Dagenham & Redbridge look a very different side to about ten or fifteen minutes ago when they were on the back foot, and here's Benson...BRILLIANT!!!!! Paul Benson...with the stuff of fairytales!'' Wembley Stadium has hosted thousands of high-profile sporting events since it's opening in 2007 and it's fabled arch has overseen plenty of promotions in that time. Several teams have walked those famous 107 steps to lift their silverware and several have watched glumly from down below. Millions of football supporters have emerged from Wembley Park Station with hope in their hearts and nervous excitement in their stomachs. Therefore it can be virtually guaranteed that the League Two Play-Off Final between Dagenham and Rotherham in 2010 wasn't one that ranks amongst the most memorable to have taken place on the hallowed turf at England's national stadium. Beyond the confines of one unspectacular borough of London and another albeit larger town in South Yorkshire, it's highly doubtful that the game has even been remembered. For Dagenham, though, the day 30th May 2010 will never be forgotten. It's virtually implausible for it's status as the best day in the history of the football club to be compromised. It was a day of incomprehensible elation, the magnitude of which will forever go understated to people who aren't supporters of the Daggers. We were the pub team from Essex who lived a League One dream, the non-league minnows who would be going to Southampton as their equal, the team of nobodies who were about to line up against future Champions League finalists. Few teams have shown more desire and passion than Dagenham & Redbridge 2009/10. The team was built on heart and not money, with the spine of the team coming from the likes of Bishops Stortford and White Ensign. But, against all odds, that team made it to League One and the achievement will never be forgotten. So, as we now reach an incredible nine years since that fateful day, it's time for the annual look-back on what is a truly unbelievable memory. Just a small club in Essex? Well they're just a small club in League One now! Nine years ago today, Dagenham & Redbridge were promoted to League One. That mere statement only scrapes the surface of what a remarkable achievement it was, and only begins to epitomise the determined attitude which was infectious around the club at the time. From mixing with minnows such as Canvey Island and Gravesend, the Daggers would be playing the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Charlton as their equal, after a breathtaking afternoon at Wembley, the home of English football. As we reach an incredible nine years since that monumental occasion, this is the story of a true footballing miracle.
To truly understand the magnitude of that accomplishment, you need to look at where the club currently lies. A non-league outfit, with that League 1 journey a lifetime away, the Daggers are where their fanbase and stadium indicates they truly belong. We were built on good foundations, thriving on a small budget and plucking talented players before developing them into great footballers. We've never had large crowds and attendances have always been on the low side, with most home figures just eclipsing the 1k mark, especially deteriorating since our non-league return. We're a small club from Essex who punch above their weight. Compare that description to some of the teams we played in our League One campaign; clubs with illustrious pasts visiting the comparatively-tiny ground of an outfit just eighteen years old. Southampton, Brighton, Bournemouth - all now established Premier League outfits. Teams who frequently visit Anfield and Old Trafford amongst other notorious footballing outposts heading to a 6,000-capacity Victoria Road is an amusing thought but thanks to John Still and a tremendous group of players, it became reality. Even now I don't think it's sunk in. It's still remarkable, and the joy is as raw as ever. Last season, Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played their part as Liverpool reached the Champions League final in Kiev. Who'd have known, when they were facing the Daggers at Victoria Road, that seven years later they'd be appearing on the biggest footballing stage of all? While our League One opponents had future Premier League and UCL players amongst their ranks, we had people such as Danny Green, Scott Doe and Peter Gain. That group of players gave all they had for this club, and it was that mentality which served us so well. Even when you look at our Wembley opponents, Rotherham, you realise how big that victory was. The Millers are now readying themselves for a season in the Championship. They're a massive town, with a large support, but on the day they were thoroughly beaten. Against a backdrop of sun and clear skies, Dagenham were determined and battled to the very last minute. Unfazed, we took a while to find our stride but kept calm throughout. Eleven heroes in yellow all played their part in the day. You had our French maestro Romain Vincelot, whose powerfully-saved overhead kick really outlined our intentions. Tony Roberts was a hero as he always was, sweeping everything up. When that first Daggers goal hit the net, it took a while for the surreal moment to register. Paul Benson, signed from the very depths of the footballing pyramid, had a Wembley goal and this led to an outstanding piece of commentary. ''Dagenham & Redbridge look a very different side to about ten or fifteen minutes ago, when they were on the back foot, and here's Benson.....BRILLIANT! Paul Benson...with the stuff of fairytales. We're talking about League 2, but that would grace the Premier League'' - that piece of brilliance was the catalyst for an incredible day, with excitement and nerves in equal measure. We'd twice been pegged back, but wouldn't give up and in the end it was Jon Nurse's goal that won it. Cue chaos, celebrations and delight. The victory meant so much to players and supporters alike. But we'd done it. Dagenham & Redbridge were in League One. The club may have just finished in it's lowest league position in over a decade but when you think back to this day, it will always bring a smile to your face. This isn't a reminder of how far we'd fallen, it is a reminder of how far we came. There may be no players left at the club from that day, but the memories will be forever ingrained into our folklore. 30th May 2010, the greatest day in our history and for many of us, the greatest day of our lives.
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Dagenham & Redbridge is hardly a cathedral of English football, but I imagine it's that earthy Lower-League vibe That attracted you to the club.No question. Going up on the train today, being with the players and being in Salford - what I'm experiencing is something I'm not sure American football fans would appreciate if they went to the Emirates or Stamford Bridge, etc. This is as authentic a football experience as you could possibly have. Going up on the train today, being with the players, being in Salford - this is as authentic a football experience as you could possibly have. Victoria Road is not amongst the most attractive or Recognisable grounds in the country, but it seems as if you aim to make it a place people are proud to be in.When you look at this ground here (The Peninsula Stadium) since we're at Salford City, you see what can be done to create a modern ground even though it may be small and intimate. So we will continue to grow and build on what Victoria Road already has - we're excited to have a blank slate. We will continue to grow and build on what Victoria Road already has - we're excited to have a blank slate. We've seen things from a new scoreboard to new seats in the Carling Stand. In regard to the ground, what is your vision in the next five years? What's at the core of your plans?It won't be five years, but it will be a phased approach where we will just continue to improve areas that we need to. We will look at every aspect of the club and try to make it as modern and clean as possible - to create something that everybody can be proud of. It will be a phased approach where we will just continue to improve areas that we need to. We will look at every aspect of the club. You couldn't have known much about the club when you first joined and I imagine Steve Thompson has taught you a lot, but what have you discovered from your various visits to the Daggers so far?It's been an incredible learning experience. I think I've learned more in the last six months about sport here than I've learned in the last 40 years about any other venture I've had. The mentality of the fans and supporters is incredible because they're so invested in the club, and so passionate about what happens at the club. It's unlike the passive fan I'm used to dealing with, which is someone who wants a great fan experience; they want great food and their family to leave with smiles on their faces. Here, everybody is 'all in', every Saturday - this is their life, it's what makes them wake up in the morning and get excited. The mentality of the fans and supporters is incredible because they're so invested in the club, and so passionate about what happens. Everybody is 'all in' every Saturday - this is their life, it's what makes them wake up in the morning and get excited. Every club has an identity unique to them - what do you think The identity of Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club is? To describe us in one word, or one sentence.Always the over-achieving underdog. Dagenham & Redbridge have been the small club that have gone all the way up to League One and we plan on bringing them back. Always the over-achieving underdog. Dagenham & Redbridge have been the small club that have gone all the way up to League One and we plan on bringing them back.
CONTRACTED BEYOND NEXT SEASON: Clark, Phipps CONTRACTED FOR NEXT SEASON: Gordon, McQueen, Balanta, Wilkinson, Bonds OUT OF CONTRACT (FIRST-TEAM): Justham, Nunn, Robinson, Kandi, Adeloye, Munns, Harfield, Smith OUT OF CONTRACT (SQUAD PLAYERS): Davey, Pennell, Reynolds, Moore, Hoyte, Bellamy EXPIRED LOANS: Goodliffe, Wright, Onariase, Loft The arrival of Notts County into the seemingly endless pit of non-league just confirms what we already knew about the level of competition next season. They were the oldest professional league club in the world until 5pm on Saturday, having been around since 1862 in which time they won an FA Cup and spent 30 seasons at the highest tier of the Football League system. Upon seeing them crash out of the Football League for the first time in their history, the initial reaction was one of excitement across the National League, as County will deliver sizeable crowds up and down the country plus a Meadow Lane experience that many fans across the division will frantically look for when the fixtures are released at the beginning of July. For those reasons, it's great to have them in the league as it raises it's profile massively. Reflecting on it more, though, having a team of that calibre potentially fighting alongside us can't be good. Though it would be conceivable for them to struggle just as many floundering ex-League clubs have before them, the probability is that they'll do everything they can to return to the EFL as quickly as possible. The relegation of Macclesfield Town, instead, would have lent itself better to our chances of fighting for promotion next season, which was specified as our intention. So Notts County join the fifth-tier and will most likely fight towards the summit of the division. You've also got Yeovil Town, in the Championship five years ago, whose desire to make their non-league stay short-lived will be just as strong as that of those over at Nottingham. Then there's Chesterfield, who've got themselves together and will, without doubt, push on, not to forget the likes of Barnet and Hartlepool who now know what the league is about, and will look to get it right. That's before you even touch on the teams who've just fell short this campaign. Wrexham and Harrogate for definite, maybe Solihull and Eastleigh if they can replicate their surprising performances, will look to sustain another challenge. The loser of the final between Fylde and Salford will be determined to go one better, too. Torquay and Stockport won the South and North respectively and won't be here to make up the numbers. There's only one automatic promotion place and ten managers, at the very least, who think they can realistically compete for it. So where does that link to Dagenham? Well, we're one of those teams who will think we're capable of challenging for the play-offs at least, but have given ourselves arguably the most work (of those teams outlined above) of doing so. We ended 2018/19 with a team that underachieved from January onwards, but do have two or three players that are already of the quality we need. A big Summer is needed, though, with a minimum of seven good-quality signings needed if we even want to think about the play-offs. What happens before a ball is kicked is just as crucial for us. Peter Taylor has reinforced his namesake Freund's ambition of promotion; if we're to realise our aims, something which seems very difficult and will only get harder with every further year we spend at this level, then we have to get it perfect. Few lapses will go unpunished, few defeats won't be costly. Personally, I look forward to us competing, even if it's just the top half, given the nature of last season. If we're serious about gaining promotion, though, we need to approach it with a level of determination and ruthless. That might mean being harsh, even unfair, to certain players in regard to offering contracts, but if we don't then we'll end up with another 25-man squad whom most of which won't kick a ball all season. No lenience should be given, no 'benefit of the doubt', no 'possibly''s. For most of those who are out of contract, that will spell bad news but that's the nature of a promotion battle. We can get batter than 90% whose deals are expiring and it's been said that no transfer target will be out of our price range. With that in mind, I've run the rule over all of our players who finished the 2018/19 season in relation to how conducive their inclusion within the team, is to a potential promotion challenge. Firstly, we have the group of players who are contracted for next campaign, two of which have a deal that lasts beyond that: Clark, Phipps, Gordon, McQueen, Bonds, Balanta and Wilkinson are all contracted for next season, and with the exception of Elliot Bonds who is obviously a player for the future, have all shown enough to prove that if they were out of contract, they'd definitely have been offered one anyway. Conor Wilkinson is a player without whom we stand no chance of even thinking about the play-offs, such has been his contribution to the club. He's one of those who generates excitement whenever he picks up the ball and his combination with Ángelo Balanta is what kept us in the division, with Wilkinson's energy and aggression perfectly complimenting the intelligence of his strike partner. Balanta has been decent enough since he arrived from Boreham Wood yet I think it's fair to say we need him to push onto another level starting in August. Alex McQueen's seasons seemed to all but end when he was sent off at Havant, but he came up with some very important goals and was vital during the early months of the season, when he was a shining light alongside Liam Gordon, who - for a player in his first year of senior football - has just been ridiculous. His energy was crucial but not exceeding that boundary is a fine line given that he would often be caught out of position following a lung-busting run forwards. However, the way he played was fresh, his passion infectious, and he thoroughly deserved both his 3rd Placed Player of the Year award, and Supporters' Club Young Player of the Year. Similarly, Harry Phipps was another player whose maturity defied his age and his exclusion from the team, especially having been rewarded with a long contract only weeks beforehand, was absolutely baffling so acted to highlight the scepticism around some of Taylor's decisions. Like Gordon, he will only get better so as long as we don't have him inexplicably sitting in the stands, he should be a good player for us. Finally, Kenny Clark signed in December and though a two-and-a-half year contract seemed hasty for a 30 year-old, he's been generally solid, albeit unspectacular, since signing. However he joined a completely new side it's worth remembering, and Ebbsfleet supporters can't speak highly enough of the man they called 'Concrete', so I'm sure he'll prove his worth as, to be fair, he has begun to do so. Then there's some players who we had on loan during the season: Ben Goodliffe, Manny Onariase, Will Wright and Doug Loft. The latter two have definitely been surplus to requirements while at the club, but Goodliffe and Manny are two players who fans would take back on a permanent deal in an absolutely heartbeat. Unlike Manny at Rotherham who we don't appear to have much chance of signing, Ben Goodliffe isn't exactly on the radar at Wolves. He started shakily at the club, with two red cards and penalties conceded in as many months, but got progressively better as the season got on and definitely begun to adapt to the division. He didn't play much towards the end of the campaign, often the victim of formation and the quantity of centre-backs at the club, but before then was consistently one of our best performers over several months in which he showcased both direct and technical abilities, defending with fearlessness and intelligence. Manny Onariase just looked a cut above for us, reading the game so well at all times, but I find our chances of getting him unlikely, especially as Rotherham are now back in League One. Doug Loft joined in January, its clear to see he was once a very good player but that seems to have passed him by, and he spent most of his loan at the club passing it directly to the opposition. He hadn't played football in a while so maybe, after a solid pre-season, he'd be a different player for us but we can't afford to take that chance. He's out of contract, as is Will Wright at Colchester. To be fair to him, Wright has been unexpectedly accomplished as a right-back and performed very well, unfortunately it followed eight months of him being very poor though. Once again, another who could be an asset under different circumstances but simply not a player, or not yet a player, who we should have on our books next season. That brings me to the out-of-contract players, which is the area in which the biggest decisions will be made. There are 15 players in this category, and I've organised them in order of how many league starts they made in 2018/19. (Green = Keep | Yellow = Arguments for Both | Red = Release) Elliot JUSTHAM: This isn't even a decision, he should've been bundled into a room and given the papers to sign the moment he left the pitch following the Solihull Moors game. Very rarely have we had a more worthy Player of the Year winner and it's as much a testament to his talents that we stayed up as it is the likes of Wilkinson and Balanta who made the difference at the other end. There's not a single Dagger who wouldn't want Justham to sign a contract as soon as possible. Matt ROBINSON: Once again a fairly routine choice, this has undoubtedly been his best season in a Daggers shirt and, while many have been questionable of him in the past, nobody can dispute that his gritty presence in midfield was important to our survival. A technical creator alongside him, much like when we had Andre Boucaud under John Still, could enable Robinson to flourish. He's earned an extension. Jack MUNNS: A difficult one, it would be great to have someone that has won this league before (while at Cheltenham) but he obviously can't perform to his best under Peter Taylor. Prior to January, Munns would've been one of the first that fans would have wanted to sign a contract but since then his contribution has been limited - that's partially not his fault because the likes of Wright and Loft were keeping him out of the team. However, he's got quality and I think we should keep him. Ben NUNN: Great captain and one of the nicest people you could ever hope to have at your club. When he joined the Daggers, he was a full-back who got up and down brilliantly, delivering teasing crosses, but in recent times it seems as if that aspect of his game has been a real struggle. Made quite a few individual errors last season, though then again people forget that before November-ish, he was performing well. That said, there's doubts and for that reason, this is a difficult one. Luke PENNELL: Every time Pennell seems as if he's on track to a sustained spell of games in which he can play his best football, there seems to be another setback. He's a good player but we've persevered for ages now and the fact that he misses an average of two thirds of every season he's been here unfortunately speaks volumes. If we gave him another contract, he'd play well for a while but the same thing would happen again. I highly doubt he's in Peter Taylor's plans for next season. Tomi ADELOYE: There's not been a single time where Tomi has been in the team and not played well. He always looks dangerous and it makes you wonder what he'd been like had we played a few more games in 2018/19, which he probably deserved to. However, we can only go by his contribution on the pitch, and a three-goal striker unfortunately isn't of the standard we need. He'd be great to keep as an option who can dictate games when he came on, but Taylor probably won't take that chance. Chike KANDI: Kandi made 14 starts and 23 sub appearances, taking him to a total of 37 games played, which proves that he is regarded somewhat well by Taylor. His positive end-of-season form might be what swings it here, but looking at his overall performances, coupled with the fact that he's a player we actually paid money for, he hasn't been good enough often enough. Frustratingly, he seems to be lots of running but little end product. However, like Adeloye, he's rarely played poorly. Ollie HARFIELD: Too little, too late for him unfortunately. Showed glimpses of quality against both Eastleigh and Solihull at home but those were both nothing games for us, and certainly not enough to constitute giving players contracts for playing well in. 1 goal and 1 assist tells it's own story and we can do a lot better when delving into the transfer market. To be fair, he's given the manager something to think about recently, but it shouldn't be enough. Nathan SMITH: I worry about the stamina of a man who's 33 and lacking in game time over the last couple of years. However, considering that he's been fairly decent during his time here, he could be a right player with a thorough pre-season under his belt. He's a leader and certainly has the experience of a promotion battle, which obviously lends itself well to our situation. Could be a risk but a risk worth taking in my opinion. Gavin HOYTE: Not in a Peter Taylor team. His limited contribution in 2018/19 wasn't really his fault - he performed well enough in the rare appearances he made to prove that he deserved more, but he's not going to get it at Victoria Road and, even if we offered him a contract against all odds, I don't see what would motivate him to sign up for another year of being frozen out without explanation. Good player, though, and his exclusion is one all of us have been trying to solve. Alex DAVEY: Nasty injury that hampered his progress but not once this season has he looked good enough for us, and he proved that with his display at Braintree on Easter Monday. I think this choice was probably made long before this is being written. Davey is just too reckless and erratic to justify another contract, but I acknowledge that it was hard for him to flourish at the times in which his services were required this season. Lamar REYNOLDS: One of the most disappointing players we've had at the club, whose displays didn't match up to the hype around his signing. When he made his debut against West Ham, we all thought we were on to a magical player but since then he's fallen to pieces whenever a big chance falls his way, shirking several one-on-ones. Too lightweight, too inconsistent. The fact that Reynolds was loaned out to Chelmsford is a good indication that he won't be at the Daggers come July. Lewis MOORE: Only seen him twice, at Ebbsfleet in the FA Trophy and at Braintree on Easter Monday, and he hasn't looked bad. For a back-up keeper, he seems decent enough and his display at the Kuflink Stadium for that Trophy game was brilliant, some of the saves he made giving the impression that he's an experienced keeper used to playing every week. You can't expect much more for a second keeper, he might not be needed but, if he is for a short spell, I'm sure that we'll be in safe hands. James BLANCHFIELD: 1 start, 4 sub appearances. Didn't pull up any trees while on loan at Lowestoft. The conversation with Blanchfield following the end of the season would probably have been a short one. Liam BELLAMY: Don't even know what to say really. He's played a combined total of around 60 minutes despite supposedly being a player who would improve us massively.
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