Brighton Owner: Who Owns Brighton football club?

Brighton and Hove Albion, commonly known as Brighton, has risen from a lower-league club into a solid Premier League side. Brighton owners pulled the club from second, third, and fourth division championships to the same table as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City. Last year, they became the first non ‘Big-Six’ side to defeat the Red Devils in four consecutive English Premier League games. 

Although the credit goes to players and coaches, who give their all to the club, the people behind the scenes are equally important when it comes to football. Management plays a huge role in the rise and decline of any team. Brighton has seen multiple owners in its club history. Each of them has contributed tons to the upliftment of the club. In this article, we’ll list down Brighton owners and how their leadership has led Brighton & Hove Albion FC to what it is today. 

Background

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club was established in 1901. They started their journey as a member of the Southern League. They won the Southern League in 1909-10. The side also got its hands on the FA Charity Shield in 1910. In 1920, Brighton FC made it to the third division. 

Brighton won the third division championship in 1957-58 and got promoted to the Second Division. However, they got relegated to the Third Division again in 1962. Things got worse and they were relegated to the Fourth Division in the upcoming year. Brighton climbed back up to the Third Division in 1965. After finishing second in the third division in 1972, Brighton entered the Second Division once again, marking their new era. 

In 1979, Brighton sneaked into the First Division, owing to their runners-up finish in the Second  Division. The club stunned Manchester United and Arsenal in the 1982-83 season but faced some thumping defeats as well. They had an unbelievable run to the FA Cup final where they lost to the Red Devils. 

Brighton has continued to juggle between divisions for over 25 years. They were once very close to losing their league status but the side jumped over various hurdles and kept things going. Brighton debuted in the Premier League in 2017 and has made long strides since then. They appeared in the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League. 

History of Brighton Owners

Brighton’s ownership has changed quite a few times since the establishment of the club. Initially, it was owned by some local investors who lived in Brighton. The records about the initial owners up to the year 1972 are hard to pinpoint. Following this, we have the complete list of Brighton Owners to date. 

Mike Bamber, a British businessman, was the first recorded owner of Brighton FC. He joined the board in 1970 and became the joint chairman in 1972. Under his reign, the club made huge leaps and made it to the First Division for the first time in its history.

Derek Knight came as a saviour for the club in 1997. He was a businessman and a lifelong Brighton fan. He was the biggest shareholder of Brighton in 2005 with around 30% of the club’s shares.

Tony Bloom replaced Derek Knight as Brighton’s owner in 2009. He is the most notable Brighton owner on the list. Bloom is an entrepreneur and poker player. Brighton played in the Premier League for the first time in 2017 with Bloom as their chairman.

Who is the Current Brighton Owner?

Tony Bloom has the majority ownership stake in Brighton & Hove Albion right now. He invested over £93 for building Falmer Stadium, Brighton’s new home ground. Bloom has a 75 per cent share in Brighton’s ownership. 

Bloom is a professional poker player who owns a betting consultancy firm named Starlizard. He has made consecutive appearances in the final of the World Poker Tour and won the Australasian Poker Championship in 2004. His net worth is reported to be around £ 1.3 billion. The 52-year-old has invested millions in improving Brighton FC. Sports betting has also contributed a lot to Bloom’s wealth. 

Bloom family has been a part of Brighton’s history since the 1970s. His grandfather, Harry Bloom, was the vice-chairman of the club in the 1970s. His Uncle, Ray Bloom, is one of the directors of the club. 

Tony’s decisions as Brighton owner have made a huge impact on the club’s history. They went close to various championships many times before entering the Premier League in 2017. Bloom didn’t stop there and made sure Brighton didn’t lose what they had earned in over 100 years. The changes brought by Bloom resulted in Brighton’s participation in the UEFA Europa League. 

Also Read: List of top 10 Brighton Managers in the last 20 years