Gay Meadow - General Overview

General Overview

In its latter years, Gay Meadow was seen as a picturesque 'traditional' football ground, with three sides of the ground being terraced, standing areas and with little change to the ground in the final 25 years of its existence. It was also arguably one of the most picturesque grounds in the Football League.

Situated on the banks of the River Severn, the ground was surrounded by trees and parkland, with the town centre towering above the ground on the hilltop behind the ground. A number of the town's landmarks, including Shrewsbury Castle and Shrewsbury Abbey were visible from the ground.

For many years, Shrewsbury coracle maker Fred Davies achieved some notability amongst football fans, by a unique service he and his coracle provided. He would sit in his coracle during Shrewsbury Town FC home matches, and retrieve stray footballs from the River Severn. Although Mr Davies died long ago, his legend is still associated with the club.

Unfortunately the ground was rather small and cramped, being situated between the river and a major railway junction meant there was little scope for expansion or renovation at the ground. Access to the ground was via a small side street (known as 'The Narrows'). The poor access was one of the main reasons the ground's capacity was reduced following the Taylor Report, with poor scope for evacuation and access for emergency services in the case of emergency. This was one of the main reasons cited by the club for moving to a new ground.