Biography
Centre back Matt Bloomer joined the Tigers in June 2001, dropping down two divisions after leaving his home town club Grimsby Town. Manager Brian Little resisted throwing Bloomer straight into the first team, so it was quite a surprise when his debut came in a League Cup tie against Derby County, Matt being handed the task of marking Italian international striker Fabrizio Ravanelli. Bloomer did a reasonable job, but was not selected to start another game as fitness issues blighted him. He made just three more substitute appearances before leaving the club in January 2003.
Matthew Brian Bloomer was born and raised in Grimsby, his father Brian and grandfather Jimmy were both professional footballers so it was little surprise to see Matt come through the youth system at Blundell Park at a time when the Mariners were competing in the second tier of English football. After making his debut at the age of 19 in an Associate Members’ Cup tie against Hull City, Bloomer remained on the fringes of the Grimsby first team for another three seasons, adding only 14 more appearances mostly from the bench. He left the club in the summer of 2001 when his first manager and mentor Alan Buckley was replaced by Lennie Lawrence.
Bloomer had loan spells at Lincoln City (reuniting with Alan Buckley) and Telford United towards the end of his time at Hull City before rejoining Lincoln on a permanent contract in January 2003. At Sincil Bank Bloomer started to find his way as a first team footballer and by the 2004/05 season he was first choice centre half for the Imps, making 42 appearances and scoring two goals – his first senior goal having come two years earlier in March 2003 playing for Lincoln against Hartlepool. When Lincoln lost the play-off final to Southend in May 2005 a squad rebuild was enacted and Bloomer’s first team exposure was reduced. He had loan spells back at Grimsby Town (who had now dropped to the fourth tier alongside Lincoln) and Conference National side Cambridge United before leaving Lincoln in the 2006 close season.
In the 2006/07 season Bloomer had six month spells at Cambridge and a third return to Grimsby Town. In the summer of 2007 Matt joined Boston United, beginning a long second phase to his footballing career as reliable non-league centre half. Two seasons at Boston were followed by 7 years and over 230 appearances for Harrogate Town. In 2016 he returned to the East Coast and signed for Cleethorpes Town, becoming assistant manager in 2018 before hanging up his boots in 2019. He rose to manager at Cleethorpes Town in 2021.
Matt’s grandfather Jimmy Bloomer played four times for Hull City in the 1947/48 season, meaning that Jimmy and Matt were the first grandfather/grandson combination to have both played for the Tigers.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 3 November 1978, Grimsby
Hull City First Game: 12 September 2001, Derby County A (League Cup Second Round), 22 years, 313 days old
Hull City Final Game: 3 November 2001, Cheltenham Town H (League Division 3), 23 years, 0 days old
Clubs
Grimsby Town (1996-2001), Hull City (2001-2003), Lincoln City (2002, loan), Telford United (2002, loan), Lincoln City (2003-2007), Grimsby Town (2006, loan), Cambridge United (2006, loan), Cambridge United (2006-2007), Grimsby Town (2007), Boston United (2007-2009), Harrogate Town (2009-2016), Cleethorpes Town (2016-2019)
Hull City Record
Career: 4 apps, 0 goals
Matt Bloomer| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001/02 | 0 (3) | 0 | - | - | 1 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - |
| 2002/03 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |