions and answers session, Budge introduced the first of three resolutions: granting authority for the board to issue over 63 million non-voting rights shares to Bloom. Out of around 230 shareholders in attendance, just three hands went up when she asked who wasn't in favour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Anyone who doesn't vote in favour of this needs their head examined,' was one of the first comments beneath a video of FoH chairman Gerry Mallon outlining the pros of the proposed deal in May. The estimates that around 98 per cent would support the investment turned out to be pretty much spot on. No one likes to be out of step with their fellow supporters so it was brave of the three gentlemen in question to take such a public stance. They all seemed in possession of their faculties so their concerns are legitimate and were adeptly articulated in the case of a Mr Mackie, who stood up to enquire what the money would be spent on. He accused Hearts of 'waffle' in the investment proposal consultation document published on the club's website, where terms such as 'futureproofing' had been used. Budge agreed with his contention that £10m was not a lot of money in today's football world, and it won't all be splurged on high-profile players. Andrew McKinlay, the chief executive, sought to allay fears about multi-club ownership, given Bloom is also involved with Belgian club Royale Union-Saint Gilloise. 'We would never do a deal with any potential to prejudice us playing in Europe,' he said. 'That would be crazy.' One of those opposing had come all the way from Hamilton by train to do so. Ken Darling later stood on a pavement opposite the Tynecastle Arms and explained that he was worried about a continued drift away from using local talent. He made the point that Andy Irving and Josh Doig, who came on as substitutes in Scotland's win over Liechtenstein last week, had both started their careers in the youth ranks at Hearts before moving elsewhere. "Why are these guys not being developed?" he wondered. "We have signed several very poor foreign players recently." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Inside Hearts' EGM that approved Tony Bloom deal - where the optimists outnumbered brave dissenters
Hearts fans vote overwhelmingly in favour of £10m investment Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... On the day Hibs were drawn against FC Midtjylland in Europa League qualifying, Hearts saw their own match-up confirmed. It's now very nearly official: Tony Bloom owns a stake in the Tynecastle club, after shareholders overwhelmingly approved the Brighton & Hove Albion owner's proposed £9.86 million investment. Chairperson Ann Budge expects the deal to be completed within 'the next seven to ten days'. Unlike the Hibs v Midtjylland pairing, this isn't a temporary coming together. Rather, it's hoped, the financial contribution from Bloom, together with his and his associates' expertise, will help sustain the Tynecastle club for many years to come. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But perhaps underlining the way football is going, and how the tentacles of certain rich and increasingly tech-orientated owners are being wrapped around the game, the identity of Hibs' European opponents does seem relevant. They were until fairly recently owned by Matthew Benham, Bloom's old pal. They met when Bloom recruited Benham at the betting firm he set up in the early 2000s in London. Hearts fans have overwhelmingly approved a near £10m investment from Brighton owner Tony Bloom. (Photo by) | Getty Images They have since fallen out, going their own different ways to deliver success at two of Britain's most go-ahead football clubs - Brighton and, in Benham's case, Brentford. They have transferred their skills into the football arena, where data and statistics have become king. It's the ground on which Hearts have chosen to build an annex. Jamestown Analytics, an offshoot of a data firm started by Bloom, have signed an agreement with Hearts. They've already had a significant say in recent recruitment, with varying degrees of success it must be said. Nevertheless, money is money, investment is investment. However admirable is the largesse of Hearts' support, who continue to plough money into the club through monthly donations, it's not brought significant reward on the pitch. Another push is required, particularly given the absence of European football in the coming season. Significance of vote cannot be downplayed While not completely unanimous, Bloom's investment proposal breezed through at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders at Tynecastle. The entrepreneur will have a 29 per cent stake in the form of a new tranche of non-voting rights shares. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts will remain to all intents and purposes a fan-owned club but the ownership structure has changed as has the club's articles of association, so it's impossible to downplay the significance of the day, even if the club's own website took a minimal approach to reporting what had occurred in the Gorgie Suite. 'At the general meeting of the club, held this evening, we are delighted to report that all three resolutions have passed,' it reported shortly after the meeting had concluded at around 5.40pm, following a 5pm start. It hadn't even taken as long as a half of football for the Foundation of Hearts' (FoH) shareholding to be reduced by almost a third, regardless of voting rights. Admittedly, while newsworthy, it wasn't particularly sexy. It wasn't about a cup being hoisted towards the heavens. It wasn't a major new signing – not yet at least. And, of course, the suspense was limited – after all, the approval was all but guaranteed to be gained from shareholders who were nearly all salivating at the chops of the prospect of Bloom coming on board, particularly given the recent strides made by Hibs following fresh investment from the Black Knights Group. Seven board members sat at the top table. Among them was benefactor James Anderson, who along with wife Morag is estimated to have gifted as much as £20 million to the club, which does put Bloom's investment in perspective. That's not to say fresh funds are not welcome, of course. Bloom himself was not present to the evident disappointment of some of those gathered in the room. Hearts chairman Ann Budge, chairman of the Foundation of Hearts Gerry Mallon and chief executive Andrew McKinlay. | SNS Group Concerns aired over 'waffle' Following a short questions and answers session, Budge introduced the first of three resolutions: granting authority for the board to issue over 63 million non-voting rights shares to Bloom. Out of around 230 shareholders in attendance, just three hands went up when she asked who wasn't in favour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Anyone who doesn't vote in favour of this needs their head examined,' was one of the first comments beneath a video of FoH chairman Gerry Mallon outlining the pros of the proposed deal in May. The estimates that around 98 per cent would support the investment turned out to be pretty much spot on. No one likes to be out of step with their fellow supporters so it was brave of the three gentlemen in question to take such a public stance. They all seemed in possession of their faculties so their concerns are legitimate and were adeptly articulated in the case of a Mr Mackie, who stood up to enquire what the money would be spent on. He accused Hearts of 'waffle' in the investment proposal consultation document published on the club's website, where terms such as 'futureproofing' had been used. Budge agreed with his contention that £10m was not a lot of money in today's football world, and it won't all be splurged on high-profile players. Andrew McKinlay, the chief executive, sought to allay fears about multi-club ownership, given Bloom is also involved with Belgian club Royale Union-Saint Gilloise. 'We would never do a deal with any potential to prejudice us playing in Europe,' he said. 'That would be crazy.' One of those opposing had come all the way from Hamilton by train to do so. Ken Darling later stood on a pavement opposite the Tynecastle Arms and explained that he was worried about a continued drift away from using local talent. He made the point that Andy Irving and Josh Doig, who came on as substitutes in Scotland's win over Liechtenstein last week, had both started their careers in the youth ranks at Hearts before moving elsewhere. "Why are these guys not being developed?" he wondered. "We have signed several very poor foreign players recently." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bloom investment gets approval from Hearts shareholders
Tony Bloom's proposed investment of close to £10m in Heart of Midlothian moved a step closer after it was approved at an extraordinary general meeting of the club's Brighton & Hove Albion owner is to invest £9.86m in return for a 29% stake via non-voting transaction was overwhelmingly backed by members of Foundation of Hearts – the supporters' group who hold a majority led to Wednesday's EGM and an update from Tynecastle said that "all of the resolutions have been passed".
STV News
2 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Tony Bloom's £10m investment in Hearts gets go-ahead at Tynecastle EGM
Tony Bloom's £10m investment in Hearts has been finalised at a meeting of the club's shareholders. An Extraordinary General Meeting held at Tynecastle rubber-stamped the proposed investment, which will see Brighton owner Tony Bloom take a 29% share of Hearts. Bloom previously told majority shareholders Foundation of Hearts that he wanted to 'disrupt Scottish football' with his involvement in the Edinburgh club. Wednesday's meeting allowed the club's board to issue a new tranche of non-voting shares for Bloom to buy, and also allowed Hearts' articles of association to be updated. It now formalises Bloom's investment, which has already been approved by the Scottish FA. He is expected to appoint a representative to the Hearts board when his share purchase is complete. As owner of Brighton, and of Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, his involvement in the club needed approval from Hampden bosses. While there is no barrier to multi-club ownership, the Scottish FA ensures that there is no conflict of interest that could affect Hearts' ability to play in Europe. The businessman's data analytics company Jamestown Analytics has already been advising Hearts on player recruitment and the selection of head coach Derek McInnes and his predecessor Neil Critchley. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
