A Yiddishe Hearts: investor Tony Bloom describes his plans for Scottish Success

Jewish football investor Tony Bloom, best known for his ownership of Brighton & Hove Albion, has spoken ahead of the Scottish Premier League’s opening games this evening about how Heart of Midlothian football club has the potential to break up Scotland’s traditional two-horse race for the national football title.

“For too long, when I’m looking as an outsider, the Scottish Premier League, everyone’s always talking at the start of the season about it being a two-horse race, it’s Celtic or Rangers, and the last 15 years, by and large, it soon becomes a one-horse race and Celtic are dominating”, he told Hearts TV.

“That cannot be good for football in this country. It’s really not good for Scottish football. It’s not good for the Scottish national team, and it’s really not good when other teams are not doing well in Europe… I think we can make a real difference and Hearts can become a factor, regularly qualifying for group stages of European tournament, and when we’re in Europe, winning games and having some success.”

Bloom, who purchased 29% of Hearts after the club’s foundation members overwhelmingly voted in favour of his investment proposal in the Edinburgh-based team, also helped to take over Belgian football club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise earlier this decade. Union SG, which dominated Belgian football a century ago, returned to the top flight in 2021, and in May won its first Belgian League title in ninety years.

The investor, who has also been the key driver behind the creation of the BNJC Jewish community hub in his boyhood town, told Edinburgh Evening News that he had personally contacted UEFA to ensure there would be no conflict of interest between his involvement in both Hearts and Brighton.

“It’s a one-off investment, I’ve got 29 per cent of the shares in Hearts,” he told the Scottish paper.  “The main reason for that is because of the UEFA rules. They have made it quite clear in the last 12 months that if you own 30 per cent or more of two clubs, they can’t play in the same European competition. That’s clear. I’ve spoken directly to UEFA to absolutely 100 per cent clarify it, so that if Brighton and Hearts do get drawn in the same tournament then both clubs can play. That’s the absolute priority, which is why there won’t be any more investment from me, certainly while the UEFA rules stay as they are.”

Bloom also told Edinburgh Evening News that he understood the scepticism from Scottish football fans relating to his announcement that he believes Hearts will be challenging for titles. No football team apart from Celtic and Rangers has won the Scottish Premier League for the last 40 years.

“I understand there will be a lot of Celtic Rangers fans who will be laughing and saying: ‘Well, I’ve heard it all before.’ Maybe Hibs and Aberdeen as well, and that’s fine. I’m just saying it as I see it”, he said.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be straight-line success, I’m not saying we’re going to win trophies this season, that season, or next season – but I genuinely believe that we will be a significant factor in Scottish football right here, right now and for the long term.”