Ron Greener: Indomitable Darlington stalwart who helped the Quakers dump Ted Drake's Chelsea out of the FA Cup

Greener was nicknamed "Mountain" for his unyielding approach to the game

Formidable strength: Greener leads out Darlington to face Chelsea in the FA Cup in 1958 (Rex Features)

Few footballers have been more closely identified with a single club than Ron Greener with Darlington. The holder of the Quakers' appearance record, having played some 500 times between 1955 and 1967, the one-time blacksmith was a trusty bulwark of a central defender who provided formidable strength and unstinting labour at the rearguard's core.

Though Greener was hardly a giant at 5ft 11in, that wasn't the impression he gave to opposing centre forwards, and he was nicknamed "Mountain" for his unyielding approach to the game.

He joined Barnsley at youth level, but didn't make a professional breakthrough at Oakwell, instead playing his football for Easington Colliery Welfare while making his living at an anvil at the local coal pit.

However, top-flight Newcastle United spotted that he was a diamond in the rough and signed him in 1951. Granted three senior outings for the Magpies in 1953-54, the rookie Greener barely put a foot wrong, but there was severe competition for the No 5 shirt from Frank Brennan, Bob Stokoe and Bill Paterson, so he moved to Darlington of the basement division in June 1955.

At Feethams he became a first team regular for the next dozen campaigns. The highlight of his tenure came in 1958, when the Quakers disposed of Chelsea in the FA Cup – Ted Drake's high-profile Pensioners being thrashed 4-1 in a replay after the north-easterners had let slip a 3-0 lead in the first game at Stamford Bridge.

Still a stalwart when Darlington earned promotion to the third tier in 1965-66, Greener was unable to prevent relegation a season later, after which he joined non-League Stockton.

IVAN PONTING

Ronald Greener, footballer: born Easington, County Durham 31 January 1934; died 19 October 2015.