Preston North End Baseball Club Limited were formally established on 21 June 1890, with £2,000 in £10 shares, with the Directors being Thomas Slaney, William Sudell, J.
Brown (both of Preston North End),[2] Morton Betts, Jim Hart and Newton Crane, and were registered by Richard Barnes.
Interestingly, it was reported that "it was openly whispered around the field on Saturday that Mr. Fancis Ley, the presiding deity of the Derby baseball club had promised the Deepdale players so much a man in the event of taking down the Brums".
Things remained unsettled for Preston in the early weeks of the championship, when some of the players, who had been paid to practice since May, reportedly refused to sign professional terms for the club.
At this point the captain of Preston, Leech Maskrey returned to his native United States, having been presented with a gold watch chain and fob by his teammates.
The conclusion was that the people of Preston should follow baseball organisers in Derby and establish a prominent local amateur community first, before attempting professionalism again.
In their next game, versus Blackburn Rovers, the football club players wore black armbands and the flag on the main gate was flown at half mast.
[67] A game under the code of the English Baseball Union was played at Preston on 26 August, to promote the sport ahead of this new club's formation.