Honore de Balzac: "Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."
The key angle regarding Brighton and Hove Albion FC and Tony Bloom is whether the owner bets on the matches of his own club and, particularly, whether such insider trading is ever against Brighton.
But first some background...
Bloom was my broker in the mid-nineties when he moved to Bangkok to make his tax-free millions trading on the underground Asian markets.
Bloom does his 'analyses' for weekend matches on the Friday night and would frequently telephone during the evening asking for privileged data and information regarding specific matches.
Bloom needed to complete his work prior to the Asian markets opening for business on the Saturday morning when millions could be placed on matches.
Bloom is a slippery lizard-like customer so, to ensure that winnings were paid, all communications had to be recorded.
Bloom's 'analyses' of football matches are highly dependent on player 'analysis' so team selection is critical.
Bloom understood that Gus Poyet, as a man of integrity, would not allow him to influence team selection for proprietary trading purposes but he nonetheless used to phone Poyet for Brighton team information every Friday evening.
Bloom insisted on this. And it had to be the Friday evening. No later. Now why would that be?
Now insider trading on football is not illegal.
As we pointed out yesterday, the global turnover on football betting is 40% of the annual GDP of the British economy so there are any number of people who have the incentive to take advantage of inside information.
The only issue in this area is the one of integrity.
How would Brighton fans feel if Bloom, on occasion, bet against his own club in order to enhance his property empire?
The easiest insider bet is always the one against your own club, for obvious reasons of "control".
This is why Ian Black of Sevco FC and former Accrington Stanley director Robert Heys bet against their teams. And it is why many goalkeepers are targeted by corrupt agents and mafiosi.
We believe that one of the primary reasons that Bloom took his ridiculous action against Poyet was because betting routes were being denied to him despite requests. Gus thinks this also.
When we first provided Richard Bevan of the League Managers' Association with our combined knowledges of Bloom's modes of business, he wished to take action immediately but Gus Poyet's legal wrangles cut across any such strategy.
However, Bloom chases the dragon when it comes to money and Brighton fans should be aware that when push comes to shove, the Lizard will put his own needs ahead of the club. You are merely a vehicle for Bloom PLC.
And so we ask the question again - SHOULD PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS OWN FOOTBALL CLUBS?
NB Following these disclosures Bloom and Brighton and Hove Albion reached an out-of-court settlement to the financial benefit of Gus Poyet which was what we had predicted all along.
Bloom offers pounds to stop publicity.
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