MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Tony Bloom has enjoyed huge business success through intelligent, data-driven decisions.

But the Albion owner says he bought the Seagulls out of love rather than for money.

Speaking to hundreds of graduates after he received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Brighton yesterday morning, Mr Bloom revealed the reason behind him pumping the large amounts of cash into Albion.

He said: “As a businessman, particularly one known to have a strong focus on research and data, I am often asked whether my purchase of Brighton and Hove Albion was a case of my heart ruling my head.”

Before he purchased the club in 2009, Mr Bloom, 48, said he was faced with the sobering prospect of watching the team he has loved since boyhood sink into the abyss.

So he forked out £93 million to pay for the Amex stadium to be built and covered Albion’s operating losses.

He added: “When I looked at it in those terms it was an easy decision for me to make.

“Was it an emotional or a business decision? The truth is, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.

“But if it wasn’t for the emotion of Brighton and Hove Albion being my lifelong football club I would not have considered it.”

Brighton-born Mr Bloom would attend Albion matches with his father, brother and grandfather Harry, who was vice-chairman of the club in the 1970s.

He has made many of his millions through gambling – on the poker circuit he is known as the Lizard – and he began learning the trade on the slot machines of Brighton’s West Street when he was a schoolboy.

Mr Bloom, a mathematics graduate at Manchester University, said his quick-whizz business tactics are used when Albion recruit new stars.

He said: “I realised that applying mathematics and complex algorithms to sport, alongside those other subjective techniques, allowed me to assess the probability of sporting events more accurately than the markets. Naturally, this was a significant advantage when it came to betting on sport.

“We use some of these same principles at Brighton and Hove Albion when it comes to player recruitment, to assess players and their potential.”

He also had words of advice for the graduates, who chanted “Seagulls” as he was on stage. He added: “The University of Brighton encourages its students to be bold and I would echo that advice as you embark on your careers.

“My parting advice for you is – just go for it.”

He was given the award for his “impact on the community and major contribution to business in the city of Brighton and Hove”.