Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
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| Full name | Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Daggers | ||
| Founded | 1992 | ||
| Ground | Victoria Road | ||
| Capacity | 6,078[1] | ||
| Owner | [2] | ||
| Manager | Daryl McMahon[3] | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2020–21 | National League, 12th of 22 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
| |||
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club /ˈdæɡənəm ... ˈrɛdbrɪdʒ/ is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, East London, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Often known simply as Dagenham and abbreviated when written to Dag & Red, they are nicknamed the Daggers. They play their home games at Victoria Road and contest East London derby games with Leyton Orient and West Ham United.
The club was formed in 1992 through a merger of Dagenham and Redbridge Forest, the latter merged from Ilford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue. The club's traditional colours are red and blue, to represent the merged teams. The club replaced Redbridge Forest in the Football Conference but were relegated in 1996. They won the Isthmian League title in 1999–2000 and qualified for the next three Conference play-offs, missing out on the 2001–02 title on goal difference and losing the 2003 Conference play-off final. They secured promotion into the Football League after winning the Conference title in the 2006–07 season. They then moved up from League Two after winning the 2010 play-off final, though were relegated the next season after finishing 21st in League One. Dagenham were relegated back into non-League football in 2016.
History[]
Formation[]
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. was formed in 1992 following a merger between two clubs – Dagenham and Redbridge Forest.[4] Both clubs had fallen on hard times due to dwindling attendances. The club can trace back its ancestry to 1881 as Redbridge Forest was an amalgamation of three of the amateur game's most famous clubs, Ilford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue.[4][5] Between the clubs they won the FA Trophy once, FA Amateur Cup seven times, Isthmian League 20 times, Athenian League six times, Essex Senior Cup 26 times and London Senior Cup 23 times.[4]
Non-League[]
Dagenham & Redbridge spent its inaugural season in the Football Conference taking the place of Redbridge Forest.[4] The club's first fixture in its new guise was on 25 July 1992, an 8–0 thrashing of Great Wakering Rovers in a friendly.[4] The first competitive result was a 2–0 win over Merthyr Tydfil in the Conference.[4]
Dagenham & Redbridge spent several seasons in the Football Conference but was relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division in 1996. The club remained in that division until winning promotion in 1999–2000, going on to establish itself as one of the strongest clubs in the Conference, finishing third, second and fifth in its first three seasons back following promotion.
The club was narrowly beaten to the Conference title by Boston United in 2002 on goal difference. Boston United was subsequently found guilty of inappropriately making illegal payments to its players in its title-winning season. Dagenham & Redbridge attempted unsuccessfully to have itself declared Conference Champions, and therefore take Boston's contentious place in The Football League. A four-point deduction was put in place against Boston United for the following season but not for the season in which the irregularities had been committed.
The Daggers then declined somewhat, finishing the 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons in mid-table. On 27 February 2004 the club were hammered 9–0 at home by Hereford United, equalling the record highest winning margin in the Conference.[6]
Promotion to the Football League[]
The 2006–07 season saw Dagenham & Redbridge battle it out with Oxford United for the top of the league spot. Despite Oxford quickly racing to the top, a collapse in Oxford's form combined with an excellent run for the Daggers saw them overtake Oxford in the league. On 7 April, Dagenham & Redbridge beat Aldershot Town 2–1 to build an unbeatable lead in the league, becoming Conference Champions, meaning the club would play in the Football League for the first time in its history.[7][8]
Dagenham & Redbridge played its first match in The Football League on 11 August 2007, a 1–0 defeat to Stockport County.[9] The club won its first Football League game at home to Lincoln City on 1 September 2007.[10] The Daggers finished the season in 20th place, ensuring a second season of Football League competition. Promotion to the Football League meant that Dagenham & Redbridge could compete in the League Cup for the first time. The club lost in the first round to Luton Town.[citation needed]
The following season, the Daggers reached their highest ever position of eighth. They just failed to make the League Two play-offs after losing to Shropshire side Shrewsbury Town at home on the last day of the season.[11]
Promotion to League One[]
The 2009–10 season saw The Daggers promoted for the first time in their history from League Two to League One. They achieved this by beating Rotherham United in a dramatic 3–2 playoff final at Wembley on 30 May 2010. Twice the Daggers took the lead, only to concede moments later. Jon Nurse regained the advantage for Dagenham & Redbridge, scoring a scrappy 70th-minute winner.[12]
The Daggers first game in League One of the 2010–2011 season was a 2–0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on 7 August 2010. After one more defeat against Notts County, the team got their first point, as they drew 2–2 with Tranmere Rovers and their first win of the League One season just a week later as they beat Leyton Orient 2–0 with both goals coming from Romain Vincelot. It was an unsuccessful season in League One as they finished 21st and were relegated on the last day of the 2010–2011 season back to League Two.[13]
Relegation back into League Two[]
Following relegation the previous season back into League Two, the Daggers started the 2011–2012 season with a 1–0 win against Macclesfield Town. Following this the team lost only once in the month of August; however, this run of good results was going to end as from 3 September to 10 December, a period of 15 games, the Daggers won only once, which put them bottom of the table. After this the team's luck improved slightly and they started to pick up some points, with draws against Burton Albion and Southend United and consecutive wins against Barnet and Gillingham. After a few more losses the Daggers finished the season terrifically and from 17 March until 5 May good form saw them only lose 1 game from the final 10. They eventually finished the season in 19th place.
The 2012–2013 season did not start too well, the team drawing 4 draws losing 4 in their opening 8 games. The 9th game was better as the Daggers got their first win of the season, a 3–0 win against Wycombe Wanderers. Another troublesome season for the team ensued, and they were devastated when John Still, their manager of 9 years, left the club on 26 February 2013 to join Luton Town. Preceding this Wayne Burnett was made Caretaker Manager for the remaining games of the season. After another run of bad results, the club finished the season in 22nd place. Following the club's safety from relegation, on 2 May 2013, Wayne Burnett was appointed the manager on a permanent basis.
The start of the 2013–2014 season did not start well for Dagenham & Redbridge as they lost their opening league match 3–1 to Fleetwood Town and were knocked out in the first round of the League Cup as they lost 3–2 to Brentford. However, in their next league game, they defeated York City 2–0 with goals from Rhys Murphy and Brian Woodall. An inconsistent season followed, the club spending the majority of the year in mid-table. In March, Zavon Hines was ruled out of the remainder of the campaign, due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. On the final day of the season, the Daggers celebrated a 3–2 victory over Cheltenham. A 3–3 draw between Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle allowed Dagenham & Redbridge to finish in a more respectable ninth place.
After the 2013–14 season ended, manager Wayne Burnett decided against renewing a number of players' contracts, and several of them, including Hines and former Ghana international Chris Dickson, were released. Hines would later sign a new two-year deal with the club.
The 2014–2015 season began badly for the Daggers with a 3–0 defeat to Morecambe on opening day, followed by a defeat to Brentford in the Football League Cup a few days later. The match ended 6–6 after extra time, with the Brentford winning in the subsequent penalty shootout. The League Cup paid tribute to the historic match by removing the goal nets at Victoria Road, putting them on display at the National Football Museum.
In the 2015/16 season, the team of coach Wayne Burnett only booked his first victory on the sixth match day. Three points were taken in the away match at Northampton Town. However, this was not a precursor to improving results. Until the end of the calendar year, the Daggers managed to take full advantage once more and spent the entire season in the relegation zone. Burnett was fired on 21 December 2015. Two days earlier, Bristol Rovers lost 3-0, making Dagenham sit in last place. On New Year's Eve it was announced that John Still returned to the club as head coach. Two days later, they beat Exeter City 2-1. However, after this, many defeats followed and Still was unable to save Dagenham & Redbridge from relegation in his third period. After a 3-2 defeat visiting Leyton Orient on matchday 42, relegation from the League Two was a fact.
Failed match-fixing plot[]
Following newspaper reports, an investigation launched by the National Crime Agency jailed two players and businessman, Krishna Ganeshan, Chann Sankaran and Michael Boateng, a Whitehawk player, for match-fixing.[14][15] Moses Swaibu was similarly charged in January 2014.[16][17] They were convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery for a failed plot to fix a game between AFC Wimbledon and Dagenham & Redbridge on 26 November.[18][19] It is believed that the case may have been part of a wider Singaporean match-fixing syndicate which Europol and other investigations uncovered.[20]
Relegation to the National League[]
Following a nine-year period in the Football League the Daggers were relegated after a defeat against local rivals Leyton Orient.[21] They were among the promotion favourites in their first season back in the National League and ended the season in fourth place. After losing their playoff semi-final to Forest Green Rovers,[22] Dagenham participated in the National League the following season. The 2017-18 National League season started positively, but after the club was plagued by a financial crisis midway through the season[23] the Daggers finished the campaign in eleventh place. The financial crisis was resolved early in the 2018-19 National League season.[24]
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Current squad[]
First-team squad[]
- As of 20 August 2021
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan[]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current staff[]
Updated 6 January 2020[25]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Daryl McMahon |
| Assistant Manager | Steve Gritt |
| First Team Coach | David Jupp |
| Goalkeepeing Coach | Glen Johnson |
| Fitness Coach | Vacant |
| Club Physio | John Gowens |
| Club Doctor | Dr. Tahir |
Managers[]
Dagenham & Redbridge have had nine different managers since their formation in 1992.[26]
| From | To | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1994 |  John Still
|
| 1994 | 1995 | Dave Cusack
|
| 1995 | 1996 | Graham Carr
|
| 1996 | 1999 | Ted Hardy
|
| 1999 | 2004 | Garry Hill
|
| 2004 | 2013 | John Still
|
| 2013 | 2015 | Wayne Burnett
|
| 2015 | 2018 | John Still
|
| 2018 | 2019 | Peter Taylor
|
| 2020 |  Daryl McMahon
|
Stadium[]
Club records history[]
League history[]
| Season | Division | Position | Top league goalscorer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Conference | 6 | David Crown 9 | – |
| 1994–95 | Conference | 15 | Ian Richardson 10 | – |
| 1995–96 | Conference | 22 | Kelly Haag 8 | Relegated |
| 1996–97 | Isthmian Premier | 4 | Vinnie John 12 | – |
| 1997–98 | Isthmian Premier | 4 | Paul Cobb 24 | – |
| 1998–99 | Isthmian Premier | 3 | Paul Cobb 21 | – |
| 1999–2000 | Isthmian Premier | 1 | Paul Cobb 18 | Champions |
| 2000–01 | Conference | 3 | Danny Shipp & Junior McDougald 9 | – |
| 2001–02 | Conference | 2 | Mark Stein 24 | Runners up on goal difference |
| 2002–03 | Conference | 5 | Mark Stein & Steve West 16 | First Conference play-off finalists |
| 2003–04 | Conference | 13 | Chris Moore 10 | – |
| 2004–05 | Conference National | 11 | Chris Moore 19 | – |
| 2005–06 | Conference National | 10 | Chris Moore 15 | – |
| 2006–07 | Conference National | 1 | Paul Benson 28 | Champions |
| 2007–08 | League Two | 20 | Ben Strevens 15 | – |
| 2008–09 | League Two | 8 | Paul Benson 18 | – |
| 2009–10 | League Two | 7 | Paul Benson 22 | Play-off winners – promoted |
| 2010–11 | League One | 21 | Romain Vincelot 12 | Relegated |
| 2011–12 | League Two | 19 | Brian Woodall 13 | – |
| 2012–13 | League Two | 22 | Luke Howell 9 | – |
| 2013–14 | League Two | 9 | Rhys Murphy 13 | – |
| 2014–15 | League Two | 14 | Jamie Cureton 19 | – |
| 2015–16 | League Two | 23 | Christian Doidge 8 | Relegated |
| 2016–17 | National League | 4 | Oliver Hawkins 18 | – |
| 2017–18 | National League | 11 | Michael Cheek 13 | – |
| 2018–19 | National League | 18 | Conor Wilkinson 12 | – |
| 2019–20 | National League | 17 | Angelo Balanta 7 | Season abandoned, final table decided by points-per-game |
Records[]
Record victory;
- Football Conference – 8–1 vs Woking, 19 April 1994
- Football League – 6–0 vs Chester City, 9 August 2008; 6–0 vs Morecambe, 16 May 2010
Record defeat;
- Football Conference – 0–9 vs Hereford United, 27 February 2004
- Football League – 5–0 vs Peterborough United, 7 May 2011; 5–0 vs Cheltenham Town, 18 February 2012
Record attendance: 5,949 vs Ipswich Town, FA Cup third round, 5 January 2001
Record League attendance: 4,791 vs Shrewsbury Town, Football League Two, 2 May 2009
Record transfer fee received: Dwight Gayle to Peterborough United, £700,000 (2013).
Record appearance holder: Tony Roberts, 507 appearances over 10 years
Record goalscorer: Danny Shipp, 105 goals over nine years
FA Cup: 4th round 2002–03; lost to Norwich City 0–1 (reached the 3rd round 3 times while a Non-League Club)
Other records[]
- Tony Roberts was the first goalkeeper in the history of the FA Cup to have scored a goal from open play.[citation needed] He netted against Basingstoke Town in October 2001, it was a fourth qualifying round.
- First fully capped international whilst playing for Dagenham & Redbridge was Jon Nurse who was capped for Barbados against Dominica in 2008.
- The highest ever scoreline in the first leg of a play off game is now held by Dagenham & Redbridge, they defeated Morecambe 6–0 on 16 May 2010, although they could not build on this afterwards with a 2–1 defeat in the second leg.
- The highest scoring penalty shootout in professional football history, with Dagenham & Redbridge defeating Leyton Orient in the 2nd round of the Football League Trophy 14–13, 27 penalties in total, on 8 September 2011. This was later equalled, but not bettered, by Liverpool who beat Middlesbrough in a League Cup penalty shoot out by the same score in September 2014.
- The joint highest aggregate score in a League Cup match: 12 – On 12 August 2014, Dagenham & Redbridge drew 6–6 after extra time at home with Brentford in the first round of the League Cup. They went on to lose 4–2 on penalties.[27]
Honours[]
League Two (level 4)
- Play-off winners: 2009–10
Conference National (level 5)
- Winners: 2006–07
Isthmian League Premier Division (level 6)
- Winners: 1999–2000
FA Trophy
- Runners-up: 1996–97
- Winners: 1997–98, 2000–01
- Runners-up: 2001–02
See also[]
- Football in London
References[]
- ^ "Ground History". daggers.co.uk. Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
- ^ https://www.milb.com/williamsport/news/trinity-sports-holdings-adds-east-london-football-club/c-294580774[bare URL]
- ^ "Daryl McMahon Appointed As Manager". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "History of Dagenham & Redbridge FC". DiggerDagger.com. 7 November 2001. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ "History". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ Dag & Red 0–9 Hereford BBC Sport, 27 February 2004
- ^ Dag & Red 2–1 Aldershot BBC Sport, 7 April 2007
- ^ Daggers delight at promotion prize BBC Sport, 7 April 2007
- ^ Stockport 1–0 Dag & Red BBC Sport, 11 August 2007
- ^ Dag & Red 1–0 Lincoln BBC Sport, 1 September 2007
- ^ Dag Red 1–2 Shrewsbury Football.co.uk, 2 May 2009
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (30 May 2010). "Dagenham & Redbridge 3–2 Rotherham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ "Peterborough 5 Daggers 0". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. Newsquest (London). 8 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ "Two footballers charged with match fixing".
- ^ "Two Whitehawk FC players charged with match fixing". The Argus. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ "Match-fixing: Third footballer charged". BBC News. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ "Third former Whitehawk footballer charged in match-fixing investigation". The Argus. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ "Businessmen and footballer jailed over match-fixing". BBC News.
- ^ "Football match-fixing trio sent to prison". 20 June 2014.
- ^ "Jail terms for three over match-fixing in England".
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36003512[bare URL]
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39760522[bare URL]
- ^ https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/cashstrapped-dagenham-redbridge-could-play-their-last-ever-home-game-a3817271.html[bare URL]
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43499541[bare URL]
- ^ "Club directory". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ "Previous Managers". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
- ^ "BBC Sport – Dagenham & Redbridge 6–6 Brentford (2–4 pens)". bbc.co.uk. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.. |
- Official website
- Dagenham and Redbridge at the Football Club History Database
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