He soon had to share the role of the club's primary keeper with Jimmy Walker who was brought in from Walsall in June 2004 to provide competition for Bywater. Bywater made 39 league and cup appearances in the 2004–05 season for West Ham as the club were promoted to the Premiership, and appeared in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium in May 2005, coming on as a late substitute for the injured Jimmy Walker in the 1–0 victory over Preston North End.