{{Short description|English footballer (born 1978)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Matt Bloomer | image = Matthew Bloomer in 2009.png | upright = 0.9 | caption = Bloomer playing for Harrogate in 2010 | fullname = Matthew Brian Bloomer | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|11|3|df=y}} | birth_place = Grimsby, England | height = 6 ft 0 in<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/skysportsfootbal0000unse_l8c8 |title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2005–2006 |date=2005 |publisher=Headline |isbn=978-0-7553-1384-6 |editor-last=Rollin |editor-first=Glenda |location=London |pages=491 |editor-last2=Rollin |editor-first2=Jack}}</ref> | position = Defender | youthyears1 = 1993–1997 | youthclubs1 = Grimsby Town | years1 = 1997–2001 | years2 = 2001–2003 | years3 = 2002 | years4 = 2002 | years5 = 2003–2006 | years6 = 2006 | years7 = 2006 | years8 = 2006–2007 | years9 = 2007 | years10 = 2007–2009 | years11 = 2009–2016 | years12 = 2016–2019 | years13 = 2021–2022 | clubs1 = Grimsby Town | clubs2 = Hull City | clubs3 = → Lincoln City (loan) | clubs4 = → Telford United (loan) | clubs5 = Lincoln City | clubs6 = → Grimsby Town (loan) | clubs7 = → Cambridge United (loan) | clubs8 = Cambridge United | clubs9 = Grimsby Town | clubs10 = Boston United | clubs11 = Harrogate Town | clubs12 = Cleethorpes Town | clubs13 = Cleethorpes Town | caps1 = 12 | goals1 = 0 | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | caps3 = 5 | goals3 = 0 | caps4 = 13 | goals4 = 0 | caps5 = 89 | goals5 = 3 | caps6 = 3 | goals6 = 0 | caps7 = 8 | goals7 = 0 | caps8 = 17 | goals8 = 0 | caps9 = 9 | goals9 = 0 | caps10 = 40 | goals10 = 0 | caps11 = 232 | goals11 = 2 | caps12 = 76 | goals12 = 2 | caps13 = 0 | goals13 = 0 | totalcaps = 507 | totalgoals = 7 | club-update = 15:18, 26 March 2016 (UTC) }} '''Matthew Brian Bloomer''' (born 3 November 1978) is an English football coach and former professional footballer.
Bloomer played as a defender from 1997 to 2019, notably having three separate spells with his home town club Grimsby Town, having also played for Hull City, Lincoln City, Telford United, Cambridge United, Boston United and Harrogate Town and Cleethorpes Town.
==Playing career==
===Grimsby Town=== Bloomer started his career as a trainee with his home town club of Grimsby Town, but failed to make an impact, starting only three games in his four years under contract. He was brought up in a youth team that consisted the likes of Jack Lester, John Oster, Danny Butterfield and Daryl Clare, and under the stewardship of long serving manager Alan Buckley. Bloomer was released by the club's new manager Lennie Lawrence at the end of the 2000–01 campaign.
===Hull City=== Upon his release from Blundell Park, Bloomer dropped down two league's to sign for Hull City, where he also struggled, making just three appearances in the league in two years, all of them off the bench. In 2002, Alan Buckley's Lincoln City, who were facing relegation from Division Three signed Bloomer on a month-long loan. He turned in a series of impressive displays at centre back which helped keep Lincoln in the Football League.
===Lincoln City=== The following season, Keith Alexander succeeded Alan Buckley as manager, and brought Bloomer in on a permanent deal. After signing permanently for Lincoln he was mainly a bit-part player, but nonetheless made nearly a century of appearances for the club. During the 2004–2005 season, he earned himself a starting place at right-back, replacing veteran Dean West. Bloomer was given his chance to start ahead of West for the League Cup first round match against Derby County. Lincoln won 3–1, Bloomer's performance was highly praised, and he went on to make a number of solid performances. He lost his starting place following an ill-fated first half against Wycombe Wanderers in early 2005. Bloomer moved from right back to central defensive position held by captain Paul Morgan, who was out with an injury, Wycombe scored three goals in the first 45 minutes, all from Nathan Tyson. He did not start again all season, with both Lee Beevers and Gareth McAuley playing in his position for the rest of the year, however, he did play as a striker in the play-off final in Cardiff, where Lincoln lost 2–0 after extra-time to Southend United. During the 2005–06 season, Bloomer found himself on the fringes of the Lincoln squad, and had spells on loan at former club Grimsby Town and Conference side Cambridge United.
===Cambridge United=== Bloomer signed for Cambridge permanently in July 2006, and made 18 first team appearances. However, he only had a short lived spell at the struggling Conference club, and he had his contract cancelled on 31 January 2007.
===Return to Grimsby Town=== Following his release from Cambridge, Alan Buckley tempted Bloomer into returning to his home town and he rejoined Grimsby Town until the end of the 2006–07 season. After playing only a cameo role in the end of the club's season, Buckley released Bloomer four months later.
===Boston United=== He went on trial with York City at the end of the 2006–07 season following his release by Grimsby,<ref name="York and Leeds draw">{{cite news |title=York and Leeds draw |url=http://www.confguide.com/newsArticle.do?id=6797 |publisher=Confguide |date=14 July 2007 |accessdate=14 July 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806073538/http://www.confguide.com/newsArticle.do?id=6797 |archivedate=6 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but York confirmed they would not be offering Bloomer a contract after did not turn up to training, and had also gone to play for Halifax Town for a pre-season friendly.<ref name="Billy's blast for no-show trialist">{{cite news |title = Billy's blast for no-show trialist |url = http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/display.var.1562861.0..php |publisher = The Press |date = 21 July 2007 |accessdate = 21 July 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014645/http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/display.var.1562861.0..php |archive-date = 30 September 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref> However, he eventually signed for Conference North side Boston United. Despite Boston's financial trouble, Bloomer stayed on even though the club were demoted two years in a row for financial irregularities.<ref>{{cite news | title = Boston sign ex-Mariners defender | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/grimsby_town/6919671.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 27 July 2007 | access-date = 27 July 2007}}</ref> Despite being offered a new but reduced contract for the 2009–10 season, Bloomer was eventually released by Boston on 1 June 2009.
===Harrogate Town=== Less than two weeks after his release from Boston United, Bloomer agreed to join Harrogate Town,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theforgottenimp.co.uk/news1898.shtml |title=Ex-Imp Joins Weaver's Harrogate Town |publisher=The Forgotten Imp |date=15 June 2009 |accessdate=16 June 2009 }} {{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> who were managed by his former Lincoln City teammate Simon Weaver. Despite finishing bottom of the Conference North with Harrogate Town, Bloomer managed to make a total of 44 appearances. He left Harrogate in January 2016 midway through his fifth season with the club.
===Cleethorpes Town=== In January 2016 Bloomer joined Cleethorpes Town on a free transfer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/matt-bloomer-joins-cleethorpes-as-harrogate-town-bring-in-lincoln-s-nat-brown-1-7675096|title=Matt Bloomer joins Cleethorpes as Harrogate Town bring in Lincoln's Nat Brown}}</ref>
==Coaching career== In 2018, Bloomer was appointed assistant manager at Cleethorpes.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/cleethorpestown/teams/46369/coach/matt-bloomer-1371164| title = Matt Bloomer – Cleethorpes Town FC First Team}}</ref> Bloomer registered as a player again during the 2021–22 season.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/cleethorpestown/teams/46369/player/matt-bloomer-1637161/66156| title = Matt Bloomer – Cleethorpes Town FC First Team}}</ref>
==Personal life== Bloomer is a third generation professional footballer. His father, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929131809/http://www.thegingerbreads.co.uk/gtfcstats/player.php?id=649 Brian] played in the Football League for Scunthorpe United while Brian's father, [http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/rollcall.html#JBloomer Jimmy] played for Grimsby Town as well as Matt's old club Boston United. Matt's uncle, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929131527/http://www.thegingerbreads.co.uk/gtfcstats/player.php?id=507 Jimmy Bloomer Jr] also played for Grimsby Town.
==Honours== '''Grimsby Town''' *Second Division play-off: 1997–98 *Football League Trophy: 1997–98
'''Lincoln City''' *Third Division play-off runner-up: 2002–03 *Football League Two play-off runner-up: 2004–05
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase|name=Matthew Bloomer}} *[http://www.theforgottenimp.co.uk/retro8.shtml Matt Bloomer Profile] {{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at [http://www.theforgottenimp.co.uk The Forgotten Imp]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloomer, Matthew}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Grimsby Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Grimsby Town F.C. players Category:Hull City A.F.C. players Category:Lincoln City F.C. players Category:Telford United F.C. players Category:Cambridge United F.C. players Category:Boston United F.C. players Category:Harrogate Town A.F.C. players Category:Cleethorpes Town F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players