Former Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday star Chris Bart-Williams dies at 49 as tributes pour in on social media

Former Premier League midfielder Chris Bart-Williams, who starred for Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, has died aged just 49. 

Bart-Williams was a familiar name to fans in the 1990s and 2000s, and won 16 England U21 caps and one England ‘B’ Cap in a career that saw him grace the top flight in nine seasons of his 16-year career. 

He made his breakthrough at Leyton Orient before making his name at Sheffield Wednesday as part of the team that reached both the League Cup and FA Cup final in 1993. 

After 156 appearances for the Owls, Bart-Williams made the £2.5m move to Nottingham Forest and spent six years at the City Ground, winning the First Division title upon promotion under Dave Bassett in 1998. 

The midfielder would later have spells at Charlton and Ipswich before moving abroad and finishing his playing career with APOEL in Cyprus and then Marsaxlokk of Malta. 

Former Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest star Chris Bart-Williams has died aged 49 

Ex-teammate Kevin Campbell (left) paid tribute to Bart-Williams (centre) on Twitter 

More recently Bart-Willams had turned his hand to coaching in the United States, where he ran the CBW Soccer Elite – guiding young footballers and helping recruit players for colleges. 

Former teammates took to Twitter to pay tribute to Bart-Williams, with ex-Forest striker Kevin Campbell posting: ‘R.I.P. Chris, love you Bartman! My lil brother we shared such great moments and I truly am devastated at the extremely sad news!’

Mark Crossley, who also played with him at Forest, posted his tribute to both Bart-Williams and Trevor Francis who’s sad death was announced earlier today. 

Crossley said: ‘Devastating and I’m so upset to hear the news of Trevor Francis passing and my former team mate Chris Bart Williams, both so young, it is so sad , RIP Trevor and Chris.’ 

As ‘RIP Bartman’ – trended on social media, fans also took to Twitter so send their condolences to the sad news. 

Fans and former teammates took to social media to pay tribute to Chris Bart-Williams 

One Forest fan shared his memory of seeing the midfielder by saying: ‘As a young season ticket holder when forest were at they’re worst, this man was head and shoulders best player on the park week in week out. Natural born leader and talent!’ 

Another supporter also remembered his time at Forest fondly by tweeting ‘Chris Bart-Williams, one of my favourite players growing up! 49 years old is far too young.’ 

It was opinion share by those in Sheffield, too, with a Owls fan paying tribute by stating: ‘Today words fail me. One of the most gifted footballers I’ve ever seen play for Wednesday.’ 

Bart-Williams’ former club Ipswich posted on their official feed with the message, ‘The Club is saddened to learn of the passing of former player Chris Bart-Williams. Once a Blue, always a Blue.’