Having moved to the Midlands some 36 years ago Barnsley born David Hayward, had been a Barons fan for many years before joining the committee as Vice Chair some 5 years ago and then stepping up to the role of Chair when Andy Gordon stood down 12 months later. Married with two grown up children, David can be seen at home matches trying to ‘keep the ship on an even keel’. He spends a considerable amount of time away from the rink working to make the Barons the best they can be in a sustainable way given all the challenges the club faces in the increasingly challenging environment in which it operates.

David got into ice hockey like many people through their kids playing the game. His son and daughter played for the Junior Barons before going on to play for the Senior Barons and Solihull Vixens respectively. Ice Hockey proved to be a positive influence on the Hayward family and has led to many happy memories travelling the length and breadth of the UK and trips to Europe and North America.

To give other families similar opportunities David has given a lot of time back to the sport over the past 15 years starting off as the Junior Barons U12s manager before going on to become the junior clubs vice chair. He has also managed teams at most age groups at the Junior Barons and Coventry Blaze Academy as well as England U16s and the Solihull Vixens

He also stepped up to help the EIHA where he spent 4 years as the North Fixtures Secretary and 5 years as the Midlands Conference Chair and member of the EIHA Junior Management Committee.

In his professional life, David is an IT Architect who has worked across a wide range of business sectors including finance, manufacturing, risk management, express delivery, facilities management and charities. He is currently working for Control Risks, one of the world’s most prominent risk management companies in their headquarters in London.