Jimmy Bloomfield facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Henry Bloomfield | ||
| Date of birth | 15 February 1934 | ||
| Place of birth | Notting Hill, London, England | ||
| Date of death | 3 April 1983 (aged 49) | ||
| Place of death | Chingford, England | ||
| Playing position | Inside forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hayes | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1951–1952 | Hayes | ||
| 195?–1952 | Walthamstow Avenue | ||
| 1952–1954 | Brentford | 42 | (5) |
| 1954–1960 | Arsenal | 210 | (54) |
| 1960–1964 | Birmingham City | 123 | (28) |
| 1964–1965 | Brentford | 44 | (4) |
| 1965–1966 | West Ham United | 10 | (0) |
| 1966–1968 | Plymouth Argyle | 25 | (1) |
| 1968–1970 | Orient | 45 | (3) |
| Total | 499 | (95) | |
| National team | |||
| 1956–1957 | England U23 | 2 | (1) |
| Football League XI | |||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1968–1971 | Orient | ||
| 1971–1977 | Leicester City | ||
| 1977–1981 | Orient | ||
|
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James Henry Bloomfield (born 15 February 1934 – died 3 April 1983) was a famous English football player and manager. He played in nearly 500 games in the Football League. More than 300 of these games were in the top division, the First Division. He played for big clubs like Arsenal, Birmingham City, and West Ham United.
Jimmy also played for the England under-23 team. After his playing career, he spent 13 years as a manager. He led teams like Orient and Leicester City.
Contents
Jimmy Bloomfield's Early Life and Football Start
Jimmy Bloomfield was born in Notting Hill, London. His younger brother, Billy, also became a professional footballer. Billy played for Brentford. Jimmy also had a nephew, Ray Bloomfield, who played for Arsenal's youth team.
Jimmy started his football journey at a young age. He played for a non-league club called Hayes. After a short time, he joined Walthamstow Avenue.
Joining Brentford and Arsenal
In October 1952, Jimmy joined Second Division club Brentford. He played there for two years. When Brentford was moved down to a lower division in 1954, Arsenal signed him. They paid £8,000 for him.
Jimmy made his first appearance for Arsenal on 25 August 1954. This was against Everton. He became a regular player for Arsenal in the 1955–56 season.
Playing Career Highlights
Jimmy Bloomfield was a strong player who worked very hard. He was known for his accurate passes. He played as an inside forward. From 1955 to 1960, he was a key part of Arsenal's attack. He was one of their best players during a time when the club wasn't winning many trophies.
He played for the England under-23 team. He also played for the Football League XI. Jimmy was part of the London XI team that played in the first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final in 1958. They lost to Barcelona.
Moving to Birmingham City and Other Clubs
Jimmy played 227 games for Arsenal and scored 56 goals. In 1960, another player named George Eastham joined Arsenal. Jimmy then lost his regular spot in the team. He was sold to Birmingham City in November 1960.
He spent four seasons with Birmingham City. He reached another Fairs Cup final in 1961, but his team lost to Roma. However, he helped Birmingham win the League Cup in 1963. He even scored a goal in the final as Birmingham beat their local rivals, Aston Villa.
After Birmingham, Jimmy returned to Brentford in 1964. He also played for West Ham United, Plymouth Argyle, and Orient.
Jimmy Bloomfield: A Managerial Star
In 1968, Jimmy Bloomfield became the player-manager for Orient. This meant he was both a player and the team's manager. In his second full season, 1969–70, he led Orient to win the Third Division.
Success with Leicester City
In 1971, Jimmy was hired by Leicester City. They had just been promoted to the top division. He managed to keep Leicester City in the First Division for six years.
His team also reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1973–74. They lost to Liverpool after a replay. During his time at Leicester, Jimmy built a team that played exciting, skillful football. He did this even with a small budget. Players like Frank Worthington and Keith Weller were part of his team. Many people still see him as one of Leicester City's greatest managers. He left the club in 1977.
Returning to Orient and Later Life
Jimmy Bloomfield went back to manage Orient in 1977. In his second time as manager, they reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1977–78. They were beaten by his old club, Arsenal.
He left Orient in 1981 after a disagreement with the club chairman. In a 2014 poll, Jimmy Bloomfield was voted Orient's best manager ever. After leaving Orient, he worked as a coach at Luton Town. He passed away in Chingford, Essex, in 1983, at the age of 49.
Honours
Player
Birmingham City
- League Cup: 1962–63
Manager
Orient
- Football League Third Division: 1969–70
Leicester City
- FA Charity Shield: 1971
Individual
- Football League Third Division Manager of the Year: 1969–70
