In black-and-white, be a legend forever
Park bade him farewell but all the time in the back of his mind the frustration of his career being over ticking away.
“I think it takes you a lot to get past it,” he admits.
“I’m going to guess it took nearly six months, and then you’ve just got to say, ‘OK, **** it really, you’ve got to get on with it – you can’t moan like this all your life.
“I probably had to have a few beers before I went to sleep, and it’d be on my mind but then you’ve just got to say ‘I’ve got the rest of my life to get on with.’ I’ve had three kids, so you’ve just got to get on but it took me a bit of time.
“Nowadays players would get help, but back then it was the Newcastle supporters who helped me immensely through the whole thing.
“They were so nice and then after about six months your new life begins.”
Green became a maths teacher – balancing the numbers and long division with demands for stories of playing at the highest level, and that’s why he falls into a strange category – how many players, after just 33 games, can create something so special in such a short amount of time that it’s still talked about almost 50 years later?
Memories of a goal on his home debut against Southampton, or taking Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles ‘to the cleaners’ as one fan told me on Twitter, all add to the conclusion that Green was one of the best seen in a black-and-white shirt.
But for many, his performance in the 2-0 win at Manchester United in February 1972 cements that view.
Green had a hand in both goals as he showcased his passing ability and blistering pace. His trickery even left the legendary George Best on the floor – something fans love to talk to Green about, even though it had slipped from his memory.
“To be honest, I forgot all about it and I was up in Newcastle about five years ago, I got a taxi and the driver had it on his phone and he’s talking to me and I’m panicking because he’s not even looking at the road! He’s showing me beating George Best and leaving him on his backside.
“I hadn’t seen it until that taxi driver showed me.
“I got so touched that 45 years later this guy is carrying a little thing of me.”
That trip ended up with a visit to The Strawberry, where Green’s portrait is up on the wall.
Asking fans for their memories of Green brings back replies of ‘absolute genius’ and ‘brilliant’ – I read a few out to Green. It is lovely, so nice after all these years.
“It’s nearly 50 years since I played, you’d think people would forget after all that time. When I go back up to Newcastle, it’s the only place I get quite emotional – when I see St James’ Park, the whole place.”
But why do fans hold Green in such high regard?
“I think as long as they see you trying – if they don’t see you giving 100%, they’ll not be as fond of you,” he says.
“But as long as you give
100% – they’re quite happy you’re doing that.”