Steve Bloomer

Bloomer was born in Cradley, Worcestershire (now the West Midlands) to Caleb Bloomer (a blacksmith / iron foundry worker) and Merab Dunn, on 20 January 1874. He was the eldest of six children.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=12}} The family moved to Litchurch, Derbyshire five years later.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=22}} Caleb began working for Ley's Malleable Castings foundry in Derby which was founded by Francis Ley. At the age of 12 Bloomer left school, and started working as an apprentice for a local blacksmith.Seddon, Peter (2013). Destroying Angel: Steve Bloomer - England's First Football Hero. DB Publishing, an imprint of JMD Media Ltd (Beeston, Nottinghamshire). pp.29-30. Retrieved 2 October 2021. This helped him to build strength.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=33}}

Bloomer had an aptitude for football that he later described as "a natural gift".{{Cite book |author-last=Bloomer |author-first=S. |title=How to Play "Soccer" |page=53 |year=1920 |editor-last=McWeeney |editor-first=J. A. |contribution=How to Play Inside-Right |contribution-url=https://archive.org/details/howtoplaysoccer00mcwe/page/52/mode/2up |location=New York |publisher=American Sports Publishing Co.}} He first made an impression on the Derby football scene playing for St. Chad's Choir on 11 April 1887. Bloomer was on the losing side of the 1887 Derbyshire Boys' Shield under-15 final on this date, and impressed despite his team losing 14–0 to a dominant St Luke's Choir.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=34}}{{Cite news |date=1887-04-13 |title=Football. South Derbyshire Boys' Challenge Shields (Final Ties). St. Chad's Juniors v. St. Luke's Choir |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-derby-mercury-south-derbyshire-boys/165257413/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=The Derby Mercury |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} His mother died on 27 November 1887 at 87, Yates Street in Derby.{{Cite news |date=9 December 1887 |title=Deaths |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001084/18871209/113/0005 |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2021 |work=Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal |page=5 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}

In 1888, soon after his 14th birthday Stephen began working as a 'striker' at Ley's iron foundry, where his father Caleb, and uncle Farley worked.Seddon, Peter (2013). Destroying Angel: Steve Bloomer - England's First Football Hero. DB Publishing, an imprint of JMD Media Ltd (Beeston, Nottinghamshire). p.32. Retrieved 2 October 2021. In 1888 he also began playing football for Derby Swifts in the Derbyshire Minor League.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=37}} On 20 December 1890, at Belper he scored seven goals against Belper Town in a 22–2 win.{{Cite news |date=23 December 1890 |title=Football. Derbyshire Shield Competitions. Derby Swifts v. Belper Town |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18901223/028/0003 |url-access=subscription |access-date=25 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=3 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} In 1891 he appeared in the Midland League for Derby Midland, playing in a 1–1 draw with Burton Swifts on 27 March.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=39}}

File:Steve Bloomer 1892.jpg

Derby County merged with Derby Midland in June 1891, and Bloomer was a Derby County player for the start of the 1891–92 – the fourth season of the Football League.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=40}} He chose to retain his amateur status because he wanted to help out his team Derby Swifts in their shield competition. Bloomer turned out for the third-team twice, and the second team once in this season.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=41}} He signed a professional contract for Derby County on Thursday 28 April 1892.{{Cite news |date=2 February 1893 |title=Football. Sheffield Wednesday's Protest Against Derby County. The Tie To Be Replayed |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000711/18930202/102/0004?browse=False |url-access=subscription |access-date=25 September 2021 |work=Lancashire Evening Post |page=4 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=45}} Mr. Clarke, the Secretary of Burton Wanderers also tried to sign Bloomer for his club. Two days after he signed for Derby, he tried to persuade Bloomer to sign for his club, but he refused.{{Cite news |date=3 February 1893 |title=Today's Football. The Hearing Of The Wednesday Protest |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000327/18930203/023/0003?browse=False |url-access=subscription |access-date=25 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=3 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} He was approached by Mr. Clarke again on Monday 2 May 1892, and this time signed a professional contract with Burton Wanderers but the Football Association soon ruled the contract to be invalid and reprimanded the Burton official.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=46}} A hearing of the case was held at Crewe, on 25 January 1893.{{refn|1="Bloomer was called as a witness, and he said that in April last he signed for Derby County. That was on a Thursday, and on the following Saturday Mr. Clarke, the secretary of Burton Wanderers, who was 'after' Bloomer himself, tried to persuade Bloomer to throw in his lot with the brewery club. Bloomer declined, but he alleges that on the next Monday he was at a dance, when Mr. Clarke again approached him. The Burton secretary is said to have used undue influence over Bloomer, whose extreme youth was urged as some excuse for his conduct, and the Derby lad signed a registration form in favour of Burton Wanderers."|group=note}}

An administrative error by Derby secretary William Parker meant that Ernest Hickinbottom, Jimmy McLachlan and Samuel Mills were ineligible for the opening game of the 1892–93 season against Stoke at the Victoria Ground, and Bloomer was a surprise late addition to the first eleven. Hickinbottom, McLachlan and Mills had been registered a day too late and so they could not play unless by special permission, which could not be granted in time.{{Cite news |date=3 September 1892 |title=Football & Sporting Gossip: Derby County |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-derby/165258370/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=Nottingham Evening Post |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=52}} Bloomer later claimed many times that he scored twice during the game{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=53}} but contemporary reports instead credited him with scoring just one goal, which was the second of Derby's goals in the 3–1 win. The local papers credited Johnny McMillan with scoring the first goal for Derby County in this game, and Frederick George Ekins getting the third goal for the team.{{Cite news |date=5 September 1892 |title=Sports And Pastimes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-sports-and-pastimes/165258480/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |work=Nottingham Evening Post |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=5 September 1892 |title=Stoke v. Derby County |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/18920905/013/0001 |url-access=subscription |access-date=23 September 2021 |work=Sporting Life |page=1 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} Steve Bloomer's performance in this game was reviewed very positively in the local papers.{{refn|1="Young Bloomer, who has heretofore been seen only in junior matches in Derby, seems likely to prove a rare good find for the club, and his performance on Saturday is a tribute to the soundness of John Goodall's judgement, as the committee were largely guided by the captain's opinion in making the selection." "Young Bloomer, too, ought to be heard of again in the first team, and if he continues to improve as he has done hitherto, he will make one of the finest forwards in the Association game."[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000327/18920907/039/0004?browse=False "Notes On Out-Door Sports".] Derby Daily Telegraph, Wednesday 07 September 1892, p.4. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2021.{{subscription required|s}}|group=note}} He remained a key member of the first team, and was also given penalty taking duties, and finished the campaign with 11 goals from 28 matches.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=55}} Veteran striker and captain John Goodall helped to improve his game, helping to improve his ball control and positional skills.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=57}}

He missed seven games of the 1893–94 season after Leicester Fosse half-back Peggy Lord broke his collarbone on 10 February.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=58}} Bloomer recovered and claimed 19 goals from 27 appearances during the campaign.

Derby struggled during the 1894–95 campaign, and Bloomer was limited to 10 goals in 29 league games as County finished in 15th place and forced to play a test match against Notts County at Filbert Street to retain their First Division status.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=59}} Notts County were leading 1–0 with seven minutes to go, but goals from Goodall and Bloomer gave Derby the win.

Bloomer opened the 1895–96 season by scoring both goals in a 2–0 win over Sunderland in the club's new permanent home at the Baseball Ground (the club had actually already played two first team games at the ground in 1892 due to scheduling conflicts at the County Ground).{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=62}} Derby finished the season in second-place behind Aston Villa and exited the FA Cup at the semi-finals after losing 2–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers.{{harvnb|Seddon|1999|p=63}}

While at Derby, he was top scorer in the First Division on five occasions in 1896, 1897, 1899, 1901 and 1904. In 1896, together with John Campbell of Aston Villa. He was also the leading "Rams" scorer for 14 consecutive seasons and scored 17 hat-tricks in the league. One of his best seasons came in 1896–97 when he scored 31 goals, including five hat-tricks, in 33 League and FA Cup games. Between 14 November 1896 and 5 April 1897 he scored 21 goals in 20 games. He also scored six goals for the club in a game against Sheffield Wednesday in January 1899.[https://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-sheffield-wednesday-21-january-1899-54638/ "Derby County v Sheffield Wednesday, 21 January 1899".] Via 11v11.com. Retrieved 26 September 2021.

Bloomer's goals helped Derby finish runners-up in the First Division in 1896 and helped them reach three FA Cup finals in 1898, 1899 and 1903. He scored in the 1898 final, a 3–1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. On 3 September 1900 Bloomer scored the first-ever goal at The Hawthorns, the 1–1 draw against West Bromwich Albion being the first match played at the ground.{{cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | year = 2005 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4 | page = 214}}

On 15 March 1906 Bloomer joined Middlesbrough for a fee of £750.{{Cite news |date=16 March 1906 |title=A Derby Football Sensation. Bloomer Transferred |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/19060316/007/0002 |url-access=subscription |access-date=24 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=2 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} Among teammates at his new club were Alf Common, the first £1,000 footballer, and Fred Pentland. He was top-scorer at Middlesbrough in both the 1906–07 and 1907–08 seasons. He also scored four goals in a game against Woolwich Arsenal on 5 January 1907.

After four years at Middlesbrough, he returned to the Rams in 1910 and helped them win the Second Division title in 1912. He scored his last league goal for Derby against Sheffield United on 6 September 1913 and his last match for the Derby County first team, was against Burnley on 31 January 1914 when he was 40 years and 11 days.

Bloomer made his England debut on 9 March 1895, scoring twice in a 9–0 win against Ireland, which helped England win the British Home Championship.[https://www.11v11.com/matches/england-v-ireland-09-march-1895-222588/ "England v Ireland, 09 March 1895".] Via 11v11.com. Retrieved 26 September 2021. The Sporting Life viewed Bloomer as being the best forward on the field for England in this game with Billy Bassett coming a close second.{{refn|1="It was extremely satisfying to see Bloomer make such a capable partner for Bassett, and it would be unjust if we did not give the young lad deserving praise. To say he was the best forward on the field is not beyond the mark, although Bassett was a near approach."[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/18950311/057/0004 "England v. Ireland. England Wins By Nine Goals To None: Remarks".] The Sporting Life, Monday 11 March 1895, p.4. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2021.{{subscription required|s}}|group=note}} He scored in all of his first 10 international appearances, which remains a record for number of consecutive scoring appearances. He netted 19 times during these games, including 5 goals against Wales on 16 March 1896,{{Cite news |date=17 March 1896 |title=Football. Wales v. England |work=London Evening Standard |page=9}} winning three British Home Championships. He became England's all-time top goalscorer on 2 April 1898, when he surpassed Tinsley Lindley's total of 14 with two goals against Scotland. On 18 March 1901, he scored four goals against Wales, becoming the first player to score two hat-tricks for England and also the first to score four goals for England twice, as England once again won the British Home Championship. At the end of 1901, his goal tally stood at 25 in just 14 games. Bloomer played for England 11 times over the next 6 years, all in the British Home Championship, winning four more, bringing England's total to eight during his career, however he only scored 3 more goals during this period. He captained England once; against Scotland on 3 May 1902. He finished his international career in 1907 as England's longest serving player and England's all-time top goalscorer with 28 goals. He held the record until his tally was overhauled by Vivian Woodward in 1911.{{England Football Online|ref=y|access-date=28 March 2024}}

During his international career, Bloomer's teammates included his County teammate John Goodall as well as Frank Becton, Billy Bassett, Jack Reynolds, Ernest Needham, Fred Spiksley, Sam Wolstenholme and Woodward.

After retiring as a player, Bloomer went to Germany in July 1914 to coach Britannia Berlin 92.{{Cite news |date=9 July 1914 |title=Football. Bloomer's Departure From England |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/19140709/003/0002 |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=2 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} However, within three weeks of arriving, the First World War broke out. When Germany declared war on Russia, his contract was cancelled at once, and Herr Fauber, President of Britannia Berlin 92, advised Bloomer to get out of Germany as soon as possible, but he could not get out of the country. Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914.

On 5 August 1914, Steve Bloomer, anxious to leave Germany, went to the British Consul office in Berlin. He was stopped by two gendarmes who questioned him, and his translator. Along with about a dozen others, he was marched through the streets of Berlin for about a quarter of a mile to the Alexander Platz, accompanied by a guard with revolvers and swords. At the Alexander Platz, he was questioned by magistrates with others, and arrested. Bloomer was given a slip of paper with his name and description, and told to report to the police at periodic intervals. On 6 November 1914, he was interned at Ruhleben, a civilian detention camp in the Spandau district of Berlin.[https://stevebloomer.weebly.com/the-post-sunday-special-series.html "The Post Sunday Special Series".] Via Steve Bloomer Website. Retrieved 27 September 2021. According to the Derby Daily Telegraph, which relayed details in a letter written from Bloomer to his wife, he was arrested as a prisoner of war on 5 November 1914,{{Cite news |date=14 November 1914 |title=News Of Bloomer. Arrested As A Prisoner Of War |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/19141114/015/0003 |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=3 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} although another source gives the date of his arrest as 6 November 1914. Bloomer was one of several former professional footballers among the detainees. Others included his former England colleague Sam Wolstenholme; his former Middlesbrough teammate Fred Pentland; a Scotland international, John Cameron; John Brearley, once of Everton and Tottenham Hotspur; and a German international, Edwin Dutton, who had previously played for Britannia Berlin 92.{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Paul|url=|title=The Ruhleben Football Association: How Steve Bloomer's Footballers Survived a First World War Prison Camp|date=2020|publisher=Goal Post|isbn=9780995541238}}

The camp contained between 4,000 and 5,500 prisoners. Gradually, a mini-society evolved and football became a popular activity. The Ruhleben Football Association was formed and cup and league competitions were organised with as many as 1,000 attending the bigger games. The teams adopted the names of established teams and in November 1914, Bloomer captained a Tottenham Hotspur XI, that also included Dutton, to victory in a cup final against an Oldham Athletic XI. On 2 May 1915, an England XI featuring Pentland, Wolstenholme, Brearley and Bloomer played a World XI captained by Cameron. Bloomer also played cricket at the camp and in May 1915 a Rubleben XI, featuring Bloomer and Brearley, played a Varsities XI in the Rubleban Cricket League. In July 1916, a Lancashire XI, featuring Bloomer, beat a Yorkshire XI that included Wolstenholme.[http://ruhleben.tripod.com/id4.html The Ruhleben Story: Prisoners: Steve Bloomer.]

In the summer, the prisoners turned to cricket on 'The Oval', played to packed houses. Bloomer established the camp batting record with an innings of 204 and recorded bowling figures of 6 for 15. There was athletics too. Bloomer won the 'Old Age Handicap' at the Ruhleben Olympics, sprinting the 75 yards in 9.6 seconds. Everybody in the camp knew 'Steve'. When he finally left Ruhleben in March 1918, a farewell football match was staged in his honour. Bloomer was released to neutral Holland, where he was employed as a coach of Blauw-Wit Amsterdam. He was not allowed to return home until the end of the war. Bloomer later said of his time in Ruhleben: "Myself and many others would not have survived without football."

Immediately after World War I, Bloomer briefly coached Blauw-Wit Amsterdam in The Netherlands. He returned to England on 22 November 1918,{{Cite news |date=22 November 1918 |title=Steve Bloomer In England |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=3}} and became player-coach of the Derby County reserve team, retiring from playing in January 1920. He was coach of the Derby first team in 1921. Between May and August 1922, he was in Montréal, Canada coaching the Grenadier Guards football team during their close season.{{Cite news |date=27 April 1922 |title=Sporting Items. Steve Bloomer For Canada |work=Hull Daily Mail}} He arrived back in England on 11 August 1922, and resumed his coaching duties with Derby County.{{Cite news |date=12 August 1922 |title=Steve Bloomer's Return |work=Westminster Gazette |page=11}}{{Cite news |date=12 August 1922 |title=Bloomer's Return |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=13}}

In 1923, he became coach of Real Unión in Spain{{Cite news |date=30 October 1923 |title=Football Interests. Steve Bloomer For Spain |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=3}} and subsequently guided them to victory in the 1924 Copa del Rey. During the 1920s, the Copa was effectively a play-off to decide the Spanish champions. Teams qualified by winning their regional titles and Real Unión represented Guipuzcoa. Nine other regional champions also qualified and in the first round of the competition Real beat Sevilla, the champions of Andalusia, 3–1 on aggregate. In the semi-final, they faced the Catalan champions, Barcelona, coached by another Englishman, Jack Greenwell. Greenwell's squad included the likes of Paulino Alcántara, Sagibarba and Josep Samitier. Despite this, Real beat Barcelona 5–1 after a replay and went on to beat Real Madrid, the champions of central Spain, 1–0 in the final.

After finishing coaching Real Union, Bloomer returned to England and to Derby where he worked the rest of his life as a groundsman and general assistant at the Baseball Ground. He died in Derby of bronchitis on 16 April 1938 aged 64.{{cite news|title=Great Lives: Goal sensation who became a real trailblazer|work=Shropshire Star|date=3 January 2022|pages=24–25}}Article by Mark Andrews, part of series on West Midlands worthies.

On 13 May 1893, he played at first base for St. James's in a 17 - 34 defeat against Vulcan, at Derby. This was the first match of the 1893-1894 Derbyshire Baseball Association. The Vulcan team contained many members of the old Derby Baseball Club which had disbanded in 1890, but had reformed again later in that same year.{{Cite news |date=15 May 1893 |title=The Derby Baseball Association. Opening Of The Season. Vulcan v. St. James's |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18930515/013/0002 |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=2 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} On 10 June 1893, Steve Bloomer played for a Rest Of League team against Derby in a 22 - 26 defeat.{{Cite news |date=12 June 1893 |title=The Derbyshire Baseball Association. Derby v. Rest Of League |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18930612/022/0004 |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=4 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}

Bloomer then played baseball for Derby Baseball Club, making his debut for the team at the age of 20 on 5 May 1894, at the Baseball Ground in Derby. The Derby County goalkeeper, Jack Robinson also made his debut on the same day.{{refn|1="Jack Robinson and Steve Bloomer both assisted Derby, and bid fair to prove valuable acquisitions to the team."[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000052/18940509/026/0007?browse=False "Baseball. Derby v. Rest Of League"] Derby Mercury, Wednesday 09 May 1894, p.7. Via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 28 September 2021.{{subscription required|s}}|group=note}} Derby got to the semi-final of the English cup in 1894, and lost to the Thespians.{{Cite news |date=1 August 1894 |title=Notes On Out-Door Sports |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18940801/015/0002 |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=2 |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{Cite news |date=11 May 1900 |title=Baseball In England. Points About The Game And Its English Pioneer |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001536/19000511/068/0005?browse=False |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=The Belper News |page=5 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} The team won the English Baseball Cup on 17 August 1895 at Derby's Baseball Ground beating Fullers in the final, with Steve Bloomer playing at first base.{{Cite news |date=19 August 1895 |title=Baseball. Final Tie For The English Cup. Derby Victorious |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18950819/028/0003 |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=3 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} They won 16 matches and lost just five in that season.{{Cite news |date=31 August 1895 |title=Baseball. The English Cup Winners Entertained. Complimentary Banquet At The Royal Hotel |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000327/18950831/006/0002 |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=2 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} The English Cup was won again by Derby in 1897, when they beat Middlesbrough in the final.{{Cite news |date=30 August 1897 |title=District Notes |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000181/18970830/174/0010?browse=False |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Sheffield Independent |page=10 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} The trophy was won for a third time by Derby, beating Nott'm Forest 14 - 3 in the final on 19 August 1899. Bloomer captained the team in the final and played at second base.{{Cite news |date=23 August 1899 |title=Baseball. The English Cup Final. Derby v. Notts Forest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-derby-mercury-baseball-the-english/165259623/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=Derby Mercury |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Derby County formed a baseball team in 1900 which Steve Bloomer played for in that season. Their first game was played on 19 May 1900. It contained, with Bloomer and among others, players who were or had been, members of Derby County football team up to that date: Enos Bromage, Hugh McQueen, Jonathan Staley, John Goodall, and Jimmy Methven. They played in a local league against Derby, Ilkeston, Belper, Chesterfield and Nottingham Forest.{{Cite news |date=9 May 1900 |title=Notes On Outdoor Sports |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000327/19000509/034/0004?browse=False |url-access=subscription |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |page=4 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} However, both Derby baseball teams do not appear to have existed after 1900.

File:Bloomer.JPG]]

A plaque commemorating Bloomer's by-then demolished birthplace in Bridge Street, Cradley, was unveiled in 2000 by former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Derby player Jimmy Dunn and Bloomer's grandson Steve Richards.

On 17 January 2009, after a long and sustained period of campaigning, a bust of Bloomer was finally unveiled inside Pride Park, Derby. Bloomer's two grandsons, Steve Richards and Alan Quantrill, unveiled the bust in the presence of Bloomer's family and relations, the sculptor Andy Edwards and thousands of Derby County fans. On 17 January 2009, a bust of Bloomer was unveiled next to the home dugout at Pride Park Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Derby-County-Steve-Bloomer-s-watching-statue-unveiled-Pride-Park/article-623659-detail/article.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913221933/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Derby-County-Steve-Bloomer-s-watching-statue-unveiled-Pride-Park/article-623659-detail/article.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-13|work=Derby Evening Telegraph|title=Derby County: Steve Bloomer's watching after statue is unveiled at Pride Park}} He remains a legend at Derby County and the club anthem, "Steve Bloomer's Watchin'", is played and sang before every home game. He is also listed in the Football League 100 Legends and English Football Hall of Fame.

Real Unión held a Steve Bloomer Day on 21 January 2017, to pay tribute to Bloomer.{{cite news|title=Spanish club hold 'Steve Bloomer Day' in honour of Derby County legend|url=http://www.itv.com/news/central/2017-01-24/spanish-club-hold-steve-bloomer-day-in-honour-of-derby-county-legend/|access-date=2 October 2017|work=ITV News|date=24 January 2017|language=en}} In recognition of his contribution to both clubs, Real Unión and Derby County met to contest the Steve Bloomer Trophy in a friendly match in Irun on 3 October 2017, in what is intended to become an annual fixture.{{cite news|last1=Watson|first1=Chris|title=All you need to know about the Steve Bloomer Trophy|url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/you-need-know-steve-bloomer-381926|access-date=2 October 2017|work=Derby Telegraph|date=26 August 2017}}

On 16 February 2018, a Blue plaque honouring Bloomer was unveiled on Bloomer's former school, in Portland Street, Derby, by the Derby Civic Society, in the presence of the Mayor of Derby, councillor John Whitby.{{cite web|title=Blue plaque unveiled to Derby County football great Steve Bloomer|url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/steve-bloomer-blue-plaque-derby-1224710|work=Derby Telegraph|access-date=17 February 2018|date=16 February 2018}}{{cite web|last1=Council|first1=Derby City|title=Blue Plaque unveiled for football legend, Steve Bloomer|url=https://news.derby.gov.uk/blue-plaque-unveiled-for-football-legend-steve-bloomer/|publisher=Derby City Council|access-date=17 February 2018|date=16 February 2018}} It reads:

{{Blockquote|Steve Bloomer

1874-1938

Footballer

Played for Derby County FC (1892-1914) and capped 23 times for his Country

Brought up in Portland Street, he received his earliest education in this building}}

File:Blue Plaque commemorating the life of Steve Bloomer.jpg

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• List of English football first tier top scorers
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{{reflist|group=note}}

• {{Cite book|last=Seddon|first=Peter|title=Steve Bloomer: The Story of Football's First Superstar|publisher=Breedon Books (Derby)|year=1999|isbn=1-85983-146X}}

• {{Englandstats}}
• {{Commons category-inline|Steve Bloomer}}

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