NEW ARRIVALS

The Shrewsbury coracle

Earlier this year the National Football Museum was delighted to receive an unusual object for the collection:  a boat called a coracle. Coracles are small lightweight boats, oval in shape and mainly used in Wales. The story behind the boat is that when footballs were kicked over the Riverside stand at Shrewsbury Town’s Gay Meadow ground they landed in the river Severn. A lone boatman in a coracle retrieved the ball before it floated away. The Shrewsbury coracle was made and used by Fred Davies who would return the ball several times during a game. One foggy day he chased a ball down the river only to find that it was actually a swan. In 1979 the coracle was replaced by an inflatable boat and the retired coracle stayed at the ground until 1989 when it was bought at a charity auction by two supporters. It has now been returned to the football club but Shrewsbury Town left their Gay Meadow ground in 2007 for a new stadium, so the coracle is a poignant reminder of different era. The ‘Shrewsbury Coracle’ has a special, much loved place in football folklore.