Sidney Howard

Versatile youngster Sidney Howard was a key member in the 1929 Irish Cup winning side having joined Ballymena from Distillery.

Born and raised in North Belfast, Sidney Howard was a talented young player who was spotted playing Amateur League football for 25th Old Boys as a teenager. His performances during the 1924/1925 campaign quickly drew attention of many senior clubs and by April 1925 he had been enticed by Willie Ewing to Cliftonville as a 17-year-old.

Howard primarily featured in the Solitude club’s Olympic (Reserve) team during the 1925/1926 and 1926/1927 seasons but as a solid and versatile player, who was comfortable featuring at either half-back or in the forward line, he made numerous appearances for the Reds first team.

In the summer of 1927 now aged 20, he made the move to Distillery and stayed at Grosvenor Park for one season, impressing many onlookers with his wholehearted style of play. It caught the attention of recruiters for the new Ballymena FC team in September 1928, who were looking to add a new half-back into the ranks after selectors had moved Hoody McCambridge into the forward line with great success but leaving a vacancy in the middle of the park.

It proved to be an inspired move for both Howard and his new club, as the Ballymena Babes stunned the Irish Football community, with impressive performances which cumulated in winning the Irish Cup at the first attempt. Sidney started the showpiece final against Belfast Celtic and picked up his first senior medal as the Light Blues triumphed 2-1 at Solitude thanks to goals from Shiels and McCambridge. Ballymena would eventually finish sixth in the Irish League and were runners-up in the City Cup competition, in what was a memorable season at the Showgrounds.

Sidney continued to be a virtual ever present in the Ballymena engine room the following 1929/1930 season, missing only one game as the club reached the Irish Cup Final again in March 1930. The Braidmen failed to retain their trophy, as a Joe Bambrick inspired Linfield ran out 4-3 winners at Celtic Park, with the Ireland international scoring all four goals for the Blues. The club did go one better in the league, finishing fifth in the table to prove they certainly were not one season wonders!

Injury curtailed his third season at the Showgrounds to just 20 appearances but a move to inside forward following the signing of half-back Robert Stewart – allowed for a career best eleven goals over the course of the season. Howard missed out on a third Irish Cup final appearance and his final game for the club came in a disappointing 5-1 defeat to Glentoran in April 1931, it was his 100th appearance for the Light Blues and in doing so only became the fourth player in the club’s history to reach this milestone.

Wholesale changes at the Showgrounds in the summer of 1931 and the influx of a raft of new Scottish players meant that Sidney was freed to move back closer to home with Bangor, but his indifferent campaign with the Seasiders would prove to be his last in senior football as he drifted out of the game at the age of just 25.

Post-football, Sidney was a keen billiards player and was even a marker for competitions across Ulster.

Sidney Howard died in May 1949 in Belfast, aged 42, and was sadly the first of the famous 1929 Irish Cup winning side to pass away.

Career
(1924) 25th Old Boys; (1925) Cliftonville; (Aug 1927) Distillery; (Sep 1928) Ballymena; (1931) Bangor

Honours
(with Ballymena)
Irish Cup: (winner) 1928/1929; (finalist) 1929/1930
City Cup: (runner-up) 1928/1929