Alf Common

Infobox Football biography
playername = Alf Common


fullname = Alfred Common
dateofbirth = birth date|1880|5|25
cityofbirth = Millfield, Tyne and Wear
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1946|4|3|1880|5|25
cityofdeath = Darlington
countryofdeath = England
height =
nickname =
position = Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1900-1901 1901-1904 1904-1905 1905-1910 1910-1912 1912-1914
clubs = Sunderland Sheffield United Sunderland Middlesbrough Woolwich Arsenal Preston North End
caps(goals) = 018 00(6) 067 0(21) 020 00(6) 168 0(58) 077 0(23) 035 00(9)
nationalyears = 1904-1906
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 003 00(2)

Alf Common (May 25, 1880 in Millfield, Tyne and Wear – April 3, 1946) was an English footballer who played at inside forward or centre forward. He is most famous for being the first player to be transferred for a fee of £1,000.__TOC__

Club career

Common played for South Hylton and Jarrow in North East England before joining Sunderland in 1900. Sunderland finished Division One runners-up in 1900-01, after which Common transferred to Sheffield United in October 1901 for £325. Neither Sunderland nor Sheffield United had cause to regret the deal in the sense that Sunderland finished as Division One Champions in 1901-02, and Common scored the first goal in the Blades FA Cup final win of 1902 over Southampton.

Common became a regular member of Sheffield United's team, and won the first of his three international caps in 1904, but in May of that year he refused to re-sign for United because he wished to return to Sunderland where he was reported to have 'business interests'A Sensational Transfer. "Sheffield United matchday programme". 21 September 1985.] . United failed to persuade Common to change his mind and in the summer of 1904, he returned to Sunderland. The deal also took United's reserve goalkeeper Albert Lewis in return for a new record fee of around £520.

In February 1905, little more than six months after this move, he broke the transfer record again by moving to Middlesbrough for £1,000. Middlesbrough had purchased Common in an attempt to avoid relegation to the Second Division. His first game for Middlesbrough was on February 25 1905, away to his former club Sheffield United. Middlesbrough won 1-0, with Common scoring from a penalty after 50 minutes, it was their first away win for nearly two years. Consequently the team, who had so far been battling against relegation that season, survived the drop. He played 168 league games for Boro and scored 58 goals.

At the age of 30, Common moved to Woolwich Arsenal in 1910, making his debut on September 1 1910 against Manchester United. In total, he played 80 times and scored 23 goals for Arsenal; after starting out at inside forward, he took on a more attacking role in his second season and was the club's top goalscorer (with 17) in 1911-12, missing just two league games. However, he didn't score a single goal in the first half of the Gunners' 1912-13 relegation season, before being sold to Preston North End in December 1912 for £250. At Preston, he helped the club to win the Division Two title that season, although they were relegated the following season (1913-14).

Common retired from football in 1914, and went on to run a pub in Darlington. He died in 1946 aged 65.

International career

Common won his first England cap, against Wales on February 29, 1904. In all he won three caps, scoring two goals.

Career statistics

Honours

Sunderland

*Football League Division One
**Runner-up: 1900-01

Sheffield United

* FA Cup
**Winner: 1902

References and notes

External links

*englandstats|id=248|name=Alf Common