Stephen Bywater
Encyclopedia
Stephen Michael Bywater, (born 7 June 1981 in Oldham
, Greater Manchester
) is an English
professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper
. He has made appearances for seven clubs, most notably his current club Derby County
, where he won the 2007 Championship Playoff final and West Ham United
, where he spent eight seasons and made over 60 appearances. He is also a former England Under-21
international. He is currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday
from Derby County.
as a boy and started his career in August 1997 with Rochdale. His only first team appearance was against Carlisle United in an Autoglass Trophy
game which Rochdale lost 6–1. He was brought to West Ham as a 16 year old by Harry Redknapp
in February 1998 for £250,000, rising to £1.75 million depending on performances and achievements. He graduated through the youth set-up and featured in West Ham's 1999 FA Youth Cup winning team along with Joe Cole
and Michael Carrick
.
He spent the next two seasons learning from former Manchester United
, Aston Villa
and Coventry City
goalkeeper Les Sealey
and sitting in the pecking order behind Craig Forrest
, Bernard Lama
and Shaka Hislop
. With first team opportunities limited, Bywater joined Wycombe Wanderers
on loan in September 1999, making two appearances, and then went to Hull City
on loan in November 1999, making four appearances. A broken leg for Shaka Hislop
meant a debut for Bywater at the age of 19 against Bradford City
in February 2000, in a game that saw Bradford score four times but which West Ham eventually won 5–4. Bywater also appeared in the final three games of the 1999–00 season
, against Arsenal
, Sunderland
and Leeds United
and made a single appearance in the following season
against Bradford in February 2001.
Wolves
signed Bywater on loan in July 2001 to ease a goalkeeping crisis but he returned to West Ham the following month having not made an appearance for Wolves other than on the bench in the opening game of the season against Portsmouth
. His chances to move up the pecking order were limited with the club signing David James
in July 2001 and the retention of Shaka Hislop as James was injured on international duty in August 2001, and he did not make a single appearance for West Ham in the 2001–02 season
nor in the 2002–03 season
. He joined Cardiff City
on a one-month loan at the end of March 2002 but made no appearance there.
Eventually, after the club was relegated in 2002–03 and David James moved to Manchester City
in January 2004, Bywater became a regular starter in the first-team, making 23 appearances as West Ham reached the First Division play-off
final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Crystal Palace
. He signed a three-year contract extension in June 2004, saying "I am very pleased to have signed on for another three years at West Ham. We were very unlucky last year and I am sure that we will start next season with a squad capable of challenging for promotion again. The club have invested a lot in my career and the manager showed great faith in me last season. I am determined to repay everyone at the club by helping the team back into the Premiership."
He soon had to share the role of the club's primary keeper with Jimmy Walker who was brought in from Walsall
in June 2004 to provide competition for Bywater. Bywater made 39 league and cup appearances in the 2004–05 season
for West Ham as the club were promoted to the Premiership, and appeared in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium
in May 2005, coming on as a late substitute for the injured Jimmy Walker in the 1–0 victory over Preston North End
.
The signing of Roy Carroll
in June 2005 and the re-signing of Shaka Hislop
on a one-year contract in July 2005 once again limited Bywater's first-team opportunities and he joined Coventry City
in August 2005, on loan until the end of the year, where he made 14 appearances. An injury to Carroll however led to Bywater being recalled from Coventry in October 2005. He made a single appearance for West Ham in the remainder of the 2005–06 season, against West Bromwich Albion
in November 2005.
Bywater joined Derby County
in August 2006 on an initial emergency loan deal for two weeks and signed a permanent three-year deal two weeks later for a fee of £225,000. Before the 2008–09 season, he wore the number 43 shirt at Derby as a tribute to his mentor and former goalkeeping coach Les Sealey
, who died at the age of 43 in 2001, saying, "Les looked after me most of the time. He took me to training every day, coached me and advised me on life. I know he is watching over me and that he wants me to do well, so that was for him." Bywater made 43 league and cup appearances in the 2006–07 season as Derby reached the Championship play-off final, where they beat West Bromwich Albion
1–0 to secure a place in the Premier League.
In June 2007, Bywater reiterated his desire to play for England
and his hopes to be noticed in the 2007–08 season
, saying "I grew up with a few of the lads like Paul Robinson, Rob Green
and Chris Kirkland and they are good but I don't think they are anything special. I do believe if I play well and have a good season, I will be up there in contention. I am confident but not cocky." After a first half of the season that saw Derby County rooted to the foot of the Premier League, Bywater joined Ipswich Town
on loan in January 2008 for the rest of the season. Jim Magilton
, manager of Ipswich Town, described him as, "...a young, ambitious keeper who knows what is needed to win promotion from this division." He made his debut for Ipswich Town against Sheffield Wednesday
in February 2008 and made 17 appearances in the remainder of the 2007–08 season as Ipswich finished below the play-off places. Following Derby's relegation at the end of the 2007/08 season, Bywater almost returned to the Premier League with a move to Tottenham Hotspur
. However, when the deal fell through, Bywater remained with The Rams and, after initially playing as second fiddle to Roy Carroll
for the start of the 2008–09 season, Bywater regained and retained his place in the team after Carroll was sent off against Norwich City
. His form was good enough that he held the number 1 position for the rest of the season and he signed a new
3 year contract with Derby on 13 January 2009.
Stephen Bywater was honoured by Stevie B Barfords rave anthem Oi Bywater which became a famous chant during their infamous local Midland derby against West Bromwich Albion during December 2009. This chant was believed to have started from a single fan standing behind Megan and Bradley Glover.
He made his 100th appearance for the club away to Blackpool
on 8 August 2009, keeping a clean sheet. In December 2009, after keeping two successive clean sheets, manager Nigel Clough
praised Bywater's performances in the two games: "Stephen has been exemplary. He is fully fit and approaching the peak of his career. He has a good temperament, which is probably a factor of his age. He works hard in training and, like all goalkeepers, he is a bit daft." An injury sustained away to Reading
in March 2010 saw Bywater ruled out for two games which brought to an end a run of 71 consecutive league appearances in the Derby goal. He returned and put in Championship Team of the Week performance as Derby drew 0–0 at Sheffield Wednesday
. After Derby secured survival with a 1–1 draw with Crystal Palace
, Bywater sat out the last two games of the season to rest a sprained rib joint. He returned to the first team in the 2010–11 season and made his 150th appearance for the club in a 2–0 defeat at Hull City
. Bywater played every minute of Derby's opening 11 games of the season, keeping two clean sheets, before a wrist injury sustained in training during the October international break ruled him out for a month. He returned to the first team in November 2011, which coincided with a dreadful run of form which saw Derby drop from 4th to 18th in 3 months. Bywater then sustained an injury in a 1–0 defeat to Hull City
on 22 February 2011, ruling him out for several weeks.
On 4 March 2011, Bywater joined Cardiff City
on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut the following day in a 2–0 loss to Ipswich Town
. Following Cardiff
's playoff semi final defeat to Reading
, in which a Bywater error cost Cardiff an important goal, Bywater returned to Derby. His future at The Rams was cast into serious doubt when he was not given a squad number ahead of the 2011-12 season and this was confirmed when Derby's goalkeeping coach Martin Taylor
revealed "He's not in the squad at all. Nothing against Stephen because he's worked really hard but he doesn't figure in our plans. At his age he just needs to play games and get in the shop window." On 20 September 2011, Bywater joined Sheffield Wednesday
on loan for 3 months due to an injury picked up by first choice 'keeper Nicky Weaver
.
debut during 1999 and rotated in the role with both Paul Robinson
and Chris Kirkland
. He later progressed to the U21 team
with the same group of players though by that time both Kirkland and Robinson had become established league players. Injuries had limited his opportunities with both a broken finger and later on a fractured wrist holding up his development and limiting his opportunities. He made six appearances for the U21 team.
Bywater was tipped to be called up for the England squad after Derby's promotion to the Premier League in 2006–07, but he wasn't picked.
Statistics accurate as of matches played 5 November 2011
and cage fighting when his playing career ends, saying "I have told my agent that one day I am going to take it up! He laughs at me – but I'm serious."
He has also been involved in several controversies. In an October 2007 interview with Clare Tomlinson
on Sky Sports
' Goals On Sunday
programme he spelt out the word "cunt
" whilst live on air as part of an anecdote, an incident which saw Tomlinson placed on two months leave.
In September 2010, Bywater stirred more controversy in regards of a provocative art installation in the player's garden in Sutton on the Hill
, Derbyshire
. The installation – a horse box with mattresses and a sex doll strapped to it with graffiti such as "love" and "Dave" sprayed on the side – brought complaints from neighbours, who decried the piece as "very ugly" and an "eyesore". Bywater, who claimed that art was his latest hobby and the installation was his masterpiece, issused a statement via Derby County stating "I would like to apologise to any supporters and local residents in Derbyshire who have been offended. It was and is still my view that my actions were made as a private citizen and in no way linked to Derby County Football Club. However, now it has been brought into the public domain, I acknowledge that this does not reflect well on me as a professional or the Club in general. I apologise again if my actions have in anyway damaged my reputation or the reputation of the Club." He eventually auctioned the piece, announcing the eBay
sale via his Twitter
page, saying all the proceeds would be donated to the Teen Pride charity.
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
. He has made appearances for seven clubs, most notably his current club Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, where he won the 2007 Championship Playoff final and West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, where he spent eight seasons and made over 60 appearances. He is also a former England Under-21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
international. He is currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
from Derby County.
West Ham United
Bywater attended the Blue Coat School, OldhamThe Blue Coat School, Oldham
The Blue Coat School is a mixed gender Church of England Academy for 11–18 year olds, located in the town of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England....
as a boy and started his career in August 1997 with Rochdale. His only first team appearance was against Carlisle United in an Autoglass Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
game which Rochdale lost 6–1. He was brought to West Ham as a 16 year old by Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
in February 1998 for £250,000, rising to £1.75 million depending on performances and achievements. He graduated through the youth set-up and featured in West Ham's 1999 FA Youth Cup winning team along with Joe Cole
Joe Cole
Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...
and Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the England national team. He has made more than 300 Premier League appearances and played in 50 UEFA Champions League games as of April 2011...
.
He spent the next two seasons learning from former Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
goalkeeper Les Sealey
Les Sealey
Leslie Jesse "Les" Sealey was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for, among others, Coventry City, Luton Town, Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham United...
and sitting in the pecking order behind Craig Forrest
Craig Forrest
Craig Lorne Forrest is a Canadian soccer commentator and a former goalkeeper.-Club career:...
, Bernard Lama
Bernard Lama
Bernard Pascal Maurice Lama is a French football coach and former goalkeeper. He was born in the Indre-et-Loire département but grew up in French Guiana. He spent a number of years in goal for Lille and Paris Saint-Germain...
and Shaka Hislop
Shaka Hislop
Neil Shaka Hislop, CM is a former professional football goalkeeper. The majority of his career was spent in the top division in England where he was a part of the Newcastle United team which finished second in the Premier League for two successive seasons under Kevin Keegan's first tenure...
. With first team opportunities limited, Bywater joined Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
on loan in September 1999, making two appearances, and then went to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on loan in November 1999, making four appearances. A broken leg for Shaka Hislop
Shaka Hislop
Neil Shaka Hislop, CM is a former professional football goalkeeper. The majority of his career was spent in the top division in England where he was a part of the Newcastle United team which finished second in the Premier League for two successive seasons under Kevin Keegan's first tenure...
meant a debut for Bywater at the age of 19 against Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
in February 2000, in a game that saw Bradford score four times but which West Ham eventually won 5–4. Bywater also appeared in the final three games of the 1999–00 season
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
, against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and made a single appearance in the following season
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
against Bradford in February 2001.
Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
signed Bywater on loan in July 2001 to ease a goalkeeping crisis but he returned to West Ham the following month having not made an appearance for Wolves other than on the bench in the opening game of the season against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. His chances to move up the pecking order were limited with the club signing David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
in July 2001 and the retention of Shaka Hislop as James was injured on international duty in August 2001, and he did not make a single appearance for West Ham in the 2001–02 season
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
nor in the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
. He joined Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on a one-month loan at the end of March 2002 but made no appearance there.
Eventually, after the club was relegated in 2002–03 and David James moved to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in January 2004, Bywater became a regular starter in the first-team, making 23 appearances as West Ham reached the First Division play-off
Football League Championship play-offs
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. He signed a three-year contract extension in June 2004, saying "I am very pleased to have signed on for another three years at West Ham. We were very unlucky last year and I am sure that we will start next season with a squad capable of challenging for promotion again. The club have invested a lot in my career and the manager showed great faith in me last season. I am determined to repay everyone at the club by helping the team back into the Premiership."
He soon had to share the role of the club's primary keeper with Jimmy Walker who was brought in from Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
in June 2004 to provide competition for Bywater. Bywater made 39 league and cup appearances in the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
for West Ham as the club were promoted to the Premiership, and appeared in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in May 2005, coming on as a late substitute for the injured Jimmy Walker in the 1–0 victory over Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
.
The signing of Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
in June 2005 and the re-signing of Shaka Hislop
Shaka Hislop
Neil Shaka Hislop, CM is a former professional football goalkeeper. The majority of his career was spent in the top division in England where he was a part of the Newcastle United team which finished second in the Premier League for two successive seasons under Kevin Keegan's first tenure...
on a one-year contract in July 2005 once again limited Bywater's first-team opportunities and he joined Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in August 2005, on loan until the end of the year, where he made 14 appearances. An injury to Carroll however led to Bywater being recalled from Coventry in October 2005. He made a single appearance for West Ham in the remainder of the 2005–06 season, against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in November 2005.
Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in August 2006 on an initial emergency loan deal for two weeks and signed a permanent three-year deal two weeks later for a fee of £225,000. Before the 2008–09 season, he wore the number 43 shirt at Derby as a tribute to his mentor and former goalkeeping coach Les Sealey
Les Sealey
Leslie Jesse "Les" Sealey was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for, among others, Coventry City, Luton Town, Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham United...
, who died at the age of 43 in 2001, saying, "Les looked after me most of the time. He took me to training every day, coached me and advised me on life. I know he is watching over me and that he wants me to do well, so that was for him." Bywater made 43 league and cup appearances in the 2006–07 season as Derby reached the Championship play-off final, where they beat West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
1–0 to secure a place in the Premier League.
In June 2007, Bywater reiterated his desire to play for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and his hopes to be noticed in the 2007–08 season
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
, saying "I grew up with a few of the lads like Paul Robinson, Rob Green
Robert Green
Robert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
and Chris Kirkland and they are good but I don't think they are anything special. I do believe if I play well and have a good season, I will be up there in contention. I am confident but not cocky." After a first half of the season that saw Derby County rooted to the foot of the Premier League, Bywater joined Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on loan in January 2008 for the rest of the season. Jim Magilton
Jim Magilton
James "Jim" Magilton is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager, who is currently employed as Football Consultant at Shamrock Rovers F.C. after being appointed on 6 July 2011....
, manager of Ipswich Town, described him as, "...a young, ambitious keeper who knows what is needed to win promotion from this division." He made his debut for Ipswich Town against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in February 2008 and made 17 appearances in the remainder of the 2007–08 season as Ipswich finished below the play-off places. Following Derby's relegation at the end of the 2007/08 season, Bywater almost returned to the Premier League with a move to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. However, when the deal fell through, Bywater remained with The Rams and, after initially playing as second fiddle to Roy Carroll
Roy Carroll
Roy Eric Carroll is a Northern Irish footballer who is currently playing for Greek Superleague club OFI Crete. He is a goalkeeper and is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic and Manchester United, where he won the 2004 FA Cup...
for the start of the 2008–09 season, Bywater regained and retained his place in the team after Carroll was sent off against Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. His form was good enough that he held the number 1 position for the rest of the season and he signed a new
3 year contract with Derby on 13 January 2009.
Stephen Bywater was honoured by Stevie B Barfords rave anthem Oi Bywater which became a famous chant during their infamous local Midland derby against West Bromwich Albion during December 2009. This chant was believed to have started from a single fan standing behind Megan and Bradley Glover.
He made his 100th appearance for the club away to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on 8 August 2009, keeping a clean sheet. In December 2009, after keeping two successive clean sheets, manager Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
praised Bywater's performances in the two games: "Stephen has been exemplary. He is fully fit and approaching the peak of his career. He has a good temperament, which is probably a factor of his age. He works hard in training and, like all goalkeepers, he is a bit daft." An injury sustained away to Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in March 2010 saw Bywater ruled out for two games which brought to an end a run of 71 consecutive league appearances in the Derby goal. He returned and put in Championship Team of the Week performance as Derby drew 0–0 at Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. After Derby secured survival with a 1–1 draw with Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Bywater sat out the last two games of the season to rest a sprained rib joint. He returned to the first team in the 2010–11 season and made his 150th appearance for the club in a 2–0 defeat at Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. Bywater played every minute of Derby's opening 11 games of the season, keeping two clean sheets, before a wrist injury sustained in training during the October international break ruled him out for a month. He returned to the first team in November 2011, which coincided with a dreadful run of form which saw Derby drop from 4th to 18th in 3 months. Bywater then sustained an injury in a 1–0 defeat to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on 22 February 2011, ruling him out for several weeks.
On 4 March 2011, Bywater joined Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut the following day in a 2–0 loss to Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. Following Cardiff
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
's playoff semi final defeat to Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, in which a Bywater error cost Cardiff an important goal, Bywater returned to Derby. His future at The Rams was cast into serious doubt when he was not given a squad number ahead of the 2011-12 season and this was confirmed when Derby's goalkeeping coach Martin Taylor
Martin Taylor (footballer born 1966)
Martin Taylor is a goalkeeping coach at Derby County and former footballer. He was a goalkeeper.-Career:A one-time apprentice coal miner, Taylor was signed from Mile Oak Rovers as understudy to Peter Shilton...
revealed "He's not in the squad at all. Nothing against Stephen because he's worked really hard but he doesn't figure in our plans. At his age he just needs to play games and get in the shop window." On 20 September 2011, Bywater joined Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on loan for 3 months due to an injury picked up by first choice 'keeper Nicky Weaver
Nicky Weaver
Nicholas James "Nicky" Weaver is an English footballer who is a goalkeeper currently playing for League One club Sheffield Wednesday. Weaver is a former England under-21 international.-Career:...
.
International career
Bywater made his England U19England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
debut during 1999 and rotated in the role with both Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (goalkeeper)
Paul William Robinson is an English footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers as a goalkeeper in the Premier League. He had also been an England international and he earned 41 caps between 2003 and 2007 before his retirement from international football in August 2010.He joined Leeds United at 16...
and Chris Kirkland
Chris Kirkland
Christopher Edmund "Chris" Kirkland is an English footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Wigan Athletic in the Premier League. He also has one cap for the England national team....
. He later progressed to the U21 team
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
with the same group of players though by that time both Kirkland and Robinson had become established league players. Injuries had limited his opportunities with both a broken finger and later on a fractured wrist holding up his development and limiting his opportunities. He made six appearances for the U21 team.
Bywater was tipped to be called up for the England squad after Derby's promotion to the Premier League in 2006–07, but he wasn't picked.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rochdale Rochdale A.F.C. Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921... |
1997–98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
1997–98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers F.C. Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play... (loan) |
1999–2000 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... (loan) |
1999–2000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
1999–2000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... (loan) |
2001–02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... (loan) |
2001–02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
2001–02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002–03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 2004–05 Football League Championship The Football League 2004–05 , was the thirteenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2004 and concluded in May 2005, with the promotion play-off finals. This was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League... |
36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... (loan) |
2005–06 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
2005–06 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... (loan) |
2006–07 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
2006–07 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... (loan) |
2007–08 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
2008–09 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Football League Championship The Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format... |
42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Football League Championship The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format... |
22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... (loan) |
2010–11 2010–11 Football League Championship The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format... |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
2011–12 2011–12 Football League Championship The 2011–12 Football League Championship is the eighth season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheffeld Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... (loan) |
2011–12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Career Total | 268 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 290 | 0 | |
Statistics accurate as of matches played 5 November 2011
Personal life
Bywater has reiterated on several occasions his intention to move into mixed martial artsMixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and cage fighting when his playing career ends, saying "I have told my agent that one day I am going to take it up! He laughs at me – but I'm serious."
He has also been involved in several controversies. In an October 2007 interview with Clare Tomlinson
Clare Tomlinson
Clare Louise Tomlinson is an anchorwoman for the British satellite broadcast sports network Sky Sports.-Public relations career:In the early 1990s, Tomlinson worked at the Football Association as a media officer...
on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
' Goals On Sunday
Goals On Sunday
Goals on Sunday is a British TV Show on Sky Sports 1 that shows highlights and analysis of Premier League and Football League matches. Shown on a Sunday morning, the programme is fronted by Chris Kamara and Ben Shephard...
programme he spelt out the word "cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...
" whilst live on air as part of an anecdote, an incident which saw Tomlinson placed on two months leave.
In September 2010, Bywater stirred more controversy in regards of a provocative art installation in the player's garden in Sutton on the Hill
Sutton on the Hill
Sutton-on-the-Hill is a parish in south Derbyshire eight miles west of Derby. The village is widely spread out and contains both a church and a chapel. It was described as "a parish, with two townships and a hamlet" in the 1870s. Now it has no shop, post office and has limited public transport...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. The installation – a horse box with mattresses and a sex doll strapped to it with graffiti such as "love" and "Dave" sprayed on the side – brought complaints from neighbours, who decried the piece as "very ugly" and an "eyesore". Bywater, who claimed that art was his latest hobby and the installation was his masterpiece, issused a statement via Derby County stating "I would like to apologise to any supporters and local residents in Derbyshire who have been offended. It was and is still my view that my actions were made as a private citizen and in no way linked to Derby County Football Club. However, now it has been brought into the public domain, I acknowledge that this does not reflect well on me as a professional or the Club in general. I apologise again if my actions have in anyway damaged my reputation or the reputation of the Club." He eventually auctioned the piece, announcing the eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
sale via his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page, saying all the proceeds would be donated to the Teen Pride charity.