Tony Bloom believes Hearts are equipped to “disrupt” the Scottish football landscape after his investment in the Edinburgh club was formally completed.
The Albion owner has ploughed £9.86 million into the Jambos in return for a 29 per cent stake in non-voting shares.
As part of the deal, Bloom is entitled to one seat on the Hearts board as a non-executive director and he has appointed James Franks, a legal and strategic business consultant with whom he has worked closely for almost two decades, to the role on his behalf.
Bloom is confident Hearts – who also have a partnership with his data analysis firm, Jamestown Analytics – can ruffle feathers within Scottish football at a time when no club outside Celtic and Rangers have won the top-flight league title for the past 40 years.
Speaking via Hearts' official website, Bloom said: “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 Andrew McKinlay welcomed the culmination of a deal which has been in the pipeline for more than a year.
He said: "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 per cent 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.”
Hearts fans are aware of the progress Albion have made under Bloom while also noting Royal Union St-Gilloise's progress in Belgium, where they recently won a long-awaited title.
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