1884–85 in English football
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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,[1] met in Blackburn with a view to resisting new Football Association legislation restricting the ability of clubs to "import" players.[2] 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.[3]
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,[4] and the BFA was no longer necessary.
National team
England finished second in the British Home Championship, which was won by Scotland.
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score* | Comp | England scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 February 1885 | Whalley Range, Manchester (H) |  Ireland |
4–0 | BHC | Charles Bambridge (Swifts), James Brown (Blackburn Rovers) & Benjamin Spilsbury (Cambridge University) William Eames (Own goal) |
| 14 March 1885 | Leamington Road, Blackburn (H) |  Wales |
1–1 | BHC | Clement Mitchell (Upton Park) (35 mins) |
| 21 March 1885 | Kennington Oval, London (H) |  Scotland |
1–1 | BHC | Charles 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
| Competition | Winner |
|---|---|
| FA Cup | Blackburn Rovers (2) |
| Home Championship | Scotland |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition