# What's a football club? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 27, 2012, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-football-club/614136 "2012-02-27T10:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-football-club/614136/21 "2012-03-01T13:47:24Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > There has always been leagues, at every level of the game. I think you’re confusing ‘leagues’ with the game code of ‘Rugby Union’ turning professional in 1995. It was the idea of paying players which was deemed distasteful/‘not the done thing’ up to that point, in fact that’s the reason for Rugby League forming a breakaway code in the 1890s, over the argument of amateur vs professionalism. This isn’t correct. \*\*Acsenray \*\*is right that the RFU did not allow a league structure to be set up until 1987. There was not even a cup competition above the county level until 1972 and also right that the RFU thought having a league structure would lead to dirty play and - heaven forbid - pressure to turn professional. All matchs were arranged on a club to club basis, mostly regular traditional fixtures with local rivals. In a way the RFU was right, nine years after the full league structure was set up the top teams went professional. ---
**Author:** ![Entheogen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Entheogen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Entheogen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-football-club/614136/22 "2012-03-06T17:47:10Z")
Dope, I am dissapoint… The stick they use to hit the football, of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-football-club/614136.md?page=1)