When I first ventured over Victoria Road back in the mid 80’s, Dagenham were a pretty poor Conference side, with, in the main, a pretty poor squad of players. As a 12 year old kid watching the likes of Devon Gayle, Terry Sullivan, Dave Pearce and George Dolarto, if someone had told me that in my lifetime Dagenham, albeit as an amalgamation of other non league clubs, would go on to spend 9 years in the football league, win a play-off final at Wembley and play for a season in the third tier of English football, I would have laughed uncontrollably in their face, and then me and my mates would have probably have got hold of his arms and legs and thrown him down the hill that used to be between the Bury road end and the Sieve, just like we used to do to each other at every home game.
I have really enjoyed my time as a Daggers supporter over the last 30 odd years and during that period I have probably had much more lows than I have had highs. The highs however have been so high, that they will live in my memory for the rest of my life. I feel privileged to have witnessed the most successful period in my clubs history so far and although relegation from the football league after nearly a decade is a major, major disappointment, I do feel that this is not the end of the Daggers and we will return in the future stronger and better equipped to compete again in a division that up until this season we had only finished in the bottom four, once.
There are many reasons for our poor form this season and the blame has been laid at the feet from everyone from the MD, the Chairman and the board to the former manager, the current manager and the change of club badge and movement of dugouts. I just think this has been on the cards for some time and unfortunately the calibre of players we have had over the last two seasons in particular, just haven’t been good enough to compete at this level. Our policy of getting players in and not standing in their way has been somewhat abused, it used to be that this policy would attract hungry players who would come to the club and try and get themselves a move up the divisions whilst putting in every effort for the Daggers in the time the were with us. Unfortunately during the last couple of seasons some of the players we have brought in have not given the effort required to get themselves a move, but seem to think that they should be playing higher up the league anyway. This is just my opinion of course as I don’t know any of the players personally so can I only judge on what I have seen on the pitch. It was always going to be a struggle to replace some of the players we lost at the beginning of the season and as I said before, I really feel that Scott Doe was the one we should have kept at all costs. We were never going to get a ready made replacement for Doey, as when he went we lost a leader with vast experience and pace that got us out of trouble on so many occasions in the last 6 seasons. I would put the allowed departure of Scott Doe as one with the biggest mistakes this club has made. It is up there with selling Paul Benson on the last day of the transfer window that meant we had no time to replace him and the loan of Dwight Gayle to Peterborough in October 2012 leaving us with no striking options. You would think the board would learn from these mistakes, but as was proved with the loan of Jodi Jones in March to Coventry, some people will never learn.
John Still will certainly have his work cut out to get us back to the promised land, however I feel that we have the right man in charge to do it. It may not happen next season, or the one after, and it may not even be John Still who eventually brings us up again, it will be him though who takes us back to basics and lays the foundations for any success our little club will have in the future. Why do I think this? Only because this project will be more personal to him then it was with Luton. It could well be his last hurrah as a football manager, if he gets close next season, he may stay and try and finish what he started, if he does bring us back at the first time of asking he will no doubt retire as a winner at the end of next season.
A lot of work will need to be done between now and the start of next season and a lot of dead wood needs to be thrown into the furnace. If I was John I would be using the last four games as pre season friendlies. I would bring back Jack Connors and Ian Gayle from their loan spells, as I would assume that they have a call back clause in the contract, I would send all the loan players back unless we need them to cover certain areas and I would be only using the players who he would like to keep for next season, coupled with a few of the youngsters who have been in and around the match day squad recently. The rest I would tell to do one as in my opinion “in the words of my late Stepdad “they are not worth a carat!! I would play Cureton in the home games we have left, only so the fans can say goodbye, as I feel he deserves a send off for all his efforts for the last two seasons, but the rest who do want to be here and want to move, should be left out.
On the subject of players I would only keep a handful of the current crop if possible. Richards and Raymond from the midfield, one of the goalkeepers and Doidge. Labadie will go, Hemmings would be an asset at this level but will no doubt go, Passley would be worth keeping but will also probably get a bigger club and it looks as though Dikamona isn’t fancied by the boss, so no doubt he will be off as well. Gutteridge, Hawkins and Pennell are all going to be here as well, but the rest will be no loss when they leave. If we can add to this with the sort of young and hungry type of players that Still craves we have a good chance. A few more experienced players as well and who know’s. Benson would be a great lift for a lot of fans, me included. Benno could do a good job at this level despite his advancing years.
Hopefully John is thinking along the same lines as me and we can see some of our youth make an appearance in the game against the Dons tonight.
It may well be the end of an era, but you know what, I already can’t wait until next season and the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Dagenham and Redbridge.
Up the Daggers!!
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