Haydn played both hockey & cricket at school and was seen regularly on the sidelines in his later years supporting both until a couple of months ago.
From the foundation of Instonians Hockey Club in 1959, Haydn played a full and instrumental part of the club as a player, captain, coach, umpire, supporter and friend
In 1959, for RBAI, he captained the first U15 team to win the Richardson Cup. In 1961 he played in the 1st XI team which won the Schools’ Burney Cup and Instonians 1st XI which won Ulster Hockey Qualifying League B.
In subsequent years, Haydn played in the Instonians 1st XI that gained promotion from Qualifying League A, to Senior 2, to Senior 1 in 1966 – or as it is called now – the Premier League; where the Club has remained ever since.
Hadyn played a full part in the success of the club over his time as a player, captain, coach, manager and, with the assistance of Kenny Lee, had a huge influence in the development of the Club’s youth section. Haydn was also a champion of ladies’ hockey at Instonians.
In 1995 he managed the 1st XI team that won the Irish Senior Cup for the first time and in 1997 managed the team that won the European B Division Championship.
When his playing, coaching & managing days were over, he supported enthusiastically all teams – men’s, women’s, senior and junior teams every week.
Haydn also played cricket for Instonians and, after giving up the bat, remained a familiar face at the club for many years supporting all the teams. On match days, he ran the Club tuck shop and was a much-valued part of the matchday experience for members and visitors alike.
Haydn was a regular attendee at the monthly Seahorses Lunch Club in the Shaw’s Bridge clubhouse; he enjoyed this very much, as it gave him a chance to reminisce with many of his contemporaries.
He was also, for many years, a member of the Council of The Belfast Old Instonians’ Association. He attended our regular meetings; his wise counsel and “advice” will be sadly missed.
The wider Instonian community will forever be indebted for his loyalty and support of the club.
Our thoughts are with Tim, Simon and the entire family circle.