Every Manchester United player ever: Jack Allan

You'll forgive us for not checking every single season, for there are quite a few of them. But we'd be very surprised if Manchester United have ever had a better season at home than 1904-05, when they were in the old Division Two. They won 16 out of 17 games at Bank Street, scoring 60 goals in the process, and United's big-coated flat-capped fans watched their team stick five past Burton United, six past Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers, and seven past Bradford City.

That one loss turned out to be rather important. It came early in the season, 17 September 1904, and was inflicted by Bolton Wanderers; seven months later, who should pip United to promotion by a mere three points but that same Bolton Wanderers. Though ultimately, United rather threw it away: top with five games to go, they dropped five points in the run-in and finished third. Promotion would have to wait until the following season.

We mention all this because 1904-05 was the high point of Jack Allan's Manchester United career. A forward, he spent three seasons at United, arriving from and later returning to Bishop Auckland, one of the great amateur sides of the Northern Leagues. That first season, while United were demolishing all-comers-bar-one at Bank Street, he played 27 games and scored 16 goals; only captain Jack Peddie scored more.

The following season, a couple of new arrivals — notably England international Charlie Sagar, who arrived from Bury and scored a hattrick on his debut — relegated Allan to reserve status. He played just five games as United went up to Division One, scoring five goals, but then didn't net at all in his three appearances the following season. Then he was off, back to Bishop Auckland and the amateur game.

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Jack Allan (16 January 1883-???)

36 appearances (1904-07), 22 goals