Hayward began his career with
Port Vale as an amateur in July 1934, signing professional forms two years later. with whom he would spend the next 15 years. He made his debut for the "Seasiders" on 27 November 1937, in a single-goal defeat by
Liverpool at
Bloomfield Road. He went on to make 23 further appearances during the
1937–38 season. He missed only one game of the
1938–39 campaign before
World War II intervened. During the hostilities he guested for
Stoke City,
Wolverhampton Wanderers,
Wrexham,
Walsall,
Birmingham and
Luton Town when he wasn't stationed with the
Army in India. He also featured for Blackpool in the 1943
League War Cup final victory over
Arsenal. When the
Football League resumed in a regional form in
1945–46, Hayward returned to his club. In
1946–47, Hayward made 20 appearances. In the
following season, he missed only one game as Blackpool finished in the top ten in the
First Division for a second consecutive season. He played in the
1948 FA Cup final at
Wembley, which ended in a 4–2 defeat to
Matt Busby's
Manchester United. He was an ever-present in
1948–49. Hayward appeared in the first third of the
1949–50 campaign before an injury ruled him out of the remaining 15 games. In
1950–51, Hayward made 37 league appearances as Blackpool finished third, their highest-ever finishing place in the League. Hayward also made his
second appearance in an FA Cup final; again, they were unsuccessful, losing 2–0 to
Newcastle United. Hayward missed out on Blackpool's
third – this time successful – attempt at winning the FA Cup by twelve months. He retired at the end of the
1951–52 season after making almost 300 league and cup appearances at the club. ==Career statistics==