Howard played his first organized game of soccer with the LIONS and the TIGERS back in the late 1950's.

From there he played with the Junior Laurentians and later played a few games with the senior team.

At the tender age of 22, he realized he would not become a Laurentian soccer player, and instead put a whistle pipe in his mouth and embarked on a 15 year career as a Referee.

He officiated all Senior, Junior, and Intermediate games on the Burin Peninsula. He refereed the All-Newfoundland 3rd Division Finals in Lawn, on the weekend of the terrible drowning accident when 5 Lawners lost their lives.

In early 1960's he did the middle of an All-Newfoundland Junior Championship game in Fortune Between A St. John's team and Fortune. Bob Slaney and Ron Kelly were the Linesmen.

In 1970 when a crisis occurred in the All-Newfoundland 3rd Division Final between Springdale and Lawn, Howard was asked by the Newfoundland Soccer Association to drive up to Springdale to referee the final game which he did.

On more than one occasion he was asked by the ASIA and ASSP teams of St. Pierre to officiate at games on the French Island.

Besides his officiating contribution, Howard served on the St. Lawrence Soccer Association for 20 years; served as Referee-in-Chief for the Burin Peninsula Soccer Association in 1965; served on the Board of Directors for the BPSA for 3 years; Organized an OVER-30's league at the Recreation Center in St. Lawrence; Arranged an OVER 30's tournament between ASIA of St. Pierre and the St. Lawrence Masters.

Although health reasons keep him from being actively involved, he is still a great supporter of the game of soccer.

Howard was elected to the St. Lawrence Soccer Hall of Fame in 1984 and to the Burin Peninsula Hall of Fame in 2002.