BEFORE the Peaky Blinders made a Brummie accent acceptable to the masses, there was an equally fierce and feared gang in Abergavenny named the Boot, Braces, and Bat Boys, or the Beebies for short.

As a spiritual predecessor of the football casual firms of the 1980s, image was everything to the Beebies. Here they are in 1864, all tooled up and looking sharp.

As you can see from the angle of their hats and the cut of their cloth they didn’t take no messing.

Their look is said to be the inspiration for the droogs in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange.’ Yet that could be just an urban myth.

In fact, it could all be “a lot of nonsense” said the Facebook malcontent to a silent audience.

What we do now is that the boys in the pic also played for Abergavenny Cricket Club, and the photo was actually taken in 1864 by one of the town’s few photographers - Eddie Madge.

We also know their names. So here we go. Standing (left to right) we have J. Shore, Captain Phipps, J.L. Rosher, George Peake, Major Wickham, J. Goodwin, and G.A. Jones.

And seated we have T. Levick, R. Baker-Gabb, E. Fitzherbert, and J. Bigglestone.

The facts surrounding the early days of Abergavenny Cricket Club are a bit thin on the ground.

It was established in 1834, but it wasn’t until the Abergavenny Chronicle emerged into existence like a news gathering god in the 1870s, that things began to be reported about the club.

On June 4, 1890, we wrote, “The Abergavenny men started for Crickhowell last Saturday to play their return match but being overtaken by a slight thunderstorm (which cleared off in a few minutes) they decided to return to Abergavenny rather than face the elements and a ‘lost match.’”

Proof, if any was needed, that Crickhowell is always a hard pill to swallow, particularly for an Abergavenny man.

Swiftly moving on.

In May, 1899 we reported that, “The club opens its fixtures tomorrow for the Married v Single match. For some years past the married men have not been strong enough to oppose the single, but this year owing to several of the prominent cricketers having lately joined the Benedicts, they are able to put a very strong team in the field, and the chances of winning are greatly in their favour.”

And what misogynistic idler once said that “Behind every bad cricketer there is a woman?”

Fast forward to February 13, 1914, and we wrote, “On Monday evening next the Abergavenny Cricket Club Dramatic Society will perform a modern farcical comedy by Alfred Maltby entitled ‘My Soldier Boy’ for the benefit of the club funds, which, we understand, are sadly in need of support.”

And we finish with their centenary celebration on October 12, 1934. The Chronicle reported, “Abergavenny Cricket Club celebrated their centenary and invincibility last season by holding a supper at the Greyhound Hotel, and advantage was taken of the occasion to present Major J.R. Jacob, President, and Stewart of cricket in Abergavenny.

Cricket, in his opinion, was at the top of all games. Unfortunately, some people wanted to make it a business, but he added, “Let us go on playing cricket for the sake of the game.”