Steve Bloomer bronze plaque

This bronze commemorative plaque records: "Steve Bloomer, the first king of English football goalscorers, entered the 20th century with his fame as Derby County's outstanding marksman already established. As the next century beckoned - when this monument was erected in 1996 - his Rams' all-games record of 332 goals was still unsurpassed. His 353 Football League goals for Derby County and Middlesbrough was a record until near his death in 1938 at 64. Bloomer's 28 goals in 23 England games gave him a then unique average of 1.21 per cap. The son of a Midlands' blacksmith, Bloomer was a pupil at St James' School in Derby. He was described as a 'Working Class Hero' by Nottingham Trent University student Jonathan Belshaw in his 1990's study of Victorian social changes. The monument erected through the auction of Bloomer's England caps, plus family contributions, has been presented to Derby City Council by his descendants."

Steve Bloomer was a pioneering English footballer renowned for his prolific goal-scoring; he holds records for most goals scored in Football League matches and is celebrated as an early working-class hero in the sport.