Tony Bloom and Brighton

[TightEnd]

Poker player, professional gambler, and football betting expert, Tony Bloom will take over from Dick Knight as chairman of Brighton Football Club.

Tony “The Lizard” Bloom has more than $1.3 million in lifetime poker winnings including his recent second place finish in the $100,000 no-limit hold’em challenge at the Aussie Millions 2009, which earned him a nice sum of $403,890.

Bloom will use the profits from poker and gambling to bankroll Brighton. “I’ve been a football fan and a gambler since the age of about seven or eight. My interest in both developed at the same time,” said the 39-year-old Englishman.

His first move will be to make the £60 million switchover to a new 25,000-seater stadium in Falmer.


I don't know Tony, but have seen him play on TV a lot obviously.  Even more of a sports bettor than poker player these days? 

Great potential at Brighton, huge catchment area, new stadium coming at last.

Good luck to him

[Matt50]

Rich, you know as well as i do that his lifetime winnings will only be enough to bankroll a football club for one season.
What happens if he suffers a major downswing - will the club suddenly have to sell one of its best players.

Cant say i would be over the moon if this was my team - nothing against Tony, just that i wouldnt want a poker player and sports bettor bankrolling my team.

[kukushkin88]

He's made an absolute fortune from betting on Asian Handicaps in the 90's. The story goes that he was single handledly wiping out VC's football profits for a while. His poker winnings are a small fraction of his wealth.

[Matt50]

Also - is it right for a sports bettor to own a football club?

[action man]

tony bloom is multai!

[TheChipPrince]

2nd richest man in Brighton...










































After Townsend...

[UpTheMariners]

2nd richest man in Brighton...










































After Townsend...

I reckon Bloom has more money than Townsend

[TheChipPrince]

I think his uncle is already involved with them somehow too, he might even have shares himself

[LeedsRhodesy]

I think his uncle is already involved with them somehow too, he might even have shares himself

i would not be happy if it was my club!!  i don't think he has millions to play with does he?

[Girgy85]

I think his uncle is already involved with them somehow too, he might even have shares himself

i would not be happy if it was my club!!  i don't think he has millions to play with does he?

Wish we had sumbody pumping money into our club!!

[anthonyl]

The guy has A LOT of money.

HE is puting in £20M ofthe 60M to fund our new stadium (or another bloom). He has spent a lot on new players (most have been shit).

The Bloom family (all directors) are very rich. Tony Bloom owned Premierbet which was doing very well specialising in asian handicap. This was sold in good timing before they went down.

He seems to have a good betting brain. Put six figures on spurs to win the carling cup (and they did) at the beginning of the season last year i hear.

Let the midget take us to the prem at falmer! But, i hope we don't do a Darlington or a Southampton..

[byronkincaid]

my grandfather has been supporting brighton for 80 years, there's been an article written about him in the matchday programme and in the evening argus.

maybe he deserves a nice comfy seat in the director's box now if you're reading mr bloom sir?

[Royal Flush]

Bloom is proper multai, dont worry about him 'going on a bad run'

[LeedsRhodesy]

I think his uncle is already involved with them somehow too, he might even have shares himself

i would not be happy if it was my club!!  i don't think he has millions to play with does he?

Wish we had sumbody pumping money into our club!!

Mark Law has just put in £1 million to stop of going under

[Girgy85]

I think his uncle is already involved with them somehow too, he might even have shares himself

i would not be happy if it was my club!!  i don't think he has millions to play with does he?

Wish we had sumbody pumping money into our club!!

Mark Law has just put in £1 million to stop of going under

LOL @ £1mill

That just keeps us going for next year! We need out of the bottom tier just to get sum extra funds to get decent players in!