1903 Football postcard Middlesbrough Vs Sunderland | Opening Of Ayresome park
Postcard from when Ayresome Park officially opened for the 1903/04 season, with the first league match played on 12 September 1903 against Sunderland.
In good - vg condition with no writing on back.
This was the very first league game at the new ground, with Sunderland winning 3–2 in front of around 30,000 spectators
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⚽ Match Details
• Date: 12 September 1903
• Venue: Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough (official opening)
• Competition: Football League Division One
• Result: Middlesbrough 2 – 3 Sunderland
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🟥 Middlesbrough XI
• GK: Tim Williamson
• RB: John Hogg
• LB: Andrew Ramsey
• RH: David W. Smith
• CH: Andrew Davidson
• LH: Abraham Jones
• OR: Edward Gettins
• IR: William White
• CF: Sandy Brown (scorer)
• IL: Robert Atherton
• OL: Joseph Cassidy (scorer)
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🟡 Sunderland XI
• GK: Ned Doig (legendary Scottish keeper)
• RB: Andy McCombie
• LB: Hugh Wilson
• RH: James Watson
• CH: Jimmy McAllister
• LH: John McNeill
• OR: Billy Hogg
• IR: Jackie Mordue
• CF: George Holley
• IL: Arthur Bridgett
• OL: Jimmy Gemmell
🔑 Significance
• This was Middlesbrough’s first ever top‑flight home game.
• Sunderland’s win underlined their status as one of the dominant clubs of the era.
• Several players here — Ned Doig, Alf Common (who would join Boro in 1905), Arthur Bridgett — are iconic names in early English football history.