Gay Meadow, I have to be honest, doesn't hold too many memories, either good or bad, for your webmaster.

The Shrews were not elected to the Football League until 1950 when they came face-to-face with the mighty Hatters in Division Three (North).

The first meeting between the two sides took place at Gay Meadow in the September when County triumphed 3-0 in front of 9,632. Alex Herd hit a couple, one from the penalty spot, with Andy Black adding the other.

Strictly speaking, though, this wasn't the first game between the two clubs. Three years earlier the Hatters had been paired with Town, then a Midland League club, in the FA Cup.

After a 1-1 draw at EP, (18,000 attendance), County had to travel to Shropshire for a tricky second-round replay which again finished all square. Ken Shaw and George Glaister scored in a 2-2 draw.

A third game was arranged on a neutral ground, Manchester City's Maine Road, and this time County narrowly came out on top, winning 3-2 in a game when Billy McCulloch was knocked out heading the winning goal, woke up in the dressing room and remembered nothing about it!

County's goalless draw in 1967 will be remembered for the travelling hordes transported by the County Arrow, the club's very own train.

Another goalless draw in 1975 satisfied both clubs. Shrewsbury's clinched promotion from the old Fourth Division; County's (with the aid of another point at Scunthorpe in their next game) helped them avoid applying for re-election.

One goal, by Paul Wheeler, settled the 1992 clash in front of more than 1,500 County fans who had travelled to Shrewsbury for the Friday night clash

Dave Jones' men suffered a shock defeat at Gay Meadow on the way to promotion in 1996-97, losing 3-2 a few days before holding West Ham to a 1-1 draw in the Coca-Cola Cup

Carl Ikeme won't want reminding of our game at Gay Meadow in October 2005. With the Hatters leading 2-1, with just seconds to go, the on-loan Wolves keeper gifted the home side an equaliser when he rolled the ball out of his area without realising Kelvin Langmead was lurking behind him; we all know what happened next.

Mind you, last year's game wasn't much better after County found themselves 3-0 down inside 48 minutes before eventually losing the New Year's Day clash 4-2 with striker Andy Cook completing his second hat-trick against us that season.

Will finish the feature with another 'cracking' FA Cup tie in 1977. A Mike Summerbee goal saw the Hatters, backed by another huge following, force a replay against a Shrews' side well placed in a Division Three.