Sometimes you watch a football match and nothing really happens. Little skill, little excitement, but we accept it and look forward to the next match. Sometimes though, we see the absurd. The Dyer – Bowyer fight was one such occasion.
Watching Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer go at it, as Newcastle United teammates during a Premier League match in 2005, remains one of the most infamous moments in English football history. If it was ever going to be two teammates scrapping then it’s no surprise it was these two.
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Two Fiery Midfielders
Kieran Dyer and Lee Bowyer were both highly-regarded midfielders at their peak, with Dyer joining Newcastle United first in 1999, and Bowyer following in 2003. However, even allowing for their relative youth, it’s fair to say each player had a bit of a reputation before they joined Newcastle.
Let’s start with Dyer. As a young player he was a spiky but precocious talent for his hometown team of Ipswich Town. He was only 19 when he left for Newcastle, at which point he also made his England debut, looking for all the world like a potential top-notch footballer. Dyer had skill and pace to burn.
Dyer was in and out of the tabloids around this time, too. His sexploits on a lads holiday to Ayia Napa with Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard made the newspapers in 2000, as did the revelation that year that he’d been glassed during a fight in an Ipswich nightclub.
Bowyer on the other hand had been the most expensive teenager in English football when he signed for Leeds United in 1996 for a fee of £2.8 million, where he became known for his no-nonsense approach to the game.
Bowyer also achieved notoriety at Leeds United for his part in the assault of an Asian student in 2000 alongside teammate Jonathan Woodgate. In the end, Bowyer was acquitted by the courts of any wrongdoing. He did however reach an out-of-court settlement with the victim and his brother in 2005 worth a reported £170,000. Prior to this, Bowyer had achieved infamy in 1996 by creating a racially-motivated confrontation in a McDonald’s in London.
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Dyer – Bowyer Fight: A Moment of Madness
On April 24, 2005, Newcastle United hosted Aston Villa in a Premier League match at St James’ Park. The game was already lost for Newcastle, who trailed 3-0, when the unthinkable happened.
In the 82nd minute, Dyer passed the ball to Bowyer, who was in a promising position. However, Bowyer felt that Dyer didn’t pass the ball quickly enough, leading to a heated exchange between the two teammates.
The situation escalated quickly, and the two players engaged in a full-blown fistfight on the pitch. Punches were thrown, and both Dyer and Bowyer had to be pulled apart by their teammates and officials. The Dyer – Bowyer fight was over in a matter of moments, but it was enough time for Bowyer to have his shirt ripped open.
The referee, Barry Knight, had no choice but to send off both players. Newcastle finished the game with only eight men on the field following an earlier sending off.
Aftermath of the Dyer – Bowyer Fight
The brawl between Dyer and Bowyer sent shockwaves through the football world and drew widespread condemnation from fans, pundits, and managers. The incident was widely seen as a serious breach of discipline and a betrayal of team unity.
The FA, the governing body of English football, took swift action. Dyer received a three-match ban and Bowyer initially got four matches, but this was increased to a seven-match ban. Even worse for Bowyer, he had to face Newcastle Magistrates’ Court where he received a £600 fine for a public order offence.
The fallout from the incident also affected the players’ relationships with their teammates and manager Graeme Souness. A sheepish post-match press conference did little to help. Bowyer was particularly vilified by Newcastle fans, and he was eventually forced to leave the club in 2006. Dyer followed in 2007.
Subsequent Careers
Despite the controversy, both Dyer and Bowyer continued to have successful careers in English football. Dyer and Bowyer both moved onto West Ham United, funnily enough, where they teamed up again. There was no repeat of the fighting antics.
In truth, neither player fully lived up to their teenage potential. Dyer played for England 33 times, which is hardly shabby, but he never was considered truly one of English football’s elite players. Bowyer managed only one England cap, which is a poor return for a footballer with so much obvious natural talent.
