STEVE BLOOMER
The great out-and-out goalscorer's start here. A phenomenon in front of goal, Bloomer set all kinds of records for club and country. His 28 goals for England from 23 International matches (an average of 1.22 goals per game) remained a record until 1958. His goalscoring span (12 years) was the longest until Stanley Matthews and is still in second place. He was the first player to hold the England record for most goals as well as appearances. Several match reports confirm that he equalled Oliver Vaughton's record of five England goals in one game (against Wales in 1896) and some say he did it twice - at least one report credits him with five in the match against Wales in 1901 (which incidentally, could have been six had he been allowed to take the penalty that 'Nudger' Needham missed!) Bloomer scored in his first 10 International matches and scored a total of 12 goals against Wales; 8 against Scotland, on seven different occasions; and 8 against Ireland.
As an inside-right he scored a total of 297 League goals for Derby County and 55 for Middlesborough from a total of 600 appearances before retiring in 1914.
Steve Bloomer was born in Cardley Heath, Worcestershire on 20th January 1874 and after playing Derby Schoolboy football he joined Derby Swifts. In August 1892 he joined Derby County and an article recalling Bloomer's first appearance for the club against Stoke recorded "He was just 17 when he first turned our for Derby. Pale, thin, fragile, ghost-like, almost ill-looking, he caused the Derby crowd to laugh when they saw him. But they didn't laugh for long." In March 1906 Bloomer joined Middlesborough and in 1910 he returned to Derby County for the sum of (750. When he retired in 1914 he coached in Germany where during W.W.I he was interned in Ruhleben civilian camp. There, he met other former England Internationalist's Fred Pentland and Sam Wolstenholme and together, they persuaded the commandant to allow the formation of a League with daily matches. After the war he served his beloved Derby County as a coach and worked in the same capacity in Canada (April-August 1922); Spain and Rotterdam.
It is perhaps fitting that Harry Storer (who later became Derby County manager) should be left to sum-up the greatest pre-W.W.I goalscorer, 'Bloomer was in his late fifties and employed on the Derby County ground staff', said Storer, himself a Derby player at this time, in his thirties. 'We were chatting together and standing with our backs to a group of players having shooting practise in the goalmouth. Suddenly a ball was mis-hit in our direction and was hurtling towards our backs. One of the players shouted "Duck".
I did. But Bloomer turned quickly, sighted the dropping ball and, perfectly balanced, volleyed it into the net. We were all left speechless. He was about 40 yards from goal'.
THE STEVE BLOOMER COLLECTION OF INTERNATIONAL CAPS
The following lot is being sold on behalf of
The Steve Bloomer Memorial Fund,
the aim of which is to erect a Memorial of Bloomer
in the City of Derby
A collection of sixteen International and three International Trial Caps awarded to Steve Bloomer, comprising:
Details
A collection of sixteen International and three International Trial Caps awarded to Steve Bloomer, comprising:
A white England v. Ireland International Cap, 1895
In this match, played on 9th March 1895 at Derby, England defeated Ireland 9-0. This was Bloomer's first International appearance and he scored two goals.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1895
In this match, played on 6th April 1895 at Everton, England defeated Scotland 3-0. Bloomer scored one goal in this match.
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1896
In this match, played on 16th March 1896 at Cardiff, England defeated Wales 9-1. Bloomer scored five goals in this match.
A white England v. Ireland International Cap, 1896-97
In this match, played on 20th February 1897 at Nottingham, England defeated Ireland 6-0. Bloomer scored two goals in this match.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1896-97
In this match, played on 3rd April 1897 at Crystal Palace, Scotland defeated England 2-1. Bloomer scored England's only goal in this match.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1897-98
In this match, played on 2nd April 1898 at Glasgow, England defeated Scotland 3-1. Bloomer scored two goals in this match.
A purple and white Football Association International Trial Cap, 1898-9
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1898-99
In this match, played on 20th March 1899 at Bedminster, England defeated Wales 4-1. Bloomer scored two goals in this match
A purple and white Football Association International Trial Cap, 1899-0
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1900
In this match, played on 7th April 1900 at Glasgow, Scotland defeated England 4-1. Bloomer scored England's only goal in this match.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1901
In this match, played on 30th March 1901 at Crystal Palace, England and Scotland drew 2-2. Bloomer scored one goal in this match.
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1902
In this match, played on 3rd March 1902 at Wrexham, England and Wales drew 0-0.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1902
In this match, played on 3rd May 1902 at Birmingham, England and Scotland drew 2-2.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1904
In this match, played on 9th April 1904 at Glasgow, England defeated Scotland 1-0. Bloomer scored the only goal in this match.
A purple and white Football Association International Trial Cap, 1904-5
A white England v. Ireland International Cap, 1905
In this match, played on 25th February 1905 at Middlesborough, England and Ireland drew 1-1. Bloomer scored England's only goal in this match.
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1905
In this match, played on 27th March 1905 at Liverpool, England defeated Wales 3-1.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1905
In this match, played on 1st April 1905 at Crystal Palace, England defeated Scotland 1-0.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1907
In this match, played on 6th April 1907 at Newcastle, England and Scotland drew 1-1. In his final England International appearance Bloomer scored his side's only goal in this match.
A collection of ephemera relating to Steve Bloomer, comprising: a Derby War Memorial Fund Souvenir Match Progamme, 18/4/23 at the Baseball Ground Derby, Steve Bloomer's "Old International" Team v Derby County; Fifty Years of Derby County Football Club, 1884-1934, a souvenir supplement to the Derbyshire Advertiser, 5/6th October 1934; American Forces Baseball Match, Souvenir Programme, 22/7/?, played at the Baseball Ground Derby, Americans v Easterners, the interior giving a history of the Baseball Ground: "In the year 1889 Sir Francis Ley visited America on a business trip and became very interested in Basebell, and decided to introduce the game into this country. Players from Derby County and Nottingham Forest Football Clubs took part in the new game, including Steve Bloomer (the famous International inside right), and Denny Allsop and Jack Robinson (two of England's greatest goalkeepers), as shown in the accompanying Photograph. The new venture was not a very great success, but lasted long enough for the ground to be called after the game."; a Ruhleben Prison Camp booklet, 1914-1918 (lacking covers); a Ruhleben Exhibition Souvenir Album 1919 (front cover only); and a small quantity of newspaper cuttings and magazine articles relating to Bloomer (a lot)
A white England v. Ireland International Cap, 1895
In this match, played on 9th March 1895 at Derby, England defeated Ireland 9-0. This was Bloomer's first International appearance and he scored two goals.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1895
In this match, played on 6th April 1895 at Everton, England defeated Scotland 3-0. Bloomer scored one goal in this match.
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1896
In this match, played on 16th March 1896 at Cardiff, England defeated Wales 9-1. Bloomer scored five goals in this match.
A white England v. Ireland International Cap, 1896-97
In this match, played on 20th February 1897 at Nottingham, England defeated Ireland 6-0. Bloomer scored two goals in this match.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1896-97
In this match, played on 3rd April 1897 at Crystal Palace, Scotland defeated England 2-1. Bloomer scored England's only goal in this match.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1897-98
In this match, played on 2nd April 1898 at Glasgow, England defeated Scotland 3-1. Bloomer scored two goals in this match.
A purple and white Football Association International Trial Cap, 1898-9
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1898-99
In this match, played on 20th March 1899 at Bedminster, England defeated Wales 4-1. Bloomer scored two goals in this match
A purple and white Football Association International Trial Cap, 1899-0
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1900
In this match, played on 7th April 1900 at Glasgow, Scotland defeated England 4-1. Bloomer scored England's only goal in this match.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1901
In this match, played on 30th March 1901 at Crystal Palace, England and Scotland drew 2-2. Bloomer scored one goal in this match.
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1902
In this match, played on 3rd March 1902 at Wrexham, England and Wales drew 0-0.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1902
In this match, played on 3rd May 1902 at Birmingham, England and Scotland drew 2-2.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1904
In this match, played on 9th April 1904 at Glasgow, England defeated Scotland 1-0. Bloomer scored the only goal in this match.
A purple and white Football Association International Trial Cap, 1904-5
A white England v. Ireland International Cap, 1905
In this match, played on 25th February 1905 at Middlesborough, England and Ireland drew 1-1. Bloomer scored England's only goal in this match.
A maroon England v. Wales International Cap, 1905
In this match, played on 27th March 1905 at Liverpool, England defeated Wales 3-1.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1905
In this match, played on 1st April 1905 at Crystal Palace, England defeated Scotland 1-0.
A purple England v. Scotland International Cap, 1907
In this match, played on 6th April 1907 at Newcastle, England and Scotland drew 1-1. In his final England International appearance Bloomer scored his side's only goal in this match.
A collection of ephemera relating to Steve Bloomer, comprising: a Derby War Memorial Fund Souvenir Match Progamme, 18/4/23 at the Baseball Ground Derby, Steve Bloomer's "Old International" Team v Derby County; Fifty Years of Derby County Football Club, 1884-1934, a souvenir supplement to the Derbyshire Advertiser, 5/6th October 1934; American Forces Baseball Match, Souvenir Programme, 22/7/?, played at the Baseball Ground Derby, Americans v Easterners, the interior giving a history of the Baseball Ground: "In the year 1889 Sir Francis Ley visited America on a business trip and became very interested in Basebell, and decided to introduce the game into this country. Players from Derby County and Nottingham Forest Football Clubs took part in the new game, including Steve Bloomer (the famous International inside right), and Denny Allsop and Jack Robinson (two of England's greatest goalkeepers), as shown in the accompanying Photograph. The new venture was not a very great success, but lasted long enough for the ground to be called after the game."; a Ruhleben Prison Camp booklet, 1914-1918 (lacking covers); a Ruhleben Exhibition Souvenir Album 1919 (front cover only); and a small quantity of newspaper cuttings and magazine articles relating to Bloomer (a lot)