Hearts fans to vote on £10m Tony Bloom proposal as details of plan to 'disrupt Scottish football' revealed

Hearts supporters are being encouraged to approve a near £10million invesment into the club by betting entrepreneur Tony Bloom amid plans to “disrupt Scottish football”.

The club has announced that Bloom, who is also owner and chairman of English Premier League side Brighton, is bidding to become a minority shareholder at Tynecastle Park after recently entering a partnership with his recruitment firm, Jamestown Analytics.

A decision on whether to accept the proposal - which would see Bloom invest £9.86m in return for a 29 per cent stake with no voting rights - will now go before the Foundation of Hearts, the supporters group who own the Edinburgh club.

Brighton chairman Tony Bloom has proposed to invest nearly £10m into Heart of Midlothian Football Club. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

A consultation period is underway, lasting from May 6 until May 26, after which fans will be asked to vote for or against the proposal at an EGM, with a majority of more than 50 per cent in favour required in order for the deal to go through.

A statement issued on the Foundation of Hearts website in the form of a Q&A has encouraged fans to vote in favour of the Bloom proposition, describing it as an “ unprecedented opportunity” for the club.

"Let us state at the outset: the Foundation of Hearts Board believe that this investment in the club presents an opportunity to realise the club’s full potential and take it into a new era," it read. "It is the recommendation of your Board that you vote in favour of accepting the proposal.

“This opportunity has not come around by accident. Tony Bloom has done his due diligence (as has the club) and he has recognised both the importance of Heart of Midlothian Football Club and its significant potential. His past and ongoing successes with Brighton & Hove Albion in England and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium are there for all to see, and with Hearts, he sees the chance to play a part in another success story. He believes Hearts can disrupt Scottish football, and he wants to be a part of a new glorious chapter in Hearts’ history.”

Brighton owner and chairman Tony Bloom is a shrewd operator in the transfer market

How the Bloom cash will be spent

The FOH confirmed that Bloom himself will not take up a seat on the Tynecastle board but will appoint someone to act on his behalf. “He will not be involved in the day-to-day running of the club,” the statement continued. “It goes without saying, however, that having the benefit of Tony’s experience, and the football and business world related experience of those around him, available to the club will be invaluable.”

The FOH also insist the deal would not see Hearts become part of a multi-club system, or act as a feeder club to Brighton, with the group leadership stressing that it is a “personal investment” by Bloom which is unconnected to his other football commitments.

With regards to what the Bloom cash injection will be spent on, the FOH statement went on: “Put simply, to take the club forward into a new era. On the pitch, there will be investment in the first-team playing squad through the assistance provided by the Jamestown Analytics model. Off the pitch, the investment will help to futureproof a sustainable business model, one which reduces the reliance on external benefactors and maximises our earning potential.

“Why should FOH members vote in favour of the proposal? You made the club survive, now you have the opportunity to help it thrive.”