Hearts investor Tony Bloom has said he would be “really disappointed” if the Tynecastle club failed to win the Scottish Premiership within his ten-year timeframe. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Brighton and Hove Albion chairman also gave his first thoughts on how Hearts lost last season’s title race on the final day.
Bloom bought a 29 per cent stake in Hearts last summer for £9.86 million, a deal that also opened up the Jamestown player database to the club. At the time he predicted that Hearts could become the first side since 1985 to be crowned champions without Celtic or Rangers taking the title. They came close at the first attempt, only to lose out to Celtic after two late goals at Parkhead on the final afternoon. That match ended with a pitch invasion, and the run-in had already been marked by disputed penalty decisions in earlier fixtures, including a game against Motherwell at Fir Park.
Bloom admitted the manner of that defeat was hard to take. He described the way the season finished as exceptionally disappointing from the club’s point of view, but insisted Hearts had no option but to bounce back quickly. “I think we have done,” he said. The summer brought further blows, with manager Derek McInnes and captain Lawrence Shankland both leaving for Rangers.
Under new head coach Wouter Vrancken, Hearts have improved and sit five points behind leaders Celtic after eight matches. Bloom said the club had started the campaign reasonably well. He acknowledged that the change of coach had been difficult, with Vrancken arriving just before pre-season began and having little time to prepare, but said the club had signed a lot of new players and that there was still a great deal to play for this season.
Asked directly whether he still expected Hearts to win the league during his ten-year plan, Bloom answered with an emphatic yes and repeated that anything less would leave him really disappointed. His remarks are another message to Celtic and Rangers that Hearts intend to keep challenging at the top of Scottish football, despite the turnover in staff and players since last season’s narrow miss. No club outside the Old Firm has won the league since 1985, the record Bloom set out to end when he first invested in the Edinburgh side.
