United Bankfoot Baseball Club is a baseball club based in Port Bannatyne, Albaland. They were one of sixteen clubs to join the inaugural season of the Albaland Baseball League in 1910 and the only professional team from Port Bannatyne to compete in it.
Founded by King crab fishermen in the suburb of Bankfoot, Port Bannatyne, as a way to pass the time when seas were too rough to go out to sea, United Bankfoot was originally a strict indoor activities club focusing mainly on gymnastics and boxing. In 1903, the club starting playing baseball against other small clubs in the city, before entering the Alba Shield in 1907 where they were eliminated in the First Round by Forth Fisherford.
It wasn’t until the following year that United Bankfoot caught the eye of Tadd Steward, the President of the Albaland Baseball Association, after losing 12-10 in 13 innings to Rigside Nine in the Second Round of the Alba Shield with Steward in attendance.
Despite being once again eliminated in the First Round of the Alba Shield in 1909, Steward extended an offer for the club to formally join the Albaland Baseball League after Kilmarnock Albaland declined the invitation. As the only team from Port Bannatyne to have participated in all three Alba Shields to date, Steward encouraged the club to accept the offer which they did the following day.
In 1997, there was a big push by the local government to change the name of United Bankfoot to Port Bannatyne United. After much fan protest the Mayor dropped the request and was promptly voted out of office 6 months later.
The team play out of Baxter Park, their home ground since the team started playing outdoor sports. By 1910 association football and cricket were abandoned due to the need of the clubs professional baseball team needing a permanent home ground. The field is tilted towards Pitchers with a large outfield, especially in centre and right which sees a reduction in home runs, especially be left-handed hitters. 11-foot high walls move up to 15-feet high in left field before dropping back down to 12 feet by the left field foul pole as the stands were lower due to the proximity of a nearby road. This was rectified in 1975 when the team expanded the stand to sit directly over the road.
The team is known as The Crabbers amongst fans and the media, with the team adopting “King Crag Red” as their official color. The clubs other primary colors are baby blue and white.