Lee Bowyer

Personal information
Full name	Lee David Bowyer
Date of birth	3 January 1977 (1977-01-03) (age 32)
Place of birth	Canning Town, London, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Birmingham City
Number	4
Youth career
–	Charlton Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1996	Charlton Athletic	46	(8)
1996–2003	Leeds United	203	(38)
2003	West Ham United	10	(0)
2003–2006	Newcastle United	79	(6)
2006–2009	West Ham United	41	(4)
2009	→ Birmingham City (loan)	17	(1)
2009–	Birmingham City	11	(3)
National team‡
1996–1998	England U21	13	(0)
2002	England	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:33, 21 November 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 08:37, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

Lee David Bowyer (born 3 January 1977) is an English professional footballer born in Canning Town, London, who plays as a midfielder for Birmingham City. He has been capped once by England.

Contents 1 Club career 1.1 Charlton Athletic 1.2 Leeds United 1.3 West Ham United 1.4 Newcastle United 1.5 West Ham United 1.6 Birmingham City 2 International career 3 Career statistics 3.1 Club 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Club career

[edit] Charlton Athletic

Bowyer began his football career as a schoolboy with Charlton Athletic,^[1] and turned professional in April 1994.^[2] He first drew attention in 1994, when he and teammate Dean Chandler failed a test for cannabis use.^[3] Both received lengthy bans^{[citation needed]} but Bowyer went on to became a first-team regular, making 58 appearances for Charlton and scoring 14 goals.^[2]

[edit] Leeds United

In 1996, he was signed by Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson for £2.8 million, which was a record for a British teenager.^[4] Shortly after this, he was convicted of affray following an alleged racist incident in a McDonald's in London.^[5][6] Initially, Bowyer was kept out of the Leeds first team by Alf Inge Haaland and David Hopkin; he eventually replaced Hopkin in the 1998-99 season, and from then on was a first-team regular. He was a key player in David O'Leary's Leeds side that qualified for the Champions League in 1999–00, and which reached the semi finals of the UEFA Cup in 1999-00 and the Champions League in 2000-01. In the Champions League run he scored crucial goals against A.C. Milan, Barcelona and Anderlecht. He was voted the Leeds player of the year by supporters in 1998–99^[4] and 2000–01.^[7]

Following an incident in Leeds in January 2000, in which an Asian student suffered severe injuries, Bowyer and teammate Jonathan Woodgate were charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.^[8] An initial trial collapsed in April 2001 after an article in a Sunday newspaper,^[9] and following a second trial, which ended in December 2001, Bowyer was cleared of both charges while Woodgate was convicted of affray and sentenced to community service.^[10] Bowyer was generally recognised as playing some of the finest football of his career during this period^{[11][12][13][14]} and would often go straight from court to play for Leeds.^[15] After being cleared, Leeds fined Bowyer four weeks' wages for a breach of the club's code of conduct. Despite having had the backing of the club during the trial and the club paying his extensive legal fees, Bowyer took exception to the fine and was placed on the transfer list.^[16] The dispute was later settled and Bowyer removed from the transfer list,^[17] though he returned to it at the end of the season after turning down a new five-year contract. A £9 million fee was agreed for a move to Liverpool, which fell through with manager Gérard Houllier not convinced the player had the "hunger or desire" to play for the club.^[18] In January 2003, Bowyer signed for West Ham United.^[19] He made 265 appearances for Leeds in all competitions, scoring 55 goals.^[2]

[edit] West Ham United

Bowyer signed for West Ham United on an initial six-month contract for a nominal transfer fee, which meant that should West Ham be relegated at the end of the 2002–03 season, the club would not be burdened with a large Premiership salary.^[20] Claims that Bowyer would have received a £1 million bonus had West Ham stayed up were denied by the club's then manager Glenn Roeder.^[21] In the event, Bowyer was hampered by ankle injuries and made only eleven appearances for West Ham.^[22] West Ham were relegated and Bowyer was not offered another contract.^[22]

[edit] Newcastle United

After West Ham were relegated at the end of the 2002–03 season, Bowyer joined Newcastle United on a free transfer in July 2003.^[23]

In April 2005, Bowyer was in the media spotlight again after an on-pitch brawl with teammate Kieron Dyer in Newcastle United's Premiership match with Aston Villa. This resulted in a red card, plus a further three game ban; Dyer received the same punishment. Bowyer was fined six weeks' wages by the club.^[24] Dyer was not fined as Bowyer was perceived to have thrown the first punch. In June 2005, Bowyer was charged in connection with the brawl by Northumbria Police with public order offences, under section four of the Public Order Act. In July 2006 he was fined £600 and ordered to pay £1000 in costs after admitting to using threatening behaviour towards Dyer.^[24] Bowyer made 98 appearance for Newcastle in all competitions, scoring eleven goals.^[2]

[edit] West Ham United

Bowyer rejoined West Ham United, the club he supported as a boy, in June 2006 for an undisclosed fee.^[25] He made 22 appearances in the 2006–07 season,^[2] which was disrupted by a dislocated shoulder suffered in West Ham United's 6–0 loss to Reading in January 2007.^[26] However, Bowyer made a quick and sooner-than-expected recovery and played in several of West Ham's crucial games towards the end of the season.^{[citation needed]}

He regained a regular place in the Hammers first team at the beginning of the 2007–08 season, scoring his first goals for West Ham against Wigan Athletic and Middlesbrough and then two more in the 5–0 victory over Derby County.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Birmingham City

In January 2009, Bowyer signed for Birmingham City on loan until the end of the 2008–09 season.^[27] He made his debut on 17 January at home to Cardiff City in the Championship, scoring an equalising goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time to make the score 1–1.^[28]

Following the expiry of his contract with West Ham United, Bowyer signed a two-year contract with Birmingham in July 2009.^[29][30]

[edit] International career

During his early career at Leeds, Bowyer was a regular in the England U21 team,^{[citation needed]} making 13 appearances for the national side.^[31] Bowyer's form during the 2000–01 season led to calls for inclusion in the England squad; however, the Football Association ruled that he could not be selected until the court case in relation to an assault on an Asian student was completed.^[32] The FA eventually cleared Bowyer for selection following the conclusion of the court case and England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson called him into the squad for an international friendly against Portugal in September 2002.^[33] Bowyer made his England debut in the game, setting up a goal for Leeds team-mate Alan Smith.^[34] It was his only appearance for England.

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Club

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
1993–94	Charlton Athletic	Division 1							0	0
1994–95									0	0
1995–96									0	0
Charlton Athletic Total			46	8	3	1	7	5	0	0	56	14
1996–97	Leeds United	Premier League	32	4	4	2	0	0	0	0	36	6
1997–98			25	3	3	0	3	1	0	0	31	4
1998–99			35	9	4	0	2	0	4	0	45	9
1999–00			33	5	3	1	1	0	11	5	48	11
2000–01			38	9	1	0	0	0	15	6	54	15
2001–02			25	5	1	0	1	0	3	2	30	7
2002–03			15	3	0	0	1	0	5	0	21	3
Leeds United Total			203	38	16	3	8	1	38	13	265	55
2002–03	West Ham Utd	Premier League	10	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
West Ham United Total			10	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
2003–04	Newcastle United	Premier League	24	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	25	2
2004–05			27	3	2	1	1	0	9	3	39	7
2005–06			28	1	2	0	1	0	3	1	34	2
Newcastle United Total			79	6	4	1	2	0	13	4	98	11
2006–07	West Ham Utd	Premier League	20	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	22	0
2007–08			15	4	2	0	3	0	0	0	20	4
2008–09			6	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	7	1
West Ham Utd Total			41	4	2	0	4	1	2	0	49	5
West Ham Utd Overall Total			51	4	3	0	4	1	2	0	60	5
2008–09	Birmingham City (Loan)	Championship	17	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	1
2009–10	Birmingham City	Premier League	10	2	0	0	2	1	0	0	12	3
Birmingham City Total			27	3	0	0	2	1	0	0	28	4
Career Total			406	59	26	5	23	8	53	17	508	89

Stats accurate as of 20:30, 10 November 2009.

[edit] See also

• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Lee Bowyer career stats at Soccerbase

v • d • e Birmingham City F.C. – current squad 1 Maik Taylor · 2 Carr · 3 Murphy · 4 Bowyer · 5 Martin Taylor · 6 Ridgewell · 7 Larsson · 8 O'Connor · 9 Phillips · 10 Jerome · 11 Chucho · 12 Ferguson · 13 Doyle · 14 R. Johnson · 15 Dann · 16 McFadden · 17 Espinoza · 18 Fahey · 19 McSheffrey · 20 Queudrue · 21 Parnaby · 22 D. Johnson · 24 O'Shea · 25 Hart · 26 Carsley · 27 Vignal · 28 Tainio · 29 Sammons · 30 Preston · 31 Mutch · Manager: McLeish

Persondata
NAME	Bowyer, Lee David
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Professional footballer
DATE OF BIRTH	3 January 1977
PLACE OF BIRTH	Canning Town, London, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH