 Gary Bowyer in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary David Bowyer[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-06-22)22 June 1971 (age 53)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Position(s) | Full-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Burton Albion (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Westfields | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1990 | Hereford United | 14 | (2) |
| 1990–1995 | Nottingham Forest | 0 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Rotherham United | 38 | (2) |
| Total | 52 | (4) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Blackburn Rovers (caretaker) | ||
| 2013 | Blackburn Rovers (caretaker) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2016–2018 | Blackpool | ||
| 2019–2020 | Bradford City | ||
| 2021 | Salford City (interim) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Salford City | ||
| 2022–2023 | Dundee | ||
| 2024– | Burton Albion | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gary David Bowyer (born 22 June 1971) is an English professionalfootball coach and former player who is the manager ofBurton Albion.
As a player, he made 52 league appearances forHereford United,Nottingham Forest andRotherham United in a professional career that lasted eight years, before retiring due to injury in 1997, aged 25. He won theFootball League Trophy with Rotherham United in 1995–96, his only honour as a player.
After working as a coach at a number of clubs, he has managedBlackburn Rovers,Blackpool,Bradford City andSalford City (twice). He guided Blackpool to promotion, via the play-offs, from League Two toLeague One in 2016–17.
Bowyer was born on 22 June 1971 inManchester,Lancashire, England.[1] His father,Ian, was also a professional footballer;[2][3] the two played together at Hereford United.[4]
After playing innon-League football forWestfields, Bowyer, afull-back, signed forFootball League teamHereford United on non-contract terms, making 14 appearances in the1989–90 season.[5] After the season ended, Bowyer moved toNottingham Forest, but he did not make a senior Football League appearance for club.[5] Bowyer later signed forRotherham United, making 38 appearances in the League over the next two seasons, before retiring due to injury at the age of 25.[5][6] Whilst at Rotherham he was a part of the team that won the1996 Football League Trophy final.[7]
After retiring as a player, Bowyer began his coaching career working part-time atIlkeston,[8] before being appointed as under-17s coach atDerby County, where he spent six years as an academy coach. He then became under-18s coach forBlackburn Rovers in 2004.[9] He became their reserve-team manager in 2008, and in December 2012 he was appointed ascaretaker manager following the dismissal ofHenning Berg, steering them to a 3–1 victory overBarnsley in his first game in charge.[10] It was later announced that Bowyer would remain in charge until the end of January.[11] Bowyer was re-appointed caretaker manager on 19 March 2013, following the sacking ofMichael Appleton,[12] until the end of the season;[13] however, on 26 March Bowyer said he was unsure how long he would remain in the position, in case the club hired a new permanent manager,[14] and on 8 April Bowyer was summoned to India for a meeting with the club's owners.[15] Bowyer was appointed the permanent manager of Blackburn on 24 May, on a 12-month rolling contract.[16]
In September 2015, he called forgoal-line technology to be implemented.[17] On 10 November, Bowyer was sacked as manager of Blackburn Rovers.[18]
On 1 June 2016, Bowyer was appointed as manager ofBlackpool on a one-year rolling contract, following the club's relegation toEFL League Two.[19] On 28 May 2017, Bowyer guided Blackpool to an immediate return toEFL League One in his first season in charge after his side beat Exeter City 2–1 in theLeague Two play-off final.[20] He resigned as Blackpool manager on 6 August 2018.[21][22]
In February 2019 he was linked with the vacant managerial position atBradford City.[23] On 4 March, Bowyer replacedDavid Hopkin asBantams manager, signing a contract until the end of the season,[24] withAndy Todd as his assistant.[25] Bowyer retained the club's other coaching staff—includingMartin Drury, who had been caretaker manager prior to his appointment—[26] and said that all of City's squad players would have a chance to fight for a first-team place.[27] In April, he signed a new contract with Bradford City until 2021.[28] He was nominated for the League Two Manager of the Month award for October,[29] but later said he was not a "fan" of such awards.[30] Bowyer was sacked by Bradford City on 3 February 2020.[31]
He joinedDerby County, as coach of their under-23s side, in September 2020.[32] On 23 March 2021, it was announced that Bowyer was to become manager of League Two sideSalford City on a deal lasting until the end ofthe season, replacingRichie Wellens.[33] The deal came after an arrangement was reached between Salford co-ownerGary Neville and Derby managerWayne Rooney, whereby Salford would pay no fee to Derby but would pay his wages for the duration of his spell in charge.[34] He described the move to Salford as the first ever managerial loan.[35] His first game in charge was on 27 March, a 1–0 away defeat toExeter City,[36] and picked up his first win on 5 April, twoIan Henderson goals giving Salford a 2–0 win againstForest Green Rovers.[37] After achieving 17 points from eight matches to help boost his side's play-off aspirations, Bowyer was awarded theLeague Two Manager of the Month award for April.[38] On 10 May he returned to his role as an academy coach at Derby County;[39] however, two days later on 12 May, it was announced that he had returned to manage Salford City after signing a two-year contract.[40] On 2 August,Billy Barr joined as his assistant manager.[41]
On 21 August 2021, he was booked for shovingJonny Williams ofSwindon Town in a 1–0 defeat, Salford's fourth game without a win at the beginning of theseason,[42] the club's worst start to a season sincethe 2014 takeover.[43]
On 17 May 2022, Bowyer was sacked by Salford having narrowly missed out on the play-offs.[44][45]
On 8 June 2022, Bowyer was appointed manager ofScottish Championship clubDundee.[46][47] The Dundee board said they liked his youth strategy and success at Blackpool.[48] Bowyer was named the Scottish Championship'sManager of the Month for November 2022, with his team having won every game that month.[49] He would win the award again for March 2023,[50] as he led the club on a promotion push and would win theScottish Championship with Dundee at the end of the season.[51][52]
On 10 May 2023, Bowyer was named as theSPFL Scottish Championship Manager of the Year.[53] Later that day, Bowyer departed Dundee as manager, alongside assistantBilly Barr.[54][55]
On 17 December 2024, Bowyer was named head coach of League One sideBurton Albion. At the time of his appointment, the club were sitting in 23rd position, nine points from safety.[56][57]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Blackburn Rovers (caretaker) | 27 December 2012 | 11 January 2013 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 075.0 |
| Blackburn Rovers (caretaker) | 19 March 2013 | 24 May 2013 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 033.3 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 24 May 2013 | 10 November 2015 | 118 | 41 | 43 | 34 | 034.7 |
| Blackpool | 1 June 2016 | 6 August 2018 | 115 | 42 | 40 | 33 | 036.5 |
| Bradford City | 4 March 2019 | 3 February 2020 | 48 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 029.2 |
| Salford City (interim) | 23 March 2021 | 10 May 2021 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 054.5 |
| Salford City | 12 May 2021 | 17 May 2022 | 52 | 21 | 14 | 17 | 040.4 |
| Dundee | 8 June 2022 | 10 May 2023 | 48 | 26 | 14 | 8 | 054.2 |
| Burton Albion | 17 December 2024 | Present | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 033.3 |
| Total | 425 | 162 | 138 | 125 | 038.1 | ||
Rotherham United
Blackpool
Dundee
Salford
Dundee
