Football’s first four figure fee - Middlesbrough’s signing of Alf Common
North Eastern Daily Gazette. 14 February 1905.
THE MIDDLESBRO’ F.C.
Mr Alf Mattison and Mr Poole, directors of the Middlesbrough Football Club,
telephoned “Old Bird” this afternoon informing him that they had signed on Common
of Sunderland. They also added that they had arranged for a friendly match to be
played at Middlesbrough on Saturday, with Sunderland. Common is a most enthusiastic
footballer. He was born at Sunderland in 1880. His first appearance as a footballer
was with Jarrow. He next played for Sunderland, being there for one season. He was
transferred to Sheffield United, and was with that team when he was capped against
Ireland and Wales. After playing at Bramall-lane for three seasons he again signed
on for Sunderland at the beginning of the present season. He should prove a valuable
acquisition to the Borough, who must win five out of their remaining ten engagements
to stand any chance of escaping relegation.
South Durham and Cleveland Mercury, Friday, 17 February, 1905.
COMMON’S TRANSFER.
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A FINE PLAYER SECURED FOR MIDDLESBROUGH.
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When the news that Alfred Common, the well-known Sunderland forward, had signed
on for Middlesbrough was posted in the “Northern Echo” windows in the iron town on
Tuesday afternoon it was read with great interest by scores of football enthusiasts.
The Ayresome Park directors had made previous attempts to get his signature but without
success. Councillor Alf. Mattison and Councillor T.G.Poole, however, brought off
the coup on Tuesday and have secured for the ‘Borough a very fine player indeed.
Common is an inside right, but is almost equally well at home as a pivot.
Born on Wearside in 1880. He has made a big name for himself in the football
world. His early experience was gained with South Hylton, and subsequently he played
with Jarrow in Northern Alliance games. He joined Sunderland in the season 1900-1,
and when the “A” team came to Middlesbrough he played in goal. In October, 1901,
the Sunderland directors were induced to part with him for the sum of £300 to Sheffield
United, and he scored goals galore for his new club at a time when they were badly
needed. He played for the “Blades” against Southampton at the Crystal Palace in the
cup final of 1902, and also gained an international cap. At the beginning of the
present season Common rejoined Sunderland. £1,000 has been paid for the transfer.
The ‘Borough directors are also endeavouring to secure the signature of James Windridge,
a young player belonging to Small Heath. He is an outside or inside left. By the
way, Middlesbrough have definitely arranged with Sunderland to play a “friendly”
at Ayresome Park on Saturday.
North Eastern Daily Gazette. Monday 27 February 1905.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE
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DAY OF A GREAT REVIVAL ON TEES-SIDE
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B Y “ O L D B I R D .”
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Tees-side was the scene of a great revival on Saturday night. The cause was
not unknown to even those who take little interest in football matters. It was indeed
a red letter day. The first International ever played on Tees-side had been witnessed
by 25,000 spectators, the receipts being £1,070, but the climax was reached when
it became known, through the medium of the “Gazette,” that the Borough had at last
won a League match away from home, and remarkable to relate at Bramall Lane, the
very ground on which they last won 3-1 in 1903. Weary had been the wait, but coming
as it does at such a critical time in the history of the club the success of Saturday
at Sheffield has given rise to unbounded satisfaction. Borough supporters’ enthusiasm
had been allowed to droop to a very low ebb, but a revival has now set in, and I
can only hope that the victory of Saturday will hearten the players on to deeds that
will thrill enthusiasts on Tees-side to their heart’s content.
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THE FUTURE
It has been a time of gloom, but we have caught a glimpse of a silver lining
to the cloud of despondency that prevailed, and one and all are now looking for a
condition of things when the curtain is finally rung down on the season that we scarcely
dared hope for. The Borough have now 17 points for 25 games, as against Notts Forest’s
18 for 27 games, Bury’s 19 for 26, and Stoke’s 19 for 25. The Wolves, by their victory
at Nottingham over the doomed County, have reached a position they should keep to
the end. The Foresters were due at Middlesbrough on the 22nd April, but as both they
and the Borough have a vacant date owing to being thrown out of the English Cup,
the match has been brought forward to next Saturday at 3.30 sharp. A more attractive
engagement could not have been arranged. Both clubs are struggling gamely to escape
the Second Division. It is imperative for the Borough’s future welfare that Notts
Forest should retire from Ayresome Park without either of the two points. A game
in which more is at stake could not be conceived, and there should be a great crowd
present. The club have been at tremendous expense in their efforts to strengthen
their team, and supporters should turn up to a man to all remaining home matches.
The keenest anxiety is being evinced in the contest, for so much depends on it. In
order to give readers of these notes a chance of seeing what game the lowest placed
clubs have yet to play I append their matches:-
It will be seen from the foregoing that the Borough appear to have the best
chances of extricating themselves from the very dangerous position the club has so
long held, but no mistake must be made about next Saturday’s game. With the defeat
of the Foresters we can look to the future with confidence. The outlook is brighter
than for many a long week. Saturday will, indeed, be a day of jubilation should both
points fall to the Borough, for it will mean an uplifting for them to a position
they should never again recede from.
SATURDAY’S VICTORY
By their narrow win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, says the “Sheffield
Sunday Telegraph,” Middlesbrough considerably brightened their chances of escaping
the threatened fall into the Second Division, especially as both Nottingham clubs
went under. The Tees-siders must consider themselves rather fortunate to get off
with two points, for practically two-thirds of the attacking was done by United,
and it as only erratic shooting, coupled with stubborn defence, and two or three
really clever saves by Frail, the robbed United of goals. At the start the game was
interesting, but once Middlesbrough were in front and United’s endeavour to equalise
had died out it became scrappy and uninteresting. Pretty forward movements were almost
an unknown quantity. It may be said that Common earned his enormous transfer fee,
for in addition to converting a penalty, he played a finished game, working well
with his colleagues, and often plying Davies with nice passes. The latter was the
visitors most dangerous forward. Thackeray not coming to himself until the second
half, this being through Johnson’s fine play in the opening portion. Green is a useful
centre, and shows signs of training into a good man, while the diminutive Atherton
was ever busy. The deposition of Annan by Priest did not weaken the United defence,
in which Groves shone, both his kicking and tackling being strong.
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North Eastern Daily Gazette. Friday 3 March 1905.
FOOTBALLERS’ WAGES.
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PROPOSED ALTERATIONS TO THE PRESENT RULES.
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There is a very heavy agenda paper for the meeting of the F.A. Council on Monday,
at which the draw for the semi-finals of the F.A. Cup will be made and grounds and
officials selected . The most important item, however, is the report of the Rules
Revision Committee with regard to the payment of players. This much-discussed question
has been under the consideration of the committee for three months’ and apparently
an effort has been made to arrive at a compromise, which will to some extent satisfy
the out-and-out supporters of the existing rule and the opponents of a limit on wages.
In the first place the committee recommend that an addition should be made to Rule
29, which will introduce two new principles -- (1) The limitation of the number of
professional players which a club may register; and (2) the limitation of the fee
paid in respect of the transfer of a player. The committee have thought it best to
place upon the council the onus of fixing the number of players and the limit of
the transfer fee, both figures being represented by a blank in the draft rule.
TRANSFER SYSTEM LIMIT.
The placing of a limit on the amount of the transfer fee will probably meet
with approval, in view of the latest development -- the payment of £1,000 by Middlesbrough
to Sunderland for Common -- but it remains to be seen whether the big League clubs
will take kindly to any restriction being placed on the system they have solely been
responsible for. The committee propose to solve the wage difficulty by means of a
sliding scale, which will allow clubs to pay a player £4 a week during the first
season, £5 for the second season, and £6 for the third and subsequent seasons. These
amounts are, of course, for consecutive seasons, and a player who leaves his club
and goes back again will have to start on the £4 basis. The supporters of the existing
limit will most likely oppose the scheme, on the ground that it will raise the standard
of wages for all second and third year men in the big clubs; whilst the proposals
are certain to meet the opposition of those legislators who are opposed to the whole
stem of limiting wages. Altogether there is likely to be a big discussion on Monday
evening, and it must not be forgotten that whatever decision is arrived at will have
to go to the genera meeting and receive a two-thirds majority there before it becomes
law.
North Eastern Daily Gazette. Monday 6 March 1905.
COMMON’S TRANSFER.
At the Football League meeting to-night in town -- Monday is quite a big day
for footballing Cabinet Ministers -- the case of Alfred Common is to be brought up
by Sheffield United, writes “Looker-on” in the “Sunday Telegraph,” Sheffield. There
is a good deal of reasonableness, too, in their desire to know how it is that Common’s
Sunderland business claims have so suddenly faded and enabled him to transfer his
affections to Middlesbrough. Unkind people are asking how far Common’s penalty goal
last Saturday had brought about the Sheffielders’ attitude now, but I have no doubt
the United directors have a straight answer to that . It is quite probable that their
desire to be heard on the matter was forwarded to the League before the match at
Bramall-lane was played in which Common took so prominent a part.
North Eastern Daily Gazette. Tuesday 7 March 1905.
FOOTBALL COUNCIL
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IMPORTANT PROPOSALS AS TO PENALTY KICKS, WAGES, &c.
THE MAXIMUM WAGES
The rules pension committee made the following recommendations:--
Add at the end of rule 29 -- No club shall be entitled to have more than ---- professional
players registered at the same time, and if any club shall regularly play only one
team then the number shall not exceed ---- . Players may be changed during a season.
After the 1st January, 1908, no club shall be entitled to pay or receive any
transfer fee or other payment exceeding £----, upon or in respect of the transfer
of any player.
Rule 31.-- Omit the first sentence. For the third sentence substitute the following:--
The maximum wages which may be paid to any player shall be (1) during the first
season £4 per week, (2) during the second season £5 per week, (3) during the third
and each subsequent season £6 per week, and the payment of bonuses dependant on the
result of any match shall not be allowed.
The above maximum wages are only applicable when the engagements are for consecutive
seasons.
Re-signing after any transfer will be deemed to be a new engagement, and the
player cannot receive more than the maximum of £4 per week during the first season.
Discussion of the matter was adjourned until the next meeting.
