THE Abergavenny Thursdays started life during the 1890s under the banner of the Abergavenny Rangers.

The club became Abergavenny Thursdays in 1927. The name represented the fact that many of the players worked in shops and factories, and Thursdays, being half-days, were the best time for the club to organise games.

The Thursdays’ matches were initially played in Bailey Park, but sometime during the 1930s, games were moved to the Pen-y-Pound ground. Hence their nickname ‘the pennies’.

Led by local businessman Vince Sullivan, the first management committee initiated the construction of a grandstand and supporting facilities, including a 250-seat stand and clubhouse.

The Thursdays were crowned Welsh League champions for the first time in 1959 and won successive titles in 1991 and 1992 before the formation of the new League of Wales (now known as the Welsh Premier League) for the 1992/93 season.

The Thursdays could have secured a place in the European Cup if they repeated their 1992 success in the League of Wales' first season, but circumstances dictated otherwise.

Regulation reared its ugly head and subsequent seasons were not kind to the Thursdays who slipped through all three divisions of the Welsh League before finally ending up in Division Three of the Gwent County League.

In the course of five seasons, the once mighty Abergavenny Thursdays suffered four relegations and conceded 675 league goals.

Things came to a head in the 2013/14 season when the Abergavenny Thursdays made the shock decision to not field a team in the Gwent County League and allowed Govilon AFC the full use of Pen-y-Pound for all of their home games,

At the time, Thursdays Trustee Ray Warren explained, “It might well be that at some point in the future the name Abergavenny Thursdays will be consigned to an honours board and from my own personal point of view that would be devastating because my family and I have an association going back 75 years with this club.”

After just one season, Govilon became Abergavenny Town and the Abergavenny Thursdays were consigned to history, but what a history.

As a former Sports Reporter with the Abergavenny Chronicle in the 1950s, the late Don Chambers spent many a cold but memorable Saturday afternoon watching the Abergavenny Thursdays boss other teams around at Pen-y-Pound and further afield. Some years ago, the old sports reporter kindly agreed to wander through the goalposts and down memory lane to remember the thrills, spills, and beautiful football played by the boys in green when they were a true force to be reckoned with.

Don explained, “Regarded in these parts almost certainly and most of South Wales reluctantly,

Abergavenny Thursdays were the best, nearly the best or one of the best sides to play in the Welsh League in “my days” which encompassed some of the 1950s and most of the following

two decades.

“Let’s not forget, however, that although the Thursdays were non-league in the true professional sense, they still faced and gave a good account of themselves against Cardiff City, Newport County and Swansea - at least their reserve sides with the odd ‘big names’ cropping up now and again, including, I think, ex-Wales international Trevor Ford for one. John Charles and maybe brother Mel also trod the green, green grass of Pen-y-Pound.

“I particularly remember Ray Lawrence, perhaps the best manager the team had. Once a week, usually on a Monday, I would present myself in Ray’s office to get his views on the last game, his campaign plan for the next one and his critique of my last report, which he often tore to pieces for being inaccurate. We spent the final half-hour at raised-voice frequency and I was almost always the gallant loser, mainly because he was bigger in stature than me and it was “his” team and not mine. So there!”

Perhaps one of the Thursdays’ greatest players was Brian Evans. Brian played for Abergavenny Thursdays for three seasons between 1960 - 63. He transferred to Swansea City in 1963 for the sum of £650 where he made 356 appearances, scored 58 goals and won five caps for Wales. He played for the Swans in the old second, third and fourth Divisions of the football league.

In June 1973, he transferred to Hereford United for a fee of £6000 where he made 48 appearances and scored nine goals.

He is still treated as a ‘legend’ at Hereford, as he is the only player to win caps for his country while at the club.

He is also renowned for playing in the January 9, 1974 FA CUP giant-killing victory over the great West Ham United team, where he famously supplied the assist for Alan Jones to score the winning goal for Hereford.

Local football fan Rob Hurley recalled a very interesting chapter in the Thursdays history regarding a football match which took place on April 4, 1976, between Hereford United and the Thursdays.

Rob explained, “Hereford United were about to be crowned Third Division Champions in a few weeks and were busy acquiring quality players for their forthcoming assault on the old Second Division or Championship league as it is known today.

“The Hereford United team included Tommy Hughes a former goalkeeper for Scotland, Chris Price who later signed for Blackburn Rovers and played alongside Alan Shearer in the team that finished second and fourth in the Premier League and Kevin Sheedy, who was in Everton's title winning teams of 1985 and 87, and in 1985 scored in the final of the European Cup Winners Cup.

“Kevin also played 46 times for The Republic of Ireland scoring nine goals, including one in a game in the 1990 World Cup against England.

“I know what you are thinking, why the long build up? Well, Abergavenny won the match 2-1!”

And then there was the Thursdays winger who flew like a Bluebird.

During the Welsh Wembley era, the Abergavenny Thursdays were represented by a golden generation of players led by manager Ray Lawrence.

Footballers such as Tommy Hamilton, Des Norton, Ossie Higgins, and of course, Danny McCarthy were household names to many a local fan when the Thursdays had a certain glow and ruled the roost as Welsh League Champions.

Many involved with the club regarded McCarthy as the finest footballer to have ever put Abergavenny on the map.

McCarthy played for the Welsh League Championship-winning team of the late 1950s before being headhunted by Cardiff City as a teenager.

Thursdays stalwart Ray Warren, who has had a life-long association with the club as both player, manager, and trustee, told the Chronicle, “Danny had a special place in the heart of any aspiring footballer in the town because he grew up in Abergavenny at the bottom of Old Barn Way in Ysgoborwen.

“He was always the most talented player around, and it was no surprise when he went to play for the Thursdays, who at that time were Welsh League champions.

“He was soon spotted by Cardiff City playing in the Welsh League, and I believe that the ‘deal’ involved a payment to the Catholic Church because Danny had attended the Catholic school and at that time they were making a point of encouraging young footballers.”

Prior to McCarthy’s signing, Thursdays manager Ray Lawrence revealed that Swansea and Aston Villa had also been extremely interested in securing the Thursdays’ man services, but the winger held out for the Bluebirds.

Lawrence said at the time, “We shall miss McCarthy, but the time is right for him to move, and the boy can go where he prefers. It may surprise many people who have been rather sceptical about him that he is leaving the Thursdays. But it does not surprise me or those ‘inside’ football because we think he has great potential.”

McCarthy made his debut when he was 18 and played seven games for Cardiff in 1960-1962 in the then old First Division of the Football League, playing in front of crowds of 60000 plus at Ninian Park.

Injury hindered his progress, and he was released in 1962 and, after a spell at Merthyr Tydfil, came back to play for the Thursdays.

Ray Warren remembers, “Sadly, he lost his appetite for football and decided to commit to work and family. Although his time was short playing the game at the top flight he is affectionately remembered as a youngster off the estate who made the big time. He really was a role model for the rest of us and although we did not see much of him playing, his name carried a lot of weight. He was a modest and true gent who will have a hero status as long as there is a ball kicked at Pen-y-Pound.”

Of course, perhaps the most famous feet to grace the historic turf of Pen-y-Pound belonged to John Lennon. The scouse songbird landed there by helicopter when The Beatles played the Town Hall in 1963.

Let’s take one last butchers at how the Chronicle has reported on the Thursdays’ teams who have played there down the decades and through the centuries.

1950 - "The decisive 5-1 defeat of Ystrad Mynach on Saturday was unexpected as Ingrid Bergman's new Baby. It is certainly strange why the Thursdays should put up a poor performance against a lowly placed team like Cwm Welfare, and then a fortnight later produce football which left the league runners up in sixes and sevens."

1960 - "All the ballyhoo which surrounded the visit of cup hunting Ton Pentre did not go in vain. Although their excursion was anything but rewarding, they at least made up the numbers in the finest footballing banquet ever to be played upon the lush Pen y Pound pastures, and took part in a game which lived up to a reputation we had built in the skies of hope.

"If the Thursdays can play again like this, I'll wager my best shirt against a bag of peanuts that they can give Cardiff, Newport, and Swansea a good run for their money on the Pen-y-Pound acreage".

1970 - "Cardiff City completed the double over Abergavenny Thursdays with a confident display of positive attacking football when they ran out 4-0 winners at Corinthian Park."

1980 - "A hat trick from Mike Phillips helped Abergavenny Thursdays to a resounding 5-0 victory over Seven Sisters at Pen-y-Pound."

1990 - "Abergavenny Thursdays slipped to fourth place in the National Division of the Abacus Welsh League without even kicking a ball, after their match at Ton Pentre was called off because of the weather."

2000 - "After conceding two goals to Caerleon in the last five minutes to lose the match 2-0, a Thursday's spokesman said, 'It would be nice to see the locals come out and give us some support. It's a shame for the players to play in front of just a handful of people.'"

2006 - Hitting a winning streak in both the league and cup has created a real buzz in the Thursdays camp, and the club is confident that promotion this season is still very much a possibility. A spokesperson said, “We've always got at least one eye on promotion, and although we could still do with strengthening the squad in terms of numbers, the players we have got are all very committed and dedicated to the cause, and that is encouraging."

2013: Following their shock decision not to field a team in the Gwent County League this season and invite Govilon AFC to play all their home games at Pen-y-Pound, a Thursdays spokesperson said, “We believe this is the best thing for local football and local footballers.

“If it doesn’t work out, then there’s nothing stopping Govilon from returning to their former home next season and the Thursdays once again entering a competitive team into the league, but if Govilon secure promotion and the two clubs decide to merge, it makes for a very exciting future for local football and all those involved with it.”

And the rest, as they say, is history……… just waiting to be written. Come on Town!