David Alexander Green, or ‘Dodger Green’ as he was known in the Club, was born on 3 April 1907 in Heaton Moor, a suburb of Stockport in Cheshire. Old Dodger was known for his rather flamboyant footwear, in fact there is some suggestion that he may have been born with brown and white booties. He was also extremely skilled at games and his dodging ability (hence his nickname) was enhanced by his sojourn at Manchester Grammar School, one of the older grammar schools that was founded in 1515 and perhaps one of the few schools to have a High Master as opposed to Headmaster. For any one impressed with that date my own school was founded in 1509 and still has the original charter signed by Queen Elisabeth I (yes I have seen it and no I was not an original signatory thank you for asking). Yes Mr USA we have history here. Ouch that was mean! Sorry, I digress, now the thought of starting work was somewhat repugnant for Dodger (it was to me and still is), so to get over this problem his father found him a place with a friend to train as an accountant.
How did his Astonitis manifest itself? Well quite simply his father took him to The London Motor Show at Earls Court and he fell in love with a 1.5 litre with a mahogany decked launch body in cream and brown. Perhaps that was where his love of cream and brown shoes first materialised. Alas funds did not allow him to purchase such a car so he had to satisfy himself with a 10 hp Rhode two-seater with copper exhaust. He moved on to a Morris Cowley and then a rare beast in the form of a Type 15 12/20 Bianchi with a Mulliner body. This car had been a Motor Show car and the body had cost £700 when first built, a considerable amount of money in those days. He purchased that car in Northamptonshire where it had been stored in a stable for 7 years collecting a thick layer of dirt. However, it cleaned up well and after a re-spray in a resplendent ivory and green it served him well. The only problem was water consumption, which was much the same as petrol (gasoline to those across the pond). This vehicle was sold and a Hillman Aero Minx became the vehicle that lasted, just about, until his Aston came along.
During the war Dodger joiner the Royal Observer Core looking after the Northern RAF flying crews, not as some may think observing young ladies. Whilst doing these duties by night he also had to carry on with the day job. We don’t know we are born today compared with the work ethos they had in those war years. His first foray into Astons was in 1949 when he put a deposit down on an International with a somewhat dodgy Manchunian dealer. No surprise there then, nothing’s changed in 60 years in Manchester! He did, luckily, manage to extricate himself from that purchase and instead buy a Le Mans, chassis E3/206/S.
Following the war Dodger campaigned the Le Mans at various speed events and apparently always wore his cream and brown brogues when racing. Now just what would a scrutineer have to say about that today? Or could this in fact be a new fashion in race boots. Nomex lined cream and brown brogues, what a go faster accessory. In fact, I bet they are worth 10 sec a lap on Silverstone’s Club Circuit.
Dodger Green took over from John Hallas to become the Hon Northern Secretary and the section flourished under his guidance. He gathered the Northern Members together and turned the individual Members into a Club.
So perhaps as a fitting memorial to the man, the recipient of the Dodger Green ‘Shoes’ Trophy could wear a pair of cream and brown brogues at AMOC events for the time he or she holds the trophy?