Heart of Midlothian is delighted to confirm that the process for Tony Bloom’s investment in the club is now complete. Tony has invested £9.86m into Hearts for which he has received a 29% stake in the club in non-voting shares.
The club would like to formally welcome Tony to the Hearts family and looks forward to working with him in forging a long and successful relationship.
As part of his investment, Tony is entitled to nominate a person of his choosing onto the Board of Directors. The club can now confirm that James Franks will join the Board as a non-executive director.
James has been a legal and strategic business consultant to Tony Bloom for nearly two decades and has a deep knowledge of football governance. He played an integral role in Tony’s investment in Hearts, as well as the investments in Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and Melbourne Victory in Australia, serving as a business adviser on the deals and leading the process to take each deal through to completion.
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.”
Tony Bloom said; “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.”
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.”
