Trophy name:	Memorial Trophy
First presented:	1959
Inscription (Front): Inscription (Rear):	Awali Golf Club - Memorial Trophy In memory of - B. Hayworth - S. Byron - K.E.H. Abel

Of the three people in whose honour the current Memorial Trophy is dedicated, no pictures of Bernard (or Jean) Hayward or Keith Abel have been located, only pictures of Steve Biron (see below).

Bernard and Jean Hayward were active members of the Club, with Jean winning the Clemitson Cup for Ladies and the Ladies Cup (ladies match-play knockout) in the 1956/57 season. In addition, Jean was an Ordinary Member of the Committee in the seasons 1956/57 and for a short time in 1957/58.

The reason for the inauguration of the trophy is revealed in an article of the October 10th, 1957 issue of The Islander:
A whole circle of friends in Awali and Manama were shocked to learn, on Thursday last, that two of Bapco's most popular young employees and their wives were among 27 people in an aircraft which crashed in the sea off Beirut without survivors. Bernard and Jean Hayward, and Bob and Jane Manning, were returning from Turkey at the end of four weeks local leave when the tragedy occurred.

The aircraft involved was a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU (OD-ACK) operated by Lebanese International Airways, with all 27 occupants of the flight being killed.

The first reference to the Hayward Memorial Trophy (the original name of the trophy for obvious reasons) in The Islander is found in the issue of February 25th 1959:
The Hayward Memorial Trophy, presented by the Awali ladies in memory of Bernard and Jean Hayward, was won for the first time by Bill Coulson, although W. Ferguson matched Bill's score, with 137.

The Hayward Memorial Trophy commenced in the format that we know it today – 36 holes over two days, with nett scores to decide the winners. It commenced as a simultaneous nett competition at the same time as the 36 hole gross Russell Cup competition. However, initially the two days were not consecutive weekend days, but consecutive Fridays, as seen in the Fixtures List for the 1970/71 season (February 4th & 11th).

The earliest known picture of the Hayward Memorial Trophy is from the June 1969 edition of Awali Magazine, with it being presented to its winner, Mrs Val Bamford (see left). We do not know whether this is the original trophy presented to the Club in 1959. However, the picture of the Hayward Memorial Trophy in the June 1970 edition of Awali Magazine being presented to Mike Rider (see right) shows the Trophy with a different set of longer legs.

This is the current trophy (see left). We do not know the year in which it was donated. In addition, this trophy originally had a lid, now lost. Shame on you, yes you, the person who won the trophy and was trusted with its safe keeping.

The picture (right) shows the complete trophy as it should be (being presented at the Batelco sponsored Russell and Memorial in the 2000/01 season, held in the hand of the Batelco CE, Andy Hearn).

Unfortunately, the trophy is not only lid-less, but also bears the an inaccurate inscription: it has two spelling mistakes on its rear.

It should read B. Hayward not B. Hayworth, and S. Biron not S. Byron (but our records showing Byron seem to appear as often as those showing Biron). What to do.

The history of Steve Biron and Keith Abel is not so well documented ...

In the June 1972 edition of Awali Magazine, there is a list of all Competitions held for the 1971/72 season, but the Hayward Memorial Trophy is absent. However, the Steve Biron Trophy is included, which coincidentally is a 36-hole nett competition. A photo within this magazine shows Brian Jordan clutching the Steve Biron Trophy (in his left hand, see photo right, the Ayto Cup is under his arm).

Despite the list of competitions not including the Hayward Memorial Trophy, at the rear of the same magazine there is a picture of "Gordon Robinson, on behalf of his wife Janet Robinson, receiving the Hayward Memorial Trophy".

We also have a second picture of the Steve Biron Trophy, being presented at the Dinner Dance at the end of the 1972/73 season. These pictures, to this author's eyes, show that this Trophy is too large to be the current Memorial Trophy and is indeed a separate trophy. Unfortunately, the current location of the Steve Biron Trophy is unknown.

Steve Biron was an administration manager at Cable & Wireless, and remembered to have been in his 60's at this time. We have records of his participation in the 1969 Bahrain Open and winning the Captain's Prize Competition in the 1969/70 season.

Awali Magazine of March 1973 lists the winners of the Steve Biron Trophy, 36 holes nett held over two days. There is no mention of the Hayward Memorial in this issue. Awali Magazine of May 1974 lists all Competitions held during the 1973/74 season, including the Steve Biron Trophy, but no Hayward Memorial.

Fortuitously, this author was also an employee of Cable & Wireless, and in retirement (since 2003), a member of C&W's on-line bulletin board for ex-Foreign Service staff. In October 2012 a request was posted for a picture of Steve Biron and a flurry of emails ensued. These confirmed: Steve's name is indeed spelt Biron, he left Bahrain on leave in January 1971, officially retired from C&W in February 1971 and died in May 1971. Also, the address of one of his nephews (John Biron) was supplied, but no picture. A subsequent letter to John was answered in an email received on 29/11/12:

Dear Onny,
Thank you for your letter requesting a picture of Steve Biron.
   Hugh, Basil (my Father) and Steve were the three Biron brothers, Steve being the youngest. All three brothers were avid golf players. They, and his younger sister, have all died and as he never married, photographs have been a little difficult to find. However, my sister and a cousin have unearthed a few, of somewhat dubious quality, and I have attached them to this email.
   The latest one that we could find is Steve-01, which I understand was taken in Aden, probably in the mid 1960's. Steve-02 is the latest 'formal' picture that we have unearthed, though when it was taken is unknown. Brothers was taken on a rare occasion that the brothers actually played golf together, though when this was taken is again unknown. Reading from left to right, are Basil, Steve and Hugh.
   I do hope that this will be of some use for your website.
Yours sincerely,
John Biron

Bill Finlay has given further insight: (in June 2008):
The Hayward Memorial Trophy originally had only one name, commemorating Hayward. Then a second name was added [and the Trophy probably became known as the Hayward and Biron Memorial Trophy], but I don't know why this second name was added. Then Mr Keith Abel's name was added at some time in the 1970s. I think he died of a heart attack whilst playing hockey at Bapco. As it was a bit of a mouthful to refer to the Trophy with three different names, the Trophy was probably renamed at this stage to "Memorial" to more simply encompass the three Members being commemorated.

Mike Cowell provided another insight (on 19/3/09)
Keith Abel fell over on the BAPCO hockey pitch whilst playing. The pitch is made with oiled sand over the underlying rock, and he must have hit his head hard as his fall resulted in bleeding from both ears. I don't know whether he subsequently had a heart attack, but the fall was the reason for his death.
With regard to Steve Biron, he was suffering from cancer but continued to play golf during his illness. He was suddenly admitted to hospital in Manama when he got worse. He died shortly after, but I don't know whether this was in Bahrain or elsewhere.

An internet search revealed that Keith Edward Hadwin Abel hailed from Whitby in Yorkshire, England, and died on 28th February 1975, age 37.

So, overall, it is unclear exactly what happened. As a summary, here is one probable scenario.

The Hayward Memorial Trophy, commemorating the death of Bernard Hayward, was a 36-hole nett Competition and was played for from 1959 to 1972.
During the 1970/71 season, Steve Biron met an unexpected death due to cancer, at the start of his retirement, in May 1971.
In the 1971/72 season, another 36-hole nett Competition with its own trophy, the Steve Biron Trophy, was introduced, commemorating the untimely death of Steve Biron. This was played on the same day as the Hayward Memorial Trophy.
To provide more focus to the death of a recent Member (rather than a Member who died 15 years earlier), the original Hayward Memorial Trophy was not played for during the 1972/73 and 1973/74 seasons, only the Steve Biron Trophy.
Keith Abel last appears in known results in October 1974 (Autumn Medal). Possibly with the Steve Biron Trophy yet to be played in the 1974/75 when Keith Abel died, the Committee, in order to commemorate Keith, chose to inaugurate a single Memorial Trophy. This commenced in March 1975, with the Trophy bearing an inscription for the three people commemorated. The physical trophy was new at this time, and is still current, albeit incomplete.

If you can provide a more accurate suggestion, please do so.