A REST CURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 7, 10 January 1938, Page 11

A REST CURE

SOCCER STAR'S VISIT

•THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER'

Regarded by many as the greatest Association football forward of ali time, Steve Bloomer, aged 63, arrived in Wellington loday by the Otranto in the course of a six months' tour of the world. He was a sick, tired man when he left England early in November, but when greeted this morning by officials of the New Zealand Football Association ha appeared hale and hearty

The footbail idol of his generation, he started to play as an amateur in 1892,.when he was a lad of 1.7. He was then apprenticed to a blacksmith, but at the age of 19 he decided to take football seriously, and signed on for Derby County. His earnings tor the first year were 7s 6d a week. The club was at the time making a great bid for the highest trophy in.-English football. During the time that Bloomer played, Derby County three times reached the Cup Final, but, unfortunately, never registered a win. ' •

In 1895, Bloomer gained-his first representative caps, when he played for England against Ireland arid. Scotland. From then on until 1907 he only once missed selection in the English team. On that occasion, in 1903, he was suffering from a badly sprained ankle. Altogether he played in t23 internationals, his last game being against Scotland in 1907. He scored a total df 375 goals in the League, and 39 in international matches.

At that time it was very difficult to get into the English team, as there was only one trial game, amateurs v. professionals. The amateurs were always inclined to get into the team, he told a "Post" reporter, unless one played one's best. At no time did he earn more than £4 a week as a footballer.

In 1914 he took to coaching, and travelled to' Germany to coach a university team. He was there when war broke out, and so was interned for over four years. This did not improve his health. For the past five years he has suffered from bronchitis, and sportsmen, realising that a winter in England would be bad for him, clubbed together and raised enough money for the rest cure.

"Football today is not as good as Jt used to be," he said. "The three-back game is not good enough, and is spoiling the game. You don't see the five forwards go down the field in line as in the old days. The combination is gone."

He wears on his watch-chain a gold medal bearing the three lions of England. It is a souvenir of what he. himself considers was his greatest game, the match between England and Ireland in 1899. The final score in this match was 3-2 in favour of England, and he scored all three for the winning side, the last one right on time.