The Heed last played at this stage of the world's oldest knockout cup competition in 1955 when they were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in front of over 19,000 at Redheugh Park.
A couple of years earlier, Gateshead had been as far as the quarter finals, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the third round on the way to defeat to Bolton Wanderers by the same score in the last eight.
But, ever since, the FA Cup has been a source of frustration for the Tynesiders with second round exits coming in 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1974, 1975, 2000, and 2011.
Current manager Gary Mills knows just how much the visit to the Hawthorns will mean for the Heed's long-suffering fans.
Mills, a European Cup winner under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, said: “This is what I’ve come to this club for.
"The supporters deserve to be going to places like the Hawthorns and Wembley – I want people to get pride and enjoyment out of supporting Gateshead.
“I don’t want Gateshead to be going to smaller grounds, and lesser leagues - and I think that the mindset of everyone at the club is that we – as a football club – deserve to be going to the Hawthorns after what we’ve done in the past 12 months.
“After all of the hard work, and the foundations we have laid, you reap the rewards by going to places like this.”
But, hopefully, the Heed will not be heading to West Brom just for a grand day out.
For, while 86 league places separate the two teams at kick-off, the Baggies have hardly been in sterling form in the Premier League this season.
Just four league wins have left the Midlands club in 17th place, one point outside of the relegation zone, a position which has prompted trigger-happy chairman Jeremy Peace to make yet another change at the top.
In has come former Stoke City and Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis as the Baggies' fourth permanent head coach since Roy Hodgson left for England in May 2012.
And, while West Brom might therefore enjoy the so-called "new manager bounce", Heed's perspective must be to take advantage of yet more upheaval at the Hawthorns.
Of course, fellow north east non-leaguers Blyth Spartans have a slightly better recent Cup reputation than the Heed, having reached the fifth round in 1978 before bowing out to Wrexham in a replay held at St James Park.
Spartans also reached the third round in 1972 and in 2009 - when they lost 1-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in front of the television cameras.
But, while the television companies have eschewed tomorrow's third round tie at home to Birmingham City, BBC Football Focus and Radio Five Live sport have confirmed they will be basing their respective broadcasts at Croft Park.
Live television coverage instead has gone, somewhat disappointingly, to two of the four all-Premier League ties.
Yes, Arsenal v Hull City is an immediate repeat of last May's entertaining FA Cup Final - but the tie has a clear favourite. Meanwhile, there is very little romance about Everton v West Ham United.
Indeed, out of the five non league teams left in the competition, only Dover Athletic have landed live match coverage as they host Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace.
Thankfully, a couple of the other television ties have also captured the essence of the magic of the Cup.
On Sunday, Yeovil Town - bottom of League One - face 11-time winners Manchester United for just the third time in their history, the previous two meetings having ended 3-0 and 8-0 to the Red Devils.
Then, on Monday, Liverpool travel to AFC Wimbledon in a match sure to evoke memories of the famous 1988 Final.
Even back then, when Wimbledon were a top division club, the tie was a David v Goliath encounter with the unfashionable south London club taking on the dominant force of the decade.
However, a Dave Beasant penalty save - the first such occurrence in Wembley Cup Final history - and a Lawrie Sanchez flicked header meant the underdogs came out on top.
Or, as BBC commentator John Motson memorably put it: "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture club!"
It is a quote which, even 27 years on, can be recalled - which tells you all you need to know about the FA Cup.
This is the big weekend of the upset - where the non-leaguers pit their wits and skill against some of the country's best.
Hopefully, if nowhere else, a little bit of FA Cup magic has been sprinkled over the Hawthorns for Gary Mills' passionate Heed Army supporters. Could 60 years of missing out be brought to an end in style?
FA CUP THIRD ROUND NON-LEAGUE TEAMS IN GREEN
| Friday 2 January | |||
| 19:45 | CARDIFF CITY | 3-1 | COLCHESTER UNITED |
| Saturday 3 January | |||
| 15:00 | BARNSLEY | 0-2 | MIDDLESBROUGH |
| 15:00 | BLYTH SPARTANS | 2-3 | BIRMINGHAM CITY |
| 15:00 | BOLTON WANDERERS | 1-0 | WIGAN ATHLETIC |
| 15:00 | BRENTFORD | 0-2 | BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION |
| 15:00 | CAMBRIDGE UNITED | 2-1 | LUTON TOWN |
| 15:00 | CHARLTON ATHLETIC | 1-2 | BLACKBURN ROVERS |
| 15:00 | DERBY COUNTY | 1-0 | SOUTHPORT |
| 15:00 | DONCASTER ROVERS | 1-1 | BRISTOL CITY |
| 15:00 | FULHAM | 0-0 | WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS |
| 15:00 | HUDDERSFIELD TOWN | 0-1 | READING |
| 15:00 | LEICESTER CITY | 1-0 | NEWCASTLE UNITED |
| 15:00 | MILLWALL | 3-3 | BRADFORD CITY |
| 15:00 | PRESTON NORTH END | 2-0 | NORWICH CITY |
| 15:00 | ROCHDALE | 1-0 | NOTTINGHAM FOREST |
| 15:00 | ROTHERHAM UNITED | 1-5 | BOURNEMOUTH |
| 15:00 | TRANMERE ROVERS | 2-6 | SWANSEA CITY |
| 15:00 | WEST BROMWICH ALBION | 7-0 | GATESHEAD |
| Sunday 4 January | |||
| 13:00 | DOVER ATHLETIC | 0-4 | CRYSTAL PALACE |
| 13:00 | QUEENS PARK RANGERS | 0-3 | SHEFFIELD UNITED |
| 13:00 | SUNDERLAND | 1-0 | LEEDS UNITED |
| 15:00 | ASTON VILLA | 1-0 | BLACKPOOL |
| 15:00 | MANCHESTER CITY | 2-1 | SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY |
| 15:00 | SOUTHAMPTON | 1-1 | IPSWICH TOWN |
| 15:00 | STOKE CITY | 3-1 | WREXHAM |
| 15:30 | YEOVIL TOWN | 0-2 | MANCHESTER UNITED |
| 16:00 | CHELSEA | 3-0 | WATFORD |
| 17:30 | ARSENAL | 2-0 | HULL CITY |
| Monday 5 January | |||
| 19:45 | BURNLEY | 1-1 | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR |
| 19:55 | AFC WIMBLEDON | 1-2 | LIVERPOOL |
| Tuesday 6 January | |||
| 19:45 | EVERTON | 1-1 | WEST HAM UNITED |
| 19:45 | SCUNTHORPE UNITED | 2-2 | CHESTERFIELD |
ON THE BOX
Friday 2 January
BBC WALES Cardiff City v Colchester United
Sunday 4 January
BT SPORT 1 Dover Athletic v Crystal Palace
BT SPORT 1 Yeovil Town v Manchester United
BBC1 Arsenal v Hull City
Monday 5 January
BBC1 AFC Wimbledon v Liverpool
Tuesday 6 January
BT SPORT 1 Everton v West Ham United
FA Cup Fourth Round Draw
Ties to be played w/e 24-25 January
Southampton or Ipswich Town v Crystal Palace
Cambridge United v Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers v Swansea City
Chelsea v Millwall or Bradford City
Derby County v Scunthorpe United or Chesterfield
Preston North End v Sheffield United
Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion
Aston Villa v AFC Bournemouth
Cardiff City v Reading
Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers
Burnley or Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City
Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal
Rochdale v Stoke City
Sunderland v Fulham or Wolverhampton Wanderers
Doncaster Rovers or Bristol City v Everton or West Ham United
Manchester City v Middlesbrough
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