Career
Balmer was a tough-tackling full-back. He joined Everton in 1897 from South Shore and went on to play 331 games, scoring one goal. His only England appearance came in a 1-1 draw with Ireland in 1905.
Balmer spent the 1909-1910 and 1910-1911 seasons in the Southern League with Croydon Common, making 64 appearances and scoring four goals.
In 1912, 35-year-old Balmer joined Chester in the Lancashire Combination, but he left after just two games as he was deemed to be too slow and past his best. In 1921, Balmer was appointed as trainer at Huddersfield Town and progressed to become a coach with the club