Bloom reiterates vow to 'disrupt football dominance' with £10m investment in Hearts
Tony Bloom has reiterated his vow to 'disrupt the dominance in Scottish football' as his £10m investment in Hearts has been completed.
An Extraordinary General Meeting held at Tynecastle last week rubber-stamped the proposed investment, which sees the Brighton owner 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.
The club's board issued a new tranche of non-voting shares for Bloom to buy, and also Hearts' articles of association were also updated.
On Wednesday, the club confirmed Bloom's investment has been completed, which had already been approved by the Scottish FA.
As owner of Brighton and of Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, his involvement in the club needed to be rubber-stamped by 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.
Bloom'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.
The club have now confirmed James Franks will join the Board as a non-executive director, and Bloom's representative.
Franks, who has been a legal and strategic business consultant to Bloom for two decades, is said to have a 'deep knowledge of football governance'.
Bloom told the club's website: '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.
'This great club has a bright future and I look forward to seeing that unfold in the months and years ahead.
'The appointment of James as my representative on the board underlines the importance I attach to my investment in the club.
'James has been a trusted associate of mine for many years and I believe that his wealth of experience in the football industry and strong business acumen will be a tremendous asset to the board and to the club.'
Chief Executive Officer Andrew McKinlay said: 'It is with great pleasure that I can now, on behalf of everyone at Heart of Midlothian, officially welcome both Tony and James to the club.
'Today's announcement is the culmination of our fans' belief and support, and I thank them for their backing. When Tony's investment proposal became public in May, it captured the imaginations of our supporters, as demonstrated by Foundation of Hearts members voting 98.5% in favour of it.
'A tremendous amount of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to turn a proposal into a reality and I'd like to thank everyone involved for delivering what is a hugely significant moment in this club's history.
'Again, I speak on behalf of everyone at Hearts when I say we are eagerly anticipating working with Tony and James as we embark on this journey together.'
James Franks added: 'I am honoured to become a board member at Hearts. From my first visit to Tynecastle in March 2024 as the initial step in the investment process, it was obvious to me just how special the club is.
'All of my subsequent visits and my interactions with the management team at the club and with the Foundation of Hearts have strengthened that feeling and I'm proud now to call myself a Jambo.
'I welcome the opportunity to play my part in an exciting new chapter in the history of this wonderful club.'
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
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
15 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Fraudster who conned luxury brands into buying fake Scottish tea jailed
A fraudster who conned luxury businesses into buying tea he claimed was grown in Scotland, making more than £550,000, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Thomas Robinson, 55, claimed to have cultivated the tea at his Perthshire estate using innovative techniques, but in reality it was bought from wholesalers and grown outside of Scotland. Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson fraudulently sold the tea to high-profile clients in the hospitality sector between January 2014 and February 2019. Representatives of the Balmoral Hotel, the Dorchester Hotel and a company acting on behalf of Fortnum & Mason were among those tricked by the fraudster, who had claimed to have sold tea to customers including Kensington Palace. A Food Standards Scotland (FSS) investigation found Robinson also misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under the false pretence they were a unique, locally-grown variety. On May 25, he was found guilty of two counts of fraud to a value of almost £553,000 after a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which followed an investigation by FSS. Robinson, also known as Tam O'Braan and Thomas O'Brien, tried to bolster his credibility by fabricating academic qualifications and industry awards. On Wednesday, Robinson was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court. Hours earlier, his lawyer withdrew from the case. Representing himself, Robinson begged for 'compassion' as he appeared by videolink from HMP Low Moss, wearing a green sweatshirt. Sheriff Keith O'Mahony refused a bid to defer sentence and said it was in the public interest that it went ahead, as Robinson was 'articulate' enough to represent himself. Robinson, who told the court he has four children and attends church, claimed he awoke every morning in his cell plagued with guilt about the 'reputational damage' caused to genuine Scottish tea growers. 'I've had time to wrestle with this over sleepless nights, coming to realise how wrong and stupid I've been,' he told the court. 'The damage this has on all concerned, the stigma of misleading others… I should have been much more transparent and owned up to the situation. Hubris and arrogance made me believe I did my best. 'The method by which you could grow tea in Scotland, something I was told you couldn't do… I didn't know the best, I didn't act as I should have. I go to church, I'm perfectly aware that a sin is not only to do something, but also not to do the right thing. 'The shame of that hangs over me every morning every time I wake up in my cell. Central to that guilt I'm responsible for reputational damage of those involved and reputational damage of growing tea in Scotland. 'It was a scheme I received support from the Scottish Government. I solemnly hope my actions have not detracted from the success which can be achieved for people who want to grow tea in Scotland. I can only offer my sincere apologies if my actions have besmirched that capability.' He told the court he had experienced 'suicidal emotions' due to guilt and had been 'too ashamed to explain' to his four children. Robinson claimed he would not reoffend and had learnt from his actions, 'not only from shock of my conviction but truthful acceptance of what I have done'. He added: 'I solemnly would ask that the above is taken into consideration not as an excuse but an acceptance of the serious nature of my actions and inactions, and I throw myself on the mercy of the court for your compassion.' Sheriff O'Mahony said the jury had 'generally rejected' Robinson's evidence, and the charges spanned five years and totalled £552,988. He added: 'By any measure these convictions must be regarded as significant. Mr O'Brien demonstrated significant planning, he was persistent, he repeatedly made false statements. 'These charges are not victimless, witness after witness gave evidence and said they would not have had the transaction if they had known. They were convinced on false pretences to hand over significant sums of money.' Robinson put his head in his hands as the three-and-a-half year sentence was handed down. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Individuals, businesses, and genuine Scottish tea growers suffered financial and reputational harm as a consequence of Robinson's deceit. 'But thanks to partnership working between Food Standards Scotland, Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, he has been brought to account for his crimes. 'We are committed to tackling financial crime of this kind.' Ron McNaughton, of FSS, said: 'We welcome today's sentencing as a clear signal that food fraud is a serious crime with serious consequences. 'A three-and-a-half year custodial sentence reflects the scale and impact of Mr Robinson's deception. His actions caused real financial and reputational harm to individuals, businesses and a developing sector of genuine Scottish tea producers. 'This outcome is the result of a complex and painstaking investigation involving a dedicated team at FSS and the co-operation of partner agencies and key witnesses. 'It demonstrates that those who set out to mislead consumers and defraud businesses will be held accountable. 'Food fraud undermines consumer trust and damages the integrity of Scotland's globally respected food and drink sector. We remain committed to detecting and disrupting criminal activity of this nature.'
The Herald Scotland
21 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Robinson unable to rule out compulsory redundancies
The long-delayed report, which was supposed to be published last month, says that without action, Scotland faces a £2.6bn gap in resource spending and £2.1bn in capital spending by 2029–30. READ MORE Alongside the MTFS, the Government published a Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan, setting out how ministers hope to close that gap. Specific measures include reducing the public sector workforce by an average of 0.5% annually. With 469,100 full-time equivalent staff on the books, this would be the equivalent of around 11,611 full-time workers by the end of the decade. Forbes, Swinney and Robison outside the chamber (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA) The move should lead to savings of £700m annually, and ministers are confident it can be achieved through staff turnover and a freeze on recruitment. However, speaking in Holyrood, the Finance Secretary, Shona Robison, was unable to say there would be no compulsory redundancies. Answering a question from Labour's Daniel Johnston, the minister said: "I have been engaging with the unions and the STUC around this, is that no compulsory redundancy maintains to be the default position. "But as a last resort, once all steps have been taken through voluntary severance, through redeployment, if there is no other route and there are no jobs for those people involved, then the compulsory redundancy can be considered, but only at the end of that route. "So we believe that these reductions can be made through natural attrition and voluntary severance, and it is only in that extreme position that that would be enabled, and we don't see that happening in very many cases." Public sector wages represent 55% of Scotland's resource budget. Pay agreements in 2025–26, including NHS workers' 4.25% increase, have already exceeded the Government's 3% guideline. Alongside the strategy and the plan, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) published its latest economic and fiscal updates. The watchdog said that the total funding available to the Scottish Government will rise from £61.3bn in 2026–27 to £66.5bn by 2029–30. However, after accounting for inflation, this represents an increase of only 0.8% per year in real terms. Next year, the Scottish Government's day-to-day spending will be £54bn, but after subtracting social security costs, only £46.3bn will remain. By 2029–30, this will increase slightly to £50.1bn. Ms Robison blamed the financial settlement from Westminster, pointing to a £400m shortfall triggered by the Labour Government's refusal to fully fund increased employer National Insurance contributions. She said changes to welfare payments could cost Scotland an extra £440m by 2029–30. "Managing the impact of Westminster austerity is all too familiar," Ms Robison told MSPs. "We continue to invest in the people of Scotland, supporting a better-paid public sector, delivering high-quality public services and providing welfare support not available elsewhere in the UK. And we have managed this while balancing the budget every year." Beyond cutting the workforce, the Government believes it can save between £600m and £1.5bn each year over the next five years by adopting new technology, increasing automation, and encouraging closer working between public agencies. Around 12,000 civil service jobs to go (Image: PA) The Government will also carefully reassess infrastructure spending due to high inflation in construction costs. Ms Robison confirmed she would publish a multi-year Scottish Spending Review alongside December's budget. The other key pillars of the plan to tackle the black hole are growth and tax. On economic growth, the minister said the Government would aim to increase business activity to broaden the tax base, while on taxation, she hinted at a potential wealth tax, with the Government committing to the publication of a literature review on the measure. Labour finance spokesman Michael Marra pointed to the £9.1bn extra coming to the Scottish Government in the coming years as a result of UK Government decisions. 'Today is the day years of gross mismanagement of the public finances by SNP ministers caught up with them – and the price is being paid by ordinary Scots,' he said. 'Let's be crystal clear, by no definition other than the SNP's can the budget they receive be described as austerity. 'The reason this Government is making cuts is because they have spectacularly mismanaged Scotland's budget. 'It's SNP ministers who have created a structural deficit of a staggering £2.6bn – that's a result of choices that you made.' READ MORE Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy said the workforce reduction target 'lacks ambition and detail.' He told MSPs: 'The last medium-term financial strategy was over two years ago – last year's was binned and this year's was delayed. 'By slipping out this year's strategy just before recess, we have no time to properly scrutinise this plan. 'But what we do know is that without radical action on public sector reform, on health and on labour force trends, Scots face substantially higher taxes or a state that does less. 'But the projected £5bn fiscal gap by the end of the decade is not Westminster's fault or responsibility, it is the SNP's.' David Phillips, an Associate Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said "tougher financial choices" were still to come. He said the £2.6bn a year funding gap was "roughly equivalent to spending on Scottish police and fire services, or the revenue from increasing all rates of income tax in Scotland by around four percentage points." "As the MTFS and SFC make clear, current forecasts for the contribution of devolved tax revenues to the Scottish Budget are likely optimistic, as they assume earnings grow significantly faster in Scotland than in the rest of the UK from 2026–27 onwards. "All else equal, if earnings instead grew at the same rate as in the rest of the UK, the 'funding gap' for day-to-day spending would be closer to £3.5bn." He said the multi-year spending review would also have to say which services will be cut back in order to protect spending on the Scottish Government's key priorities – poverty, climate change, economic growth, and effective public services. "This will likely require steep cuts to some other 'non-priority' areas, and a laser-like focus on how effective spending actually is – not all spending on the Government's priorities can and should survive the chop. "Indeed, the scale of the fiscal challenge could necessitate the Scottish Government to make trade-offs between its four priorities." "The fiscal challenge facing Scotland is large and real. So as the current Government and opposition parties begin to set out their election pitch to voters, it will be vital to scrutinise what their plans would mean for Scotland's finances," he added.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Family-run caravan park near Edinburgh named best in Scotland
Linwater Caravan Park, located in the village of Newbridge, 12 miles west of the Scottish capital, was named Best Caravan Park at the Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025, as well as receiving a runner-up position in the Hospitality Champion of the Year category. The family firm, which was founded in 1998 by the Guinan family, was recognised for its customer service and continuous investment in the park's facilities, along with its commitment to providing a consistently high-quality experience for guests. Open all year round, the holiday park offers holidaymakers pitches for caravans, motorhomes, campervans, and tents, alongside a range of self-catering holiday lodges and static caravans. READ MORE: Fraudster jailed for 3 years over £550K Scottish tea scam The site also boasts a fully equipped camper's kitchen, an onsite shop, a dog walking area, and a playpark. Linwater owner Katie Guinan said she is 'incredibly grateful' to her loyal guests and is looking forward to the future of the park. She said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award for a second year. To be recognised again by the Scottish Hospitality Awards is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing how many amazing parks we were up against. 'We're also hugely proud to have been named runners-up for the overall Hospitality Champion of the Year. 'This recognition is a true testament to the dedication and resilience of our small team, who continue to go above and beyond— especially at a time when rising business costs, including increases in employer National Insurance, have made things more challenging than ever. 'Their hard work, positivity, and commitment to providing the best guest experience is what keeps Linwater special.' She added: 'We're incredibly grateful to our loyal guests for their continued support, and we look forward to building on this success together.' In March, Linwater Caravan Park was named in this year's Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards – with the accolade given based on consistently high reviews on the travel site. The park previously announced it is set to unveil a new static caravan terrace after pouring £200,000 into the project. The family said it will transform a previously unused area into a 'stunning accommodation space,' featuring two new luxury lodges and six brand-new static caravans. A spokesperson for The Scottish Hospitality Awards 2025 added: 'We are delighted to celebrate the outstanding contributions made by individuals and businesses across Scotland's hospitality sector. 'The winners and the shortlisted nominees reflect the very best of the industry—those who go above and beyond to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. Congratulations to all on their remarkable achievements.'
