*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Ivan Green
Appearances: 16 Goals: 6
Date / Year of birth: 29th July 1933
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 1963/64
Season of last appearance: 1963/64
Also played for: Millwall (1,0), Hastings United, Canterbury City, Sittingbourne, Ashford Town, Dover, Deal Town, Gravesend & Northfleet and Tunbridge Wells Rangers
Diminutive, ginger-haired Bexhill-born player with a busy style who made a single Football League appearance for Millwall during the 1954/55 season before dropping into non-league football.
Ivan initially joined Hastings and enjoyed a successful spell with the club. He was top scorer during the 1959/60 season.
In the summer of 1960 Ivan signed for Canterbury and he scored ten league goals in 34 league appearances for City during the 1960/61 campaign before moving on to Sittingbourne for the start of the 1961/62 season.
In the summer of 1962 Ivan rejoined Hastings but he was soon on the move again and in September 1962 he signed for Ashford.
Ivan scored three goals in 17 Southern League appearances for the Nuts & Bolts and later in the 1962/63 season he had a short spell with Dover before moving to Margate in the summer of 1963.
Ivan started the 1963/64 season in excellent form, he made his debut on 4.9.63 in the 1st Leg of a Southern League Cup tie at Gravesend & Northfleet and scored both goals in a 2-0 win. He performed a dance of joy after his second goal and scored twice more in the return game at Hartsdown Park on 11.9.63. In total Ivan scored six times before the end of September 1963 and one local press report called him 'Ivan the Terrible'.
Margate midfielder Davie Laing wrote about Ivan in the Thanet Times and said "Wee Ivan Green, Margate's close-season signing from Ashford, has begun his stay at Hartsdown in sparkling fashion. Already the home supporters have taken him to their hearts. His impish belligerency with hefty opponents, in particular tall goalkeepers, has stamped him as a real character. So far his jousts with the "mighty" have seen him more often than not come out on top. Whatever anyone else may think of his play to date, the stocky redhead himself is amazed at the turn of events. He can hardly believe his emergence as a goalscorer". Davie's article also quoted Ivan as saying "I can't understand it. In my years of travelling around different clubs I have never been looked on as a goalscorer, or even considered myself as one. Yet here I am with five in three games. I must be dreaming !"
Ivan's form dipped after his bright start and in November 1963 he was loaned back to Ashford for a month, making five Southern League appearances without scoring there.
After returning to Hartsdown Park in December 1963 he found himself in the reserves for the majority of the remaining months of the season. Ivan became their leading scorer with 20 goals in 27 appearances but he was released by Margate at the end of the campaign. In total he had made 16 first team appearances and scored six times.
Ivan joined Deal for the 1964/65 season and was their top scorer during the campaign, bagging a hat-trick against Gravesend & Northfleet early in the season. He also hit another treble in a 7-2 home win over Barry on 4.12.64 and thus became the first Deal player ever to score a hat-trick under floodlights at The Charles Sports Ground. The lights had been installed three months earlier.
Ivan's next move took him to Gravesend & Northfleet early in the 1965/66 season and he scored eight goals in 36 appearances for the Fleet during the campaign.
In the summer of 1966 Ivan joined Tunbridge Wells where he spent the 1966/67 season.
Ivan worked as a PE teacher during his time at Margate.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1963/64 (MFC) |
16 (60) |
N/A |
6 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22) |
1R |
2R |
2R |
1R |
GR |