Alf Common’s cap goes up for sale.

By Tony Attwood

An England cap won by Alf Common is being auctioned tomorrow.  Apparently it will get over £1000 – the amount Alf cost Middlesbrough.

Alf Common was a Middlesbrough player when he won the red England cap.  MIDDLESBROUGH FC caused a sensation when it became the first football club to pay £1,000 for a player.

There’s a full article on Alf and what brought him to Arsenal here.  What makes him so interesting is that various aspects of his life as a footballer give quite an insight into how football was run during the last years of Woolwich Arsenal’s existence.

Altogether Alf Common scored 58 goals in 168 league games in his three seasons at Middlesbrough, before they sold him to Woolwich Arsenal where he stayed until 1913.

 

2 Replies to “Alf Common’s cap goes up for sale.”

  1. Hi.

    Kelly or Attwood, you might be able to answer this question.

    As of May 2006 Alf Fields was Arsenals oldest living ex-player. He was in the spotlight when Arsenal took farewell to Highbury. Here’s his wiki page:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alf_Fields

    He has probably past away by now. Can you confirm this. And who is the oldest to date?

    Dan

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