Tony Green (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Green is a Scottish
former professional football
er.
-born Green began his career at Albion Rovers in his native Scotland.
for an initial £13,500 in May 1967 on a four-year contract. Albion would receive a further £2,000 when he had played in twenty first-team games.
Green suffered an injury that kept him out of the game for a year. His return to the fold came on 19 September 1970 for the visit of Everton
to Bloomfield Road
.
Green was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Green is in the 1960s.
came in for his services with an offer of £150,000, in a part-exchange deal involving Keith Dyson
. Becoming Newcastle's second most expensive signing, after Malcolm Macdonald
who was signed the previous summer from Luton Town for £180,000.
On 2 September 1972, an "horrendous" tackle by Crystal Palace
's Bobby Kellard
ended Green's career at the age of 25, 33 games and three goals into his Magpies career; he had suffered a cartilage
injury, and was never to play professionally again.
United got their £150,000 back through an insurance company after Green's retirement at Christmas 1973, but it was little consolation.
Newcastle manager Joe Harvey
said: "After they made Tony Green, they threw away the mould. I couldn't hope to buy a similar player, not even for twice the amount."
In 2008 Green said: "You think about things for about six months, and you look back wistfully. But in a way, I'm glad that if I had to finish like I did, I did it at Newcastle. I had a chance to play for a big club every week, in front of big crowds. You can't regret that. I'd have loved to have played on, but if you keep looking back it would drive you crackers."
Green was inducted into a black and white hall of fame at the star-studded Toon Reunion at Dunston's Lancastrian Suite on July 9, 2008 at the age of 61.
Green said "I get back maybe once a year and it's nice – it probably wouldn't happen anywhere else but the north east. If I'm coming back from Newcastle and get to the M6
, my wife will say 'You're a normal person now'. It's lovely, and I always enjoy coming back.
I'm just a supporter now, waiting for something better to happen than in the previous years. I follow Celtic, Blackpool and Newcastle, but probably Newcastle more than anyone else."
between 1971 and 1972.
teacher at Hodgson High School in Poulton-le-Fylde
, Lancashire
, and later at Millfield, in nearby Thornton
. Since 1976, he has also served on the pools panel, a four-strong panel of experts who predict results of postponed fixtures.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er.
Club career
GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
-born Green began his career at Albion Rovers in his native Scotland.
Blackpool
He was transferred south of the border to BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
for an initial £13,500 in May 1967 on a four-year contract. Albion would receive a further £2,000 when he had played in twenty first-team games.
Green suffered an injury that kept him out of the game for a year. His return to the fold came on 19 September 1970 for the visit of Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
to Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
.
Blackpool Hall of Fame
Green was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield
Jimmy Armfield
James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE, DL is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right back...
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Green is in the 1960s.
Newcastle United
In 1971, after Green had put in a transfer request, Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
came in for his services with an offer of £150,000, in a part-exchange deal involving Keith Dyson
Keith Dyson
Keith Dyson is an English former professional football player. He played as a forward.Dyson began his career with Newcastle United in 1968. In three years at St James' Park, he made 76 league appearances and scored 22 goals....
. Becoming Newcastle's second most expensive signing, after Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Macdonald
Malcolm Ian Macdonald is a former English footballer nicknamed Supermac, famed for scoring goals for Luton Town, Newcastle United and Arsenal.-Football career:...
who was signed the previous summer from Luton Town for £180,000.
On 2 September 1972, an "horrendous" tackle by Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
's Bobby Kellard
Bobby Kellard
Robert Sydney William 'Bobby' Kellard is an English former professional footballer. He represented England at Youth level.-Early league career:...
ended Green's career at the age of 25, 33 games and three goals into his Magpies career; he had suffered a cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
injury, and was never to play professionally again.
United got their £150,000 back through an insurance company after Green's retirement at Christmas 1973, but it was little consolation.
Newcastle manager Joe Harvey
Joe Harvey
Joe Harvey was an English football player and later manager. He spent much of his career at Newcastle United; he was the club's longest serving captain, manager, and, as of the 2009 – 10 season the last to win a major trophy....
said: "After they made Tony Green, they threw away the mould. I couldn't hope to buy a similar player, not even for twice the amount."
In 2008 Green said: "You think about things for about six months, and you look back wistfully. But in a way, I'm glad that if I had to finish like I did, I did it at Newcastle. I had a chance to play for a big club every week, in front of big crowds. You can't regret that. I'd have loved to have played on, but if you keep looking back it would drive you crackers."
Newcastle United Hall of Fame
Green was inducted into a black and white hall of fame at the star-studded Toon Reunion at Dunston's Lancastrian Suite on July 9, 2008 at the age of 61.
Green said "I get back maybe once a year and it's nice – it probably wouldn't happen anywhere else but the north east. If I'm coming back from Newcastle and get to the M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, my wife will say 'You're a normal person now'. It's lovely, and I always enjoy coming back.
I'm just a supporter now, waiting for something better to happen than in the previous years. I follow Celtic, Blackpool and Newcastle, but probably Newcastle more than anyone else."
International career
He made six appearances for ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
between 1971 and 1972.
Post-retirement
After his football career ended Green became a mathsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
teacher at Hodgson High School in Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation in the area from 12,000 years ago and several archaeological finds from Roman...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and later at Millfield, in nearby Thornton
Thornton, Lancashire
Thornton is a village on the Fylde, in Lancashire, England, about four miles north of Blackpool and two miles south of Fleetwood. It is in the Borough of Wyre...
. Since 1976, he has also served on the pools panel, a four-strong panel of experts who predict results of postponed fixtures.
External links
- Green in the Blackpool Supporters Association Hall of Fame
- Independent site profile
- A-Z of players in 1970-71 season
- "Legends: Tony Green", Blackpool GazetteBlackpool GazetteThe Blackpool Gazette is an English evening newspaper based in Blackpool, Lancashire. Published every day except Sunday, it covers the towns and communities of the Fylde coast...
, 8 February 2008 - Still a Toon legend