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Dagenham & Redbridge
Full nameDagenham & Redbridge Football Club
Nickname(s)Daggers
Founded1992; 32 years ago (1992)
GroundVictoria Road
Capacity6,078[1]
Owner-ChairmanTrinity Sports Holdings[2]
ManagerBen Strevens
LeagueNational League
2023–24National League, 15th of 24
Websitehttp://www.daggers.co.uk/
Current season

Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club (/ˈdæɡənəm ... ˈrɛdbrɪdʒ/) is a professional association football club based in Dagenham, Greater London, England. They play in the National League. Often known simply as Dagred or Dagenham and abbreviated when written to Dag & Red, they are nicknamed the Daggers. They play their home games at Victoria Road.

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, and have remained there since 2016.

History

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Formation

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Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. was formed in 1992 following a merger between two clubs – Dagenham and Redbridge Forest.[3] 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.[3][4] 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.[3]

Non-League

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Dagenham & Redbridge spent its inaugural season in the Football Conference taking the place of Redbridge Forest.[3] 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.[3] The first competitive result was a 2–0 win over Merthyr Tydfil in the Conference.[3]

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.[5]

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.[6][7]

2007–2015: Football League

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Dagenham & Redbridge played its first match in the Football League on 11 August 2007, a 1–0 defeat to Stockport County.[8] The club won its first Football League game at home to Lincoln City on 1 September 2007.[9] The Daggers finished the season in 20th place, ensuring a second season of Football League competition. The following season, the Daggers reached their highest ever position of eighth.[citation needed] They narrowly missed out on the League Two play-offs after losing to Shrewsbury Town at home on the final day of the season.[10]

The 2009–10 season saw the Daggers promoted from League Two to League One via the play-offs. They defeated Rotherham United in a dramatic 3–2 play-off 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.[11] The Daggers first game in League One was a 2–0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. It was an unsuccessful season in League One as they finished 21st and were relegated on the last day of the 2010–11 season back to League Two.[12]

They eventually finished the 2011–12 season in 19th place back in League Two.[13] John Still left the club during the 2012–13 season to join Luton Town after nine years at the helm. The Daggers would finish in 22nd.[13] Following the club's safety from relegation, Wayne Burnett was appointed as manager on a permanent basis after a spell as caretaker manager. Despite an inconsistent start to the 2013–14 season, Dagenham & Redbridge finished in a respectable ninth place. In the 2014–15 League Cup, the Daggers played out an entertaining 6–6 match with Brentford before losing 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.[citation needed] In the 2015–16 season, the Daggers started the season poorly.[citation needed] Burnett was sacked in December 2015, to be replaced by John Still. In the 2015–16 FA Cup, Dagenham & Redbridge visited Premier League club Everton in the third round, losing 2–0.[14] Still was unable to save Dagenham & Redbridge from relegation in his third spell. After a 3–2 defeat away to Leyton Orient, relegation from League Two was confirmed.[15]

Failed match-fixing plot

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Main article: 2013 English match fixing scandal

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.[16][17] Moses Swaibu was similarly charged in January 2014.[18][19] 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.[20][21] It is believed that the case may have been part of a wider Singaporean match-fixing syndicate which Europol and other investigations uncovered.[22]

2016–present: return to non-League

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In their first season back in the National League, they ended the season in fourth place.[13] However, they would lose their play-off semi-final to Forest Green Rovers.[23] The 2017–18 season started positively, but after the club was plagued by a financial crisis midway through the season,[24] the Daggers finished the campaign in eleventh place.[13] The financial crisis was resolved early in the 2018–19 season.[25]

In May 2024, Club Underdog, a subsidiary of North Sixth group, reached an agreement in principle to purchase the club. They became the fifth club owned by the group, joining Italian clubs Campobasso and Ascoli, Swiss club FC Locarno and American club Brooklyn FC.[26]

Club sponsorsorship

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Current squad

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First-team squad

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As of 24 August 2024[27]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Elliot Justham
2 MF England ENG Luca Woodhouse (on loan from Wycombe Wanderers)
3 MF England ENG Frank Vincent
4 MF England ENG Jake Hessenthaler
5 DF England ENG Tom Eastman
6 DF England ENG Harry Phipps
7 MF Antigua and Barbuda ATG Dion Pereira (on loan from Luton Town)
8 MF England ENG Josh Rees
9 FW England ENG Josh Umerah
10 MF England ENG Ryan Hill
11 MF England ENG Christian N'Guessan
12 GK England ENG Nathan Harvey
13 GK England ENG Josh Strizovic
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Reece Grego-Cox (on loan from Woking)
15 DF England ENG Romoney Crichlow (on loan from Peterborough United)
16 MF England ENG Shiloh Remy
17 DF England ENG Trent Rendall
18 FW England ENG Dylan Stephenson
19 DF England ENG Sam Ling
20 MF Nigeria NGA Tim Akinola (on loan from Chesterfield)
21 DF England ENG Oscar Rutherford
23 MF England ENG Conor Lawless
24 FW Jamaica JAM Junior Morias (on loan from Notts County)
25 MF England ENG Ralph Vigrass
26 MF Thailand THA Alfie Terry
30 DF England ENG Paul Kalambayi

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
22 FW England ENG Harrison Day (at Hashtag United)
27 MF England ENG Jason Adigun (at Tonbridge Angels until January 2025)

Current staff

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Updated 24 February 2023[28]

Position Name
Manager Ben Strevens
First-team coach Lewis Young
First-team coach David Jupp
Goalkeeping coach Scott Chalmers-Stevens
Fitness coach Vacant
Club physio Bryony Woolley
Club doctor Dr. Tahir

Managers

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Dagenham & Redbridge have had nine different managers since their formation in 1992.[29]

From To Manager
May 1992 May 1994 England John Still
May 1994 September 1995 England Dave Cusack
September 1995 April 1996 England Graham Carr
April 1996 March 1999 England Ted Hardy
May 1999 April 2004 England Garry Hill
April 2004 26 February 2013 England John Still
2 May 2013 21 December 2015 England Wayne Burnett
31 December 2015 18 May 2018 England John Still
5 June 2018 29 December 2019 England Peter Taylor
3 January 2020 24 February 2023 Republic of Ireland Daryl McMahon
10 March 2023 present England Ben Strevens

Stadium

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Main article: Victoria Road (Dagenham)

Records and statistics

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League history

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Main article: List of Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. seasons

Source:[13]

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 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
2020–21 National League 12 Paul McCallum 15
2021–22 National League 8 Paul McCallum 18

Club records

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  • Record victory:

Other records

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  • Tony Roberts was the second goalkeeper in the history of the FA Cup to have scored a goal from open play.[31] 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 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.[32]

Honours

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Source:[13][30]

League

Cup

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ground History". daggers.co.uk. Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Trinity Sports Holdings Adds East London Football Club".
  3. ^ a b c d e f "History of Dagenham & Redbridge FC". DiggerDagger.com. 7 November 2001. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  4. ^ "History". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  5. ^ Dag & Red 0–9 Hereford BBC Sport, 27 February 2004
  6. ^ Dag & Red 2–1 Aldershot BBC Sport, 7 April 2007
  7. ^ Daggers delight at promotion prize BBC Sport, 7 April 2007
  8. ^ Stockport 1–0 Dag & Red BBC Sport, 11 August 2007
  9. ^ Dag & Red 1–0 Lincoln BBC Sport, 1 September 2007
  10. ^ Dag Red 1–2 Shrewsbury Football.co.uk, 2 May 2009
  11. ^ Fletcher, Paul (30 May 2010). "Dagenham & Redbridge 3–2 Rotherham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  12. ^ "Peterborough 5 Daggers 0". East London and West Essex Guardian Series. Newsquest (London). 8 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Dagenham & Redbridge". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  14. ^ Caroline Chapman (9 January 2016). "Everton 2–0 Dagenham & Redbridge". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Leyton Orient 3–2 Dagenham: Daggers relegated from Football League". Sky Sports. 16 April 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Two footballers charged with match fixing". 5 December 2013.
  17. ^ "Two Whitehawk FC players charged with match fixing". The Argus. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  18. ^ "Match-fixing: Third footballer charged". BBC News. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  19. ^ "Third former Whitehawk footballer charged in match-fixing investigation". The Argus. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  20. ^ "Businessmen and footballer jailed over match-fixing". BBC News. 20 June 2014.
  21. ^ "Football match-fixing trio sent to prison". Independent.co.uk. 20 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Jail terms for three over match-fixing in England". Reuters. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  23. ^ "Forest Green Rovers 2–0 Dagenham & Redbridge (Agg: 3–1)". BBC Sport.
  24. ^ "Cash-strapped Daggers could play their last ever home game". 18 April 2018.
  25. ^ "Daggers' season my hardest ever - Still". BBC Sport.
  26. ^ "CLUB UNDERDOG ACQUIRES CONTROLLING INTEREST IN DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE". daggers.co.uk. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. First Team". Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Club directory". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  29. ^ "Previous Managers". Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Club Records". Dagenham & Redbridge. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  31. ^ "The Third Man". The Football Association. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  32. ^ "BBC Sport – Dagenham & Redbridge 6–6 Brentford (2–4 pens)". bbc.co.uk. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
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