Eric Hayward

Eric Hayward
Personal information
Full name Lionel Eric Hayward[1]
Date of birth (1917-08-02)2 August 1917
Place of birth Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Date of death 1976 (aged 58–59)[1]
Place of death Blackpool, England[1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Hanley and Wardle's
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1934–1937 Port Vale 35 (0)
1937–1952 Blackpool 269 (0)
Total 304 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lionel Eric Hayward (2 August 1917 – 1976) was an English professional footballer who played as a defender. He was the elder brother of Basil and Doug Hayward.

He began his career as an amateur at Port Vale in July 1934 before turning professional in 1936. He was never a first-team regular and was allowed to join Blackpool in May 1937. He remained at Bloomfield Road for the next 15 years, during one of the brightest periods in the club's history, and played twice at Wembley in the FA Cup final defeats of 1948 and 1951. In total, he played 305 league games in the Football League, not including appearances during World War II.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Kent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Port Vale. Famous coach". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. xvi – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Stats". newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 3 April 2012.