Middlesbrough Football Club following Alf Common’s arrival

Date, all 1905

Season 1904/05 is one of 34 games in the First Division. It’s 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The bottom two clubs at season’s end will be relegated to the Second Division.

24 February

Bottom 5 teams

Stoke City

Bury

Nottingham. Forest

Middlesbrough

Notts County

P

24

25

26

24

25

Pts

19

19

18

15

13

Alf Common arrives, £1,000 transfer fee, World’s highest. Not a popular deal in the eyes of some! - “Flesh and blood for sale.” - “We are tempted to wonder whether Association football players will eventually rival thoroughbred yearling racehorses in the market.” - “As a matter of commerce, ten young recruits at £100 apiece might have paid better, and as a matter of sport, the Second Division would be more honourable than retention of place by purchase.”

25 February

Sheffield United 0 - 1 Middlesbrough

                 Common (p)

SATURDAY’S VICTORY

    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

27 February

Bottom 5 teams

Stoke City

Bury

Nottingham. Forest

Middlesbrough

Notts County

P

25

26

27

25

26

Pts

19

19

18

17

13

4 March

Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Nottingham Forest

THE BOROUGH’S FAILURE

    On the form displayed on Saturday both teams deserve to drop out. Scrappier or more disjointed work by ten forwards it has never been my lot to witness and I trust never will be again. The commonest of the whole crowd was the man whose services have been secured by the Borough at the record price of £1,000 to lift the club out of this present degrading position. Had he put himself about the least little bit he must have registered the goal which never came. If this is the kind of game he is going to serve up to us, then my sympathies are with those who put faith in him as a man who would do us good.

5 March

Bottom 5 teams

Bury

Nottingham. Forest

Stoke City

Middlesbrough

Notts County

P

26

28

25

26

26

Pts

19

19

19

18

13

11 March

Preston North End 2-0 Middlesbrough

THE BOROUGH AT PRESTON

    Common proved a thorough grafter, and he alone of the forwards was really dangerous.

12 March

Bottom 5 teams

Nottingham. Forest

Stoke City

Bury

Middlesbrough

Notts County

P

29

26

27

27

27

Pts

21

21

19

18

13

18 March

Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Stoke City

                     Common, Roberts

COMMON’S DAY OUT

    On Saturday Common was in a class by himself, and his magnificent work undoubtedly gave Middlesbrough victory. A fortnight ago against the Forest he was fistless, and put no life into his play. I understand he was not well. On Saturday he was full of dash, and had the finishing touches been put on many of the grand openings he worked the Borough score would easily have been a record for the season.

19 March

Bottom 5 teams

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Stoke City

Middlesbrough

Bury

Notts County

P

28

27

28

28

28

Pts

22

21

20

19

13

25 March

Middlesbrough 3 - 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

         Common, Green 2.

WELL PLAYED THE BOROUGH

    Common, in addition to sparkling work on his own gave his partner every opportunity to shine, and I feel confident that the pair will make such a right wing as will be a terror to all opposing sides. Common has done magnificent work for the “Borough,” and the unselfish way in which he fed his new partner showed him to be a broad-minded man who has the interests of the club at heart.

26 March

Bottom 5 teams

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Middlesbrough

Stoke City

Bury

Notts County

P

29

29

27

29

29

Pts

22

22

21

20

13

1 April

Bury 1 - 0 Middlesbrough

THE BOROUGH AT BURY

    Forward, Common was the one particular bright star. Time after time did he draw the opposing forces on to himself, and then, in the prettiest possible fashion, as he was being tackled from all sides, did he flash the ball accurately to the feet of either Hewitt or Green, mostly the former, only to see his spirited and skilfull work nullified by wretched finishing off by his partners.

2 April

Bottom 5 teams

Stoke City

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Bury

Middlesbrough

Notts County

P

28

30

30

30

30

Pts

23

22

22

22

13

8 April 1905

Middlesbrough 3 - 1 Aston Villa

         Hewitt, Roberts, Common

THE BOROUGH’S SUCCESS

Forward, Hewitt and Common were in great form.

9 April

Bottom 5 teams

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Stoke City

Middlesbrough

Bury

Notts County

P

31

29

31

31

31

Pts

24

24

24

22

14

15 April

Blackburn Rovers 0 - 2 Middlesbrough

                    Hewitt 2

A GALLANT VICTORY

    Common was in high glee and was always to be found in the thick of the fray, even taking a turn in defensive movements in the closing stages, so anxious was he to make the win a certainty.

    It did one good to hear Common’s merry laugh at Hewitts’ success, an object lesson of the value of the ex-Sunderland man as a coach, apart from his own great ability as a player.

16 April

Bottom 5 teams

Middlesbrough

Nottingham Forest

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Bury

Notts County

P

32

33

31

32

32

Pts

26

25

24

22

16

24 April

Middlesbrough 2 - 5 Notts County 5

                 Green, Phillipson

A surprise result! However Middlesbrough are safe with three teams below them having completed their fixtures.

25 April

Bottom 5 teams

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Middlesbrough

Nottingham Forest

Bury

Notts County

P

33

33

34

34

34

Pts

26

26

25

24

18

29 April

Middlesbrough 0 - 3 Newcastle United

1 May 1905

Bottom 5 teams - End of season 1904/05

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Middlesbrough

Nottingham Forest

Bury

Notts County

P

34

34

34

34

34

Pts

26

26

25

24

18