The 1884–85 season was the 14th season of competitive football in England.
British Football Association
On 23 October 1884, a number of members of the Lancashire Football Association, at the instigation of Bolton Wanderers, met in Blackburn with a view to resisting new Football Association legislation restricting the ability of clubs to "import" players. The result was the formation of a new association, the British Football Association, made up of Lancashire clubs, plus Aston Villa and Walsall Swifts, and Sunderland provisionally joining, pending a club committee vote; the main refusenik was Blackburn Rovers, which had already "grandfathered" in its imported players, having been the first club to do so en masse.
The breakaway was forestalled in July 1885, when the Football Association voted to allow professional players to take part in football competitions, by 35 votes to 12, and the BFA was no longer necessary.
National team England finished second in the British Home Championship, which was won by Scotland.
DateVenueOpponentsScore*CompEngland scorers28 February 1885Whalley Range, Manchester (H)4–0BHCCharles Bambridge (Swifts), James Brown (Blackburn Rovers) & Benjamin Spilsbury (Cambridge University) William Eames (Own goal)14 March 1885Leamington Road, Blackburn (H)1–1BHCClement Mitchell (Upton Park) (35 mins)21 March 1885Kennington Oval, London (H)1–1BHCCharles Bambridge (Swifts) (57 mins) * England score given first
Key H = Home match BHC = British Home Championship
Note – Some sources credit England's third goal as a Joe Lofthouse goal, but match reports clearly state an Eames own goal.
Honours CompetitionWinnerFA CupBlackburn Rovers (2)Home Championship
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition
References
External links Report on England v Ireland match on thefa.com Report on England v Wales match on thefa.com Report on England v Scotland match on thefa.com Report on England v Scotland match