The Scottish, English, Irish and Welsh FA’s met in Manchester were they united their rules and formed an International Football Association Board to control the laws of the game. it was a scot who started your league in 1889...Scot, William McGregor, who floated the idea of a "league" where English clubs would play each other on a formalised home and away basis. Discussions took place in 1888, leading to twelve clubs from the North of England and the Midlands contesting the first season in 1888/89. so i take it it was pretty much the same with you ....btw the scottish teams played in whats known as the fa cup ...it was orginally known as the english cup ...queens park to part in the competion .... so it now shows u that it was an invitation cup .... 1 year later the newly formed scottish league forced them to leave the english cup (fa cup ).... or be expelled from the scottish league ... which its self is weired because they didnt actully join the league till 1900 because of their stance on profesional players ....... they refused to pay players a wage .... even though most team calling themself amatures still payed their plays so called travel expences