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Post by Bayston Hill Shrew on Dec 4, 2003 20:53:54 GMT 1
Over on the Confguide board there has been a question asked where the name Gay Meadow comes from. It states that it was named after the farmer that once owned the field. I have been told it was called Gay Meadow as this was once the site of the town fair. People who visited the fair were said to have had a GAY Time (Happy) hence it was named the Gay meadow. Anybody have any other thoughts.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2003 20:57:01 GMT 1
I've always been lead believe that the name is after Mr Gay - who owned the Meadow the ground was built upon.
Also - Scooter's posted on the confguide forum that the coracle is no longer used to fish balls out of the river but rather a big pole is used - is this definitly the case? I'm sure the coracle is still at the back of the station end 'no go zone'...
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Post by RuytonShrew on Dec 4, 2003 20:57:46 GMT 1
I've heard both versions before. Not sure which is true to be honest...
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Post by Northwest Shrew on Dec 4, 2003 20:58:12 GMT 1
dunno why it's called it, but i'm really really fed up of people telling me its the gay meadow 'cos "it's where all the gay people go"  winkers. |
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Post by skunkiethe Shrew on Dec 4, 2003 21:02:53 GMT 1
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Post by tom_leather on Dec 4, 2003 21:03:21 GMT 1
I'm pretty sure the old coracle is no longer used which is a shame. I remeber it being used in the old MOTD magazine (far better than FFT) as a challenge to someone, or something like that.
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Post by RuytonShrew on Dec 4, 2003 21:06:30 GMT 1
tom - the coracle challenge in the magazine came from the Independent Supporters Club and it was hilarious! We made over £400 out of it. It was the idea of a guy called Dave Lambert who used to do Dodgy Geezer if you remember him...
As for coracle, the guy who used to paddle it, Fred Davies (different one!) died and I think we've just used a pole since then.
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charlese
Midland League Division Two
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Post by charlese on Dec 4, 2003 21:14:15 GMT 1
Shrewsweb goes for the fair theory on its history section
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Post by Llanelian on Dec 4, 2003 21:21:33 GMT 1
The area of land now occupied by STFC has been in use as a recreation area, fairs, meetings, sport, since early 14 century, and has historically been known as 'the Gaye', named I think by the monks at the Abbey; the ground was in the grounds of the Abbey. This makes the Gay Meadow the oldest continuously used 'recreation/sport' ground in UK, pre dating the Drill at Northwich Victoria, supposedly the oldest football ground in UK, by some 550 years!
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Post by soupie on Dec 4, 2003 21:58:18 GMT 1
Re the coracle:-
Not used any more as stated above -stray balls now collected by man with a long pole.
If you look to the empty section at the left of the away supporters end, when the ball goes over the stand, you will see two men leaving the stand - one with a pole, and the other with a "rubber ring". It used to be only the one with the pole, but Health and Safety now decrees that the two are used - that'll be a saving in wages when we move to the N.M. - it will be a fair punt to put the ball ine Severn from there!
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Post by The Shropshire Tenor on Dec 4, 2003 22:04:03 GMT 1
This is from the excellent book 'Shrewsbury Street Names' written by NottsShrews father.
'"le Gaye super Sabrinan" from the Cartulary of Shrewsbury Abbey (no date given in the book, but there is said to be a copy in Shrewsbury Library).
Shrewsbury antiquaries have long argued the respective merits of derivation of this name from the Welsh and French, but it would seem to be due to Norman influence. (I think this is a scholarly way of saying that no one knows).
The present gay Meadow is more accurately termed the lower Gay, and the Gay proper lay in the vicinity of Whitehall Street. It appears to have been a monastic park attached to the Abbey, and to have extended from Abbey Foregate in the south to Holywell hill in the north."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2003 22:56:27 GMT 1
Can someone confirm this story to me please...
A certain Mr Rowley once cleared the ball out of the ground, over the main stand, and onto the railway tracks where it landed in a rail carriage (for carrying materials like coal etc.) - got transported to Newport South Wales...
and then was posted back to the club some days later?
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Post by somersetshrew on Dec 4, 2003 23:19:58 GMT 1
Ant, I can confirm that Ive heard the story.... I cant confirm where it came from.
Also, regarding the use of a long pole to retrieve the ball from the river. Does this man from Poland mind?
I go with the Gay Meadow being named after the fact that fairs were held there. Ive heard that somewhere before too... so it must be right
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Post by The Shropshire Tenor on Dec 4, 2003 23:42:00 GMT 1
Ant, it wouldn't be Arthur Rowley - he was the most accurate passer of the ball ever seen on the Meadow.... ..unless he meant to pass it to Newport |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2003 23:49:23 GMT 1
lol, not even when King Arthur was playing at centre half - surely he adopted 'if in doubt, kick it out' strategy at one time or another :-)
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Post by The Shropshire Tenor on Dec 5, 2003 0:02:34 GMT 1
By the time Arthur took the No.5 shirt, he was too knackered to put it out of the ground.
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Post by x emz x on Dec 5, 2003 0:09:49 GMT 1
isnt the meadow called the gay meadow because a certain mr gay owned the land in the times of charles the first!
Well thats what mum told me! ;D
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