page_title: Michael Bostwick
section_title: Stevenage
hierarchical_section_title: Michael Bostwick / Club career / Stevenage
caption_attribution_description: English: Michael Bostwick. Image cropped from original at flickr.
context_page_description: Michael Paul Trevor Bostwick is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for League One club Burton Albion. He has played in the English Football League for Stevenage, Peterborough United and Lincoln City.
  Bostwick started his career at Millwall, and played regularly for the club's under-18 team and reserve team. At the age of 17, he joined Conference National club Crawley Town on work experience during the latter stages of 2005–06 season. On return to Millwall, Bostwick signed a new one-year contract with the club, but was sent back to Crawley Town on loan in August 2006. Bostwick played regularly for Crawley until he was recalled by Millwall in January 2007, and was told he was surplus to requirements at the club. He subsequently signed for Rushden & Diamonds on an 18-month contract, but only played eight matches before falling out of favour at Nene Park, and was released by Rushden at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.
  He joined Ebbsfleet United in August 2007 ahead of the 2007–08 season, playing regularly throughout the campaign, helping Ebbsfleet win the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium in May 2008.
context_section_description: Bostwick was offered a new deal by Ebbsfleet ahead of the 2008–09 season, but rejected the offer and instead opted to join Stevenage on a two-year deal, playing under the management of Graham Westley once more. He made his debut for Stevenage in the club's opening match of the season, a 5–0 defeat to Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground. Bostwick was used in both the centre of defence and the centre of midfield during the first half of the 2008–09 season, as well as playing at full back in the club's 1–0 defeat to Kettering Town in September 2008. Bostwick provided the assist for Lee Boylan's second-minute goal against Forest Green Rovers in a 3–0 victory. A month later, he scored his first goal for the club, scoring in the 80th minute against Mansfield Town to give Stevenage a 3–2 lead. He scored his second goal of the season against Weymouth in February 2009, latching onto a long pass and sliding the ball past the goalkeeper to secure a 3–0 away win. Bostwick also scored Stevenage's first in a 2–0 away win at Crawley Town, scoring with a strike from just outside the area as Stevenage finished in the final play-off spot. He subsequently played in both of Stevenage's Conference Premier play-off matches against Cambridge United in April 2009, as the club lost 4–3 on aggregate. Bostwick played in all seven of the club's successful FA Trophy campaign, as well as playing the whole match in Stevenage's 2–0 win against York City in the Final at Wembley Stadium. The FA Trophy win meant that Bostwick had won the competition in consecutive years. Bostwick made a total of 49 appearances in his first season at Stevenage, scoring three times.
  Bostwick started in Stevenage's first match of the 2009–10 season, in a 1–1 draw against Tamworth, and also provided the assist for Joel Byrom's goal in Stevenage's next home fixture against Ebbsfleet United. His first goal of the season came in the club's 2–1 home win against Rushden & Diamonds, scoring from the edge of the area to give Stevenage the lead. He also provided an assist in the club's 3–2 away fixture against Mansfield Town at Field Mill, as Stevenage came from two goals down to win the match. A week later, Bostwick scored a volley away at Chester City, although due to Chester City being expelled from the league, Bostwick's goal, and subsequently Stevenage's 1–0 win, were removed from the records. Bostwick continued his goalscoring form, scoring from 25 yards after a well-worked corner in injury time, in a 4–0 win against Hayes & Yeading United. He scored a similar goal against Gateshead in November 2009, his fifth of the season. His next goal came in March 2010, scoring the opener from 30 yards against Crawley Town as Stevenage won 2–0, and he scored another goal two weeks later, heading in an Andy Drury corner as Stevenage came from behind to win 2–1 at Grays Athletic. Bostwick also played in the club's 2–0 win against Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough in April 2010 – the match that secured Stevenage's place in the Football League for the first time in the club's history. He played in five of the club's FA Trophy fixtures during the 2009–10 season, scoring once in a match against Dover Athletic in January 2010. He also played in the Final at Wembley Stadium, but was unable to record a third Wembley victory as Stevenage lost 2–1 to Barrow after extra time. In total, Bostwick played 52 matches in all competitions, scoring eight times. At the end of the season, Bostwick was out of contract and Westley announced that he expected him to leave, saying it would be "very difficult" to keep hold of him. However, in June 2010, Bostwick signed a new two-year deal with Stevenage, despite attracting interest from several League One clubs.
  Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Bostwick scored in a pre-season friendly against Hitchin Town, and made his first league appearance in the club's 2–2 draw with Macclesfield Town, playing the whole match. He scored his first goal of the season in the club's first ever Football League victory, in a 3–1 win against Stockport County, scoring with a shot from 30 yard
caption: Bostwick playing for Stevenage Borough in the 2009 FA Trophy Final
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