Ron Greener

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ron Greener

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Ronald Greener

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|1|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Easington, County Durham, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2015|10|19|1934|1|31|df=y}}

| death_place = Darlington, England

| currentclub =

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}

| position = Centre half

| youthyears1 = – | youthclubs1 = Barnsley

| years1 = 19??–1952 | clubs1 = Easington CW | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1952–1955 | clubs2 = Newcastle United | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1955–1967 | clubs3 = Darlington | caps3 = 442 | goals3 = 5

| years4 = 1967–1969 | clubs4 = Stockton | caps4 = | goals4 =

}}

Ronald Greener (31 January 1934 – 19 October 2015) was an English footballer, who played as a centre half. Born in Easington, County Durham,{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/rongreener.html |title=Ron Greener |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=4 February 2010}} he played his entire career in his native North-East. He started his career with Newcastle United, before he moved to Darlington in 1955. He spent most of his playing career with Darlington, and set the club's appearance record of 490 first-team appearances.

Football career

Greener worked as a blacksmith at Easington Colliery,{{cite news |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2001260.The_day_Greener___s_Darlington_made_FA_Cup_clowns_of_Chelsea/ |title=The day Greener's Darlington made FA Cup clowns of Chelsea |first=Mike |last=Amos |newspaper=The Northern Echo |date=29 January 2008 |accessdate=27 November 2017}} and began his football career playing for Easington Colliery Welfare and for Barnsley at youth level, before joining Newcastle United as a professional in 1952.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7124142.Why_the_grass_was_always_Greener_down_at_Feethams/ |title=Why the grass was always Greener down at Feethams |newspaper=The Northern Echo |date=1 December 2000 |accessdate=27 November 2017}} He made his first-team debut on 3 October 1953, in a 2–0 home defeat against Charlton Athletic in the First Division. He played only twice more for Newcastle{{cite web |url=http://toon1892.com/detail_player.php?id=302 |title=Player Profile: Ron Greener |website=Toon1892 |publisher=Kenneth H. Scott |accessdate=13 August 2014}} before signing for Darlington in 1955. He immediately established himself in the first team, playing 132 consecutive games, a run which came to an end in February 1958 when he was snowbound at home, unable to join up with the team travelling to Workington.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/2030071.Blackhall_v_Dawdon__the_greatest_game/ |title=Blackhall v Dawdon: the greatest game |first=Mike |last=Amos |newspaper=The Northern Echo |date=8 February 2008 |accessdate=24 April 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928102337/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/mikeamos/backtrack/2030071.Blackhall_v_Dawdon__the_greatest_game/ |archivedate=28 September 2012}} The run included the "thrashing" of Chelsea, Football League champions only three years earlier, in the Fourth Round of the 1957–58 FA Cup.{{cite news |title=Darlington's three quick goals |newspaper=The Times |date=30 January 1958 |page=12 |quote=Darlington joined the Giant-killers' Club by thrashing Chelsea during extra time in yesterday's F.A. Cup replay ... It was a most meritorious win, earned by a combination of sound tactics and an enthusiasm that Chelsea never equalled}} After letting slip a three-goal lead at Stamford Bridge, Darlington won the replay 4–1 after extra time. His performances earned him selection for the Third Division North representative side to play against the South in April 1957.{{cite news |title=So Ackerman earns North victory No. 1 |work=Daily Express |first=Mike |last=Langley |date=3 April 1967 |page=14}}

He missed most of the club's first season in the newly formed Fourth Division after breaking his leg in August 1958, but returned the following season to play regularly for the remainder of his Darlington career.{{cite web |url=http://www.darlington-fc.net.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/FormerPlayers/0,,10339~91866,00.html |title=Ron Greener – 1955–1967 |publisher=Darlington F.C. |date=18 May 2007 |accessdate=24 April 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530032758/http://www.darlington-fc.net/page/FormerPlayers/0,,10339~91866,00.html |archivedate=30 May 2012}} He was part of the squad which won promotion to the Third Division in 1965–66 under manager Lol Morgan, and a regular first-team player the following season under Jimmy Greenhalgh, but was released on a free transfer at the end of the 1966–67 season.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7032390.Farewell_to_Feethams__Greener_finally_getting_his_chance_to_say_goodbye/ |title=Greener finally getting his chance to say goodbye |newspaper=The Northern Echo |date=3 May 2003 |accessdate=27 November 2017}} Nicknamed "The Man Mountain", Greener had made 490 first-team appearances for Darlington, still, as of 2010, a club record, his final appearance coming in April 1967 against Bristol Rovers at Feethams.{{cite web |url=http://www.darlington-fc.net.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/History/0,,10339~1027802,00.html |title=Club Honours and Records |publisher=Darlington F.C. |date=7 July 2009 |accessdate=24 April 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722051009/http://www.darlington-fc.net/page/History/0,,10339~1027802,00.html |archivedate=22 July 2012}} He finished his football career with two years at Stockton.

In 2004, the club named a conference room at their Darlington Arena stadium in Greener's honour,{{cite news |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6983588.Former_Quakers__stalwart_to_be_honoured/ |title=Former Quakers' stalwart to be honoured |newspaper=The Northern Echo |date=23 July 2004 |accessdate=27 November 2017}} and after the Feethams ground was demolished for housing, a road on the development was named after him.{{cite news |url=http://www.durhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/13879665.Darlington_FC_legend_Ron_Greener_has_died/ |title=Tributes to arguably Darlington FC's greatest player Ron Greener |first=Nigel |last=Burton |newspaper=Durham Advertiser |date=20 October 2015 |accessdate=27 November 2017}}

Greener died in Darlington on 19 October 2015 at the age of 81.{{Hugman|7735|accessdate=27 November 2017}}