Blackheath FC was founded in 1858 by old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School who played a "carrying" game of football made popular by Rugby School.  The club made an early contribution to the development of football through its use of passing the ball from player to player as an alternative to the solo break and the "kick and follow-up". In 1863 Blackheath was a founder member of the Football Association. Francis Maude Campbell, a member of Blackheath, was elected treasurer. At the fifth meeting Campbell argued  against a proposal to ban hacking - tripping an opposing player by kicking their shins - insisting it was an essential element of 'football' and that to eliminate hacking would "do away with all the courage and pluck from the game, and it will be bound over to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice." Campbell referred to it as 'the true football game'. At the next meeting on 8 December Campbell withdrew Blackheath, explaining that the rules that the FA intended to adopt would destroy the game and all interest in it. Other rugby clubs followed his lead and did not join the Football Association marking the division between rugby and association football.