Sunday 2 August 2009

Daggers up next for Town

Dagenham & Redbridge make the short trip to Goldsdown Road on Monday 3rd August for another friendly match. The Daggers have had a very busy pre-season with the following results:

11th July Concord (Away) W 5-0
14th July Boreham Wood (Away) W 1-0
15th July Aveley (Away) L 0-3
18th July Mangotsfield (Away) W 3-0
20th July Thurrock (Away) W 2-1
22nd July Grays (Away) L 1-2
25th July Southend United (Home) W 2-0
27th July Braintree Town (Away) W 2-1
29th July Birmingham City (Home) L 0-1 *Premier League side played full strength side
1st August Leyton Orient (Home) W 1-0
Followers of Enfield FC/Enfield Town will be familiar with Dagenham and Dagenham & Redbridge sides. I wll never forget when Redbridge Forest beat Peter Taylor's Enfield FC in 1991 to win the league at Southbury Road.

Redbridge appeared only to have a few car loads of supporters to the hundreds of E's fans, I remember one Forest supporter waiving a red and blue scarf about cheering at the top of the stairs above the tunnel in the main stand which was really hard to take. I, like all other E's fans was totally gutted and dejected that night. Looking back now though I can only say the Team that got the most points won the league and you can't argue with that.
D&R are an amalgamation of Dagenham FC and Redbridge Forest FC who merged together in 1992. Redbridge Forest were the club which followed the merger of Leytonstone/Ilford in 1979 who in turn absorbed another East London Amateur Giant Walthamstow Avenue in 1988 changing the name to Redbridge Forest in 1989.

Leytonstone's Granleigh Road was sold in 1988 and is now housing, Walthamstow's Green Pond Road went in 1989 and is now housing.
Along with Southbury Road these grounds are now gone forever!

Sadly these are not the only three historical grounds in London to succumb to the mass developments of luxury apartments and supermarkets.
Prior to their promotion to the League the Daggers were best known for their FA Cup runs in the early 2000's... Loosing to Charlton Athletic in the 3rd Round reply (01/02), Ipswich in the 3rd Round (02/03) and Norwich City in the 3rd round (03/04).
The Daggers have to be admired for climbing into the football league and are now an established well run club in League Two.
They were widely predicted for relegation last year with some reporters using the 'second season syndrome' phrase. John Still's men proved the doubters wrong by finishing (frustratingly for supporters) one place off the play off places. Shrewsbury Town pipping them by winning the winner takes all final match of the season in Essex 2-1 in front of a 4,791 crowd. This year with the adding of ex Grays Midfielder Stuart Thurgood (who was born in Enfield) and ex-Arsenal youngster Abu Ogogo The Daggers can look forward to another good season. Most of their squad has links to the non-league game which can only be good for football.
They kick off their season on Saturday 8th August with an away game at demoted Crewe Alexander. They then travel to Cardiff City's new stadium in the League Cup on 11th with a first home league against promoted Toquay United on 15th. Many supporters will be looking forward to welcoming Ex-England manager Sven Goran Erikson to Dagenham when he brings his new Notts County side to Essex on 29th August.

Dagenham has a strong link with England managers with both Terry Venables and Sir Alf Ramsey being born in the town. Reports sighting current England boss Fabio Capello shopping in The Mall, Dagenham Heathway have yet to be confirmed.

Other famous people connected to the area include Jimmy Greaves, Singer John Farnham (of 'your the voice' fame), Actort Dudley Moore and 60's Singer Sandy Shaw who were all born in Dagenham.

Actor Glenn Murphy MBE best known for his roll as Firefighter George Green in the long running ITV show London's Burning was also born in Essex Town.

Bearing in mind The Daggers kick off the league proper on Saturday 8th August it is predicted the team they put out will be a mixture of youth and experience.

The match kicks off at 7.45pm.

Random Fact - Since Rushden & Diamonds relegation a few years back Dagenham & Redbridge and Brighton & Hove Albion are the only two league teams to have '&' in their name.

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