TAKE a look at these dapper dandies folks. They’re suited booted and immaculately groomed. There’s no flies on these gentlemen but who are they and what do they want?

Well, the chaps in suits may look like they’re auditioning for a job opportunity in Cosa Nostra’s Monmouthshire branch but they are in fact all committed members of Mardy AFC.

Standards were a lot higher in those distant days when everything was a little bit more black and white. There was no such thing as a tracksuit or leisure wear for committee members to let the team down in. What there was, was the full monty! Which in plain speak translates to a well-cut suit courtesy of everybody’s favourite high street tailor of taste - Montague Burton.

As we all know Abergavenny’s own well-loved Burtons store finally shut up shop and stopped trading some years back.

Did you know when old Montague died in 1952 there was a staggering 615 Burton stores in the UK? Not a bad job for a Lithuanian jew who came to the country in 1900 and borrowed £100 quid to set up the most ‘British’ of menswear businesses. But now like all empires, Montague’s seems to have gone for a Burton.

Anyhow we digress. Where were we? A fading photograph and some serious-looking fellas in shorts? Right! Well, they’re the boys who kick the ball around, score the goals, save the day, and give the fans something to shout about. So let’s have a round of applause, please.

The picture was sent in by Mr Mardy himself Macky Skinner and is a shot of the Mardy squad during the 1928-29 season.

Here’s the line-up so please pay attention.

From left to right in the back we have J. Reynolds, W. Higgs, G. Cowley, T. Parker, and W. Price.

In the second row, we have L. Powell, T. Adams, A. Exton, H. Young, W. Bull, and W. Savager.

In the third row, we have J. Jenkins, H. Evans, L. Edmonds, I. Morgan (Capt.), L. Anstey, B. Kirby and F. Weavin.

Sitting in the front row we have F. Higgs and T. Jones.

And that’s your lot!