Legalization of Professional Football

Date: July 20, 1885 • Location: London, United Kingdom

The Football Association legalizes professionalism in association football under pressure from the British Football Association.

The Football Association is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory.