| Season | 1883–84 |
|---|---|
| Men's football | |
| FA Cup | Blackburn Rovers |
The1883–84 season was the 13th season of competitivefootball in England.
Since 1880,Bolton Wanderers (founded in 1874), was known to have unofficially offered professional terms to Scottish players ("Scotch Professors"). The subject remained a heated one through the 1880s, directly or indirectly involving many other clubs besides Bolton. Their neighbours,Blackburn Rovers (founded in 1875) andDarwen (founded in 1870) had also signed Scottish players on a 'shamateur' basis using side jobs, either real or fabricated, to facilitate payment. The FA espoused the ideal of amateurism promoted by the likes ofCorinthian F.C. from whom the phrase "Corinthian Spirit" came into being.[1]
1883–1884 saw the world's first international tournament begin. TheBritish Home Championship pitted theUK's four national teams (England,Scotland,Wales andIreland) against each other in a league competition in which each played the other three once. Scotland won the first contest with England finishing second.
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score* | Comp | England scorers | Other scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 February 1884 | Ballynafeigh Park,Belfast (A) |  Ireland | 8–1[2] | BHC | Henry Cursham (Notts County) (3),Edward Johnson (Stoke) (2),Charles Bambridge (Swifts) (2) &Arthur Bambridge (Swifts) | William BR McWha |
| 15 March 1884 | Cathkin Park,Glasgow (A) |  Scotland | 0–1[3][4] | BHC | Dr John Smith | |
| 17 March 1884 | Racecourse Ground,Wrexham (A) |  Wales | 4–0[5] | BHC | William Bromley-Davenport (Oxford University) (7 & 85 mins), Norman Bailey (Clapham Rovers) (75 mins) &Billy Gunn (Notts County) (90 mins) |
* England score given first
Key
| Competition | Winner |
|---|---|
| FA Cup | Blackburn Rovers (1) |
| Home Championship | Scotland |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition
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