The A49 derby returns: Gavin Cowan excited for Shrewsbury Town's Hereford clash

Shrewsbury Town boss Gavin Cowan is relishing the return of the ‘A49 derby’.

Salop travel to Hereford on Tuesday night for a pre-season friendly, marking the first meeting between the sides since another summer fixture in 2021.

The match carries a local rivalry edge, with the derby taking its name from the A49 road which connects the two areas, separated by around 51 miles.

Cowan is looking forward to the occasion and has fond memories of facing Hereford himself during his playing career with Shrewsbury.

“I really wanted that fixture because Hereford are relatively local rivals,” he said.

“I remember playing for Shrewsbury when Hereford were in League Two against them in the FA Cup and having a really good two legs against them.

“It’s a great one for the fans, for us to go down there, see them again.

“It’s great for the fans to jump on the train, enjoy the night, and it’ll be a big fan base there.”

The sides have not met in a competitive league fixture since the 2011/12 season, which ended with Shrewsbury securing promotion to League One and Hereford being relegated to the Conference.

Their most recent meeting came in the following season’s FA Cup first round, when Hereford recorded a 3-1 victory at Edgar Street.

Hereford United, as they were then known, were dissolved in 2014, but the reformed Bulls have since climbed back up the pyramid and now compete in the National League North, where they finished 20th last season.

Their Edgar Street home has also undergone significant improvements, with major drainage work carried out on the pitch this summer to help prevent previous weather-related postponements.

England and West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen made headlines this summer after contributing financially towards the work. The Leominster-born winger began his career as a scholar at Hereford before progressing into senior football and earning a move to Hull City.

“Another good thing is they’ve invested a lot in their pitch this season,” Shrewsbury manager Cowan added.

“It’ll be a great day, a good little, healthy rivalry. Hopefully everybody comes out of it positive for pre-season again.”