The Official Premier League 2025/26 Thread

[Nollaig O Muracu]

Bang go Brighton.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom denies betting allegations

Tony Bloom says he "categorically assure" fans that he has never placed bets on matches involving the team since becoming Brighton owner.

www.bbc.com

I'd seriously doubt Tony is stupid enough to have done that. He is one very smart cookie.

Fuck the Guardian too btw. Yes I'm a pinkie bleeding heart liberal but their campaign against gambling the last few years makes me sick. Just like anything else its a fun activity enjoyed by millions.

And just like anything it can be disastrous for people who become addicts, and they should clearly be helped. But stigmatising gamblers as if we were scum is not the way to do it.

 

[KolaKubes]

I'd seriously doubt Tony is stupid enough to have done that. He is one very smart cookie.

Fuck the Guardian too btw. Yes I'm a pinkie bleeding heart liberal but their campaign against gambling the last few years makes me sick. Just like anything else its a fun activity enjoyed by millions.

And just like anything it can be disastrous for people who become addicts, and they should clearly be helped. But stigmatising gamblers as if we were scum is not the way to do it.

I doubt The Guardian have run with it if there’s not some substance. Brighton already badly damaged by the changes in PSR as well.

I don’t know about Brighton, they have appeared in some very strange results over the years as well I feel. Lost 7-0 to Forest followed by a big win or something like that. I feel like there’s a few oddities around the club that might fit with being owned by a professional gambler.

 

[Cloudy O'Ranieri]

I doubt The Guardian have run with it if there’s not some substance. Brighton already badly damaged by the changes in PSR as well.

The Guardian will attack anything gambling related. They also didn't really drop his name in there as an exclusive big reveal. They were careful in how they worded it and merely said that other parties were claiming it's Bloom who's behind the bets.

He isn't the only big syndicate owner, by the way, just his name is sexy because he now has a much higher public profile than most.

Most of these guys will probably use frontmen regardless of whether they have a public profile or not because whoever it is, anonymity is a vital tool to continue operating.

It could well be Bloom but just because the chap who lost the bets wants to believe it's him, doesn't mean it is.

 

[Nollaig O Muracu]

I doubt The Guardian have run with it if there’s not some substance.

What? the same Guardian that has for the last few years been leading a campaign against Gambling? As Cloudy has pointe out, they've been ultra careful with thier wording.

Brighton already badly damaged by the changes in PSR as well.

How?

I don’t know about Brighton, they have appeared in some very strange results over the years as well I feel. Lost 7-0 to Forest followed by a big win or something like that. I feel like there’s a few oddities around the club that might fit with being owned by a professional gambler.

Such as? Other than the Forest one.

Brentford are also owned by a professional gambler. Hearts are now part owned by Bloom also.

 

[KolaKubes]

What? the same Guardian that has for the last few years been leading a campaign against Gambling? As Cloudy has pointe out, they've been ultra careful with thier wording.

How?

Such as? Other than the Forest one.

Brentford are also owned by a professional gambler. Hearts are now part owned by Bloom also.

I’ve definitely no issue with their campaign against gambling.

AI agrees with me. I thought they tended to go on weird runs of wins and losses.

Brighton are a well run club in terms of PSR so relaxing the rules has removed an advantage they had over more traditional clubs with better revenues/rich owners

 

[Cloudy O'Ranieri]

Oh Jesus, here we go again. Kola has decided that a sporting entity is corrupt part #632578.

Perhaps they have wild swings in results because they generally play an open and front-footed brand of football.

When you're not the richest club in the playground, results will swing with that approach.

Brighton have slowly but surely moved UP the pecking order in the league. It's absolutely outrageous to suggest Bloom would want to sabotage that by dropping into the dressing room to tell the lads to throw in a clanger.

If he's betting on Brighton matches, it's likely just that the model says that there's value somewhere in the betting odds. He sure as shit doesn't need corruption to make money from betting.

 

[Nollaig O Muracu]

Oh Jesus, here we go again. Kola has decided that a sporting entity is corrupt part #632578.

Perhaps they have wild swings in results because they generally play an open and front-footed brand of football.

When you're not the richest club in the playground, results will swing with that approach.

Brighton have slowly but surely moved UP the pecking order in the league. It's absolutely outrageous to suggest Bloom would want to sabotage that by dropping into the dressing room to tell the lads to throw in a clanger.

100%

If he's betting on Brighton matches, it's likely just that the model says that there's value somewhere in the betting odds. He sure as shit doesn't need corruption to make money from betting.

Aye. We're talking about someone who is likely in the top ten of the most successful gamblers of all time. He's done it by being way ahead of the curve. He was doing xG well before most of us knew what it was. He's likley doing something now that will be mainstream in a few years.

And Kola thinks he's telling Brighton to concede 7 goals? Bloody hell.

 

[KolaKubes]

100%

Aye. We're talking about someone who is likely in the top ten of the most successful gamblers of all time. He's done it by being way ahead of the curve. He was doing xG well before most of us knew what it was. He's likley doing something now that will be mainstream in a few years.

And Kola thinks he's telling Brighton to concede 7 goals? Bloody hell.

Corruption in football? Crazy thought.

Here all he’d need to know though is the team news.

 

[Nollaig O Muracu]

Corruption in football? Crazy thought.

Here all he’d need to know though is the team news.

I agree, football is corrupt. But that doesn't mean Brighton are fixing matches.

 

[Cloudy O'Ranieri]

I agree, football is corrupt. But that doesn't mean Brighton are fixing matches.

Fully agree.