Kind Hearts and coronets and analytics

Cold, hard data and good people driving Tynecastle revival

When the final whistles blew in Scotland last night, I located the ex-Liverpool, Chelsea and Villa exec Christian Purslow on his travels in Scotland - somewhere between Skye and the Torridon Hills, nice hotel, interesting curtains - for an emergency episode of The Football Boardroom on why Hearts beat so strong. Yes, they were frustrated at Celtic’s late pen against Motherwell. But what a season Hearts are having. They are the disruptors, challenging the established order and Tony Bloom and Jamestown Analytics play significant parts. They have shaken up Scottish football.

Clever, data-driven recruitment and good people like James Anderson, Ann Budge, 8,000+ Foundation of Hearts members and an inspirational head coach in Derek McInnes and his players. However things pan out at Celtic Park at the weekend, Hearts have changed the game on and off the pitch. This is partly a story about a Scottish club but mainly about Tony Bloom’s innovative approach to analytics. Hope you enjoy it. Links below.