Ben Kensell makes 'significant' Hibs promise over football funds after Bill Foley investment in transfer hint

The Hibs chief executive has provided an update on what Bill Foley's investment could mean for the club.

Hibs chief executive Ben Kensell.

Ben Kensell has assured fans that 'significant' funds will be available to Hibs' football department after fresh investment.

The Easter Road chief executive was at the heart of conversations that ended in Bournemouth's billionaire owner Billy Foley taking a minority stake in the club. Talks proceeded with the Gordon family's blessing and The Black Knights have a stake of around 25% through a share deal that values the club at about £20m.

A portion of the new investment will be put towards the refurbishment of the Famous Five Stand which will make a new behind Behind the Goals area. Improvements to the training centre could also be made, which may include a covered, all-weather training pitch and other things.

Speaking to the Edinburgh Inquirer, Kensell made one thing clear: "There will also be significant funds available to football, have no doubt about that."

CEO Kensell also believes the benefits will become clear quickly for supporters. Emiliano Marcondes' move on loan from Bournemouth in the winter transfer window is highlighted as a clear example.

He explained: “One quick example is Emiliano Marcondes. This is a talented player, on Premier League wages which we could never afford, and we are getting him for a modest contribution that falls well within our wage structure. The multi-club model allows us access to talent we simply couldn’t bring here otherwise.

"Supporters need to rest assured that we don’t intend to build a team of loan players, and in any event the rules don’t allow it. But we will be collaborating with others to bring good players here, to look at best practice, at recruitment and talent development, at coach education, at a whole range of things designed to help our club get better and better.”

A deal such as the one Hibs were looking to put together had never been done in Scottish football and needed SFA approval. The multi-club model means Foley also has a stake in Ligue 1 side Lorient and A-League newcomers Auckland City FC.

Kensell says potential has been identified in Hibs forming part of their multi-club plans. He added: “It took a few conversations with the SFA, that’s for sure, but I have to be honest and say they were pretty constructive. Conditions were imposed, but as we negotiated these reduced in number and complexity and by the time the final deal was hammered out I have to say I was pretty happy with the outcome.

“I know the Club has been approached by quite a lot of suitors, when Ron was here and then inevitably after he passed. But the family has always taken the view that it wants to see Ron’s vision delivered, that it won’t simply fold tents and move on. Any partnership had to be good for the Club, and there was really nothing that we felt was serious enough to consider.

“All of that changed when a friend down south and I were chatting and he started to tell me about the multi-club model. Bill Foley’s group owns Bournemouth in the Premier League, but they also own a stake in Lorient in France and now Auckland, which will be a new franchise in the A-League in Australia next season.

“I worked to learn more about the model as it operates across a number of European leagues, and I found it more and more interesting. Red Bull would be another example. I’d involved the Gordon family from early on, of course, and Ian Gordon was also interested in the possibilities and worked alongside me.

“Things developed, and we started talking more seriously directly to Bournemouth, where I know the Chief Executive, which obviously helped. They were interested from the start and took a really consistent and clear position which they’ve maintained all along.

"They’d be interested in investing and working alongside the Gordon family and were not pushing for a controlling interest. They saw the potential of Hibs and Scotland as a part of the multi-club model they are still building.”