British Football Association
Encyclopedia
The British Football Association was a short lived ruling body for the game of football
. It was set up in 1884 in response to the attitude of the Football Association
to the issue of professionalism
.
and their success in reaching the quarter finals of the FA Cup
in 1879, all teams had been amateur
. There was a proposal by a London
club before the match that any side not consisting entirely of amateurs should be barred from the Cup.
Professionalism spread throughout the northern
clubs with Blackburn Olympic
winning the Cup in 1883 and Blackburn Rovers
the following three years.
In 1883 Accrington
were expelled from the FA for paying players and in 1884 Preston North End
were suspended for one year from the Cup for openly admitting to payments in order to compete with Blackburn Rovers.
Many rules were now introduced to restrict professionalism, such as only Englishmen
being allowed to play in the Cup, many professionals being from Scotland
. These restrictions led to the formation of the British Football Association in Manchester
in 1884 by 37 clubs as a rival to the FA. This threat of secession
was to lead to the legalisation of professionalism on July 20, 1885 by the FA making the new body redundant. This action by the FA was eventually to lead to the break away and formation of the Amateur Football Association in 1907.
A similar split in rugby
led to the separate sports of rugby union
and rugby league
.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. It was set up in 1884 in response to the attitude of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
to the issue of professionalism
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
.
History
Until the employment of professionals by DarwenDarwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
and their success in reaching the quarter finals of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1879, all teams had been amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
. There was a proposal by a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
club before the match that any side not consisting entirely of amateurs should be barred from the Cup.
Professionalism spread throughout the northern
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
clubs with Blackburn Olympic
Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
winning the Cup in 1883 and Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
the following three years.
In 1883 Accrington
Accrington F.C.
Accrington Football Club were an English football club from Accrington, Lancashire, who were one of the founder members of The Football League. Accrington F.C. was formed following a meeting at a local public house in 1876...
were expelled from the FA for paying players and in 1884 Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
were suspended for one year from the Cup for openly admitting to payments in order to compete with Blackburn Rovers.
Many rules were now introduced to restrict professionalism, such as only Englishmen
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
being allowed to play in the Cup, many professionals being from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. These restrictions led to the formation of the British Football Association in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1884 by 37 clubs as a rival to the FA. This threat of secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
was to lead to the legalisation of professionalism on July 20, 1885 by the FA making the new body redundant. This action by the FA was eventually to lead to the break away and formation of the Amateur Football Association in 1907.
A similar split in rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
led to the separate sports of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
.