Tony Bloom gets Hearts green light as fans back £10m investment in overwhelming numbers
The Foundation of Hearts group are fully on board with the Brighton supremo's vision for the Gorgie club
Hearts fans have voted in huge numbers to give Tony Bloom's bumper £10m investment the go-ahead.
Members of the Foundation of Hearts group took to the polls over the offer from the British entrepreneur and handed out a landslide verdict with a whopping 99 percent of punters on board.
More than three quarters of 8000 members gave the green light – with just 96 opposing the proposal.
Millionaire Bloom – who also controls stakes in Brighton and new Belgian champions Union St. Gilloise – is set to sink in substantial sums in an attempt to shake up Scottish football.
The move is set to be rubber stamped at a club extraordinary general meeting but the wheels are already in motion with the SFA chiefs after a Hampden summit.
Boom is set to bag a 29 percent share of the Jambos and will have his own representative on the board.
But the Foundation will continue to hold the power at Tynecastle with the new investor taking over a non voting stance on club matters.
Hearts are already utilising Bloom Jamestown Analytics recruitment and data firm in the search for players – and the boffins also helped source new boss Derek McInnes.
Gorgie chiefs have hailed the £9.86m injection as the opportunity to 'disrupt' Scottish football – and all eyes have been on Bloom's Belgian project where USG were crowned champs at the weekend for the first time in 90 years.
A message to Foundation members said: 'Clearly it is a huge majority in favour and this demonstrates – once again – the passion the Foundation members have for the club and their determination to see it move forward and reap the benefits of the financial investment. We have a wonderful opportunity now, I believe, to begin to tackle the challenge of becoming a disruptor of the long-standing status quo in Scottish football.
'It will take time, and it will require the continued – and indeed increased – financial commitment of Foundation members, current and new, to achieve this goal, but we have never been better placed to reach that position.
'Tony Bloom's decision to invest in Hearts was very much founded on the many benefits he saw at Tynecastle through the club being in fan ownership, not least its financial security through the level of our pledging.
'What a testament to you, the supporters, and what a moment to be able to build on this, increase our membership, and drive forward together.
'The consultation process was also a great demonstration of the power of fan ownership.
'Not for Hearts fans the scenario of waking up to find that a deal has been reached behind closed doors with some rich person to take over their club. Foundation members were able, as their right, to scrutinise the offering and make a decision, yes or no. That is the level of influence and power that we the fans now have here, thanks to you.'
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
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