Exactly one year ago, we were in the midst of an eerie phase in history that will be forever etched into the minds of those that lived through it. The weekend of the 14th March in particular marked the calm before a storm that would wreak havoc on so much more than just the football calendar, as the definition of life itself became hugely distorted, the very concept of it lost amidst a widespread crisis of staggering proportions. The Daggers were due to venture into Surrey for the second Saturday in succession, a journey that many supporters had commenced before the game was hastily postponed at half eleven. Our owner Peter Freund had earlier labelled anybody planning on attending the fixture as 'absolutely mad' and vehemently condemned the National League, which opted not to align with every other English footballing division and impose a suspension, citing it's desire to 'keep the season going in the face of unprecedented adversity'. That stance was a very temporary one as the magnitude of this particular challenge became insurmountable, to such an extent that the same issue would still be cancelling fixtures an entire year later. Indeed, there was a depressing yet rather apt symmetry in the fact that our initially-scheduled game at Stockport this weekend was scuppered by a positive test result within our camp. It's the third time an internal Coronavirus issue has impacted our schedule, with the added frustration of us finally finding a bit of rhythm on the pitch recently. That calamitous trip to Woking remains the last time many supporters left their houses to watch Dagenham play away from home, a luxury that probably won't become feasible again until next season. This means the last 'normal matchday' was four days before that fateful weekend began, a fairly nondescript midweek match against AFC Fylde at Victoria Road. Tuesday 10th March 2020. The vast majority of a lowly crowd, that barely eclipsed the four-digit mark, trudged dejectedly out of the Victoria Road exits having watched their side succumb to a crushing 94th minute defeat. However, as is retrospectively known after a life-changing period in history, that night was to be one of the last to fall into the realms of normality. It seemed nothing but a relatively insignificant National League contest between two sides who'd both endured extremely underwhelming campaigns. The absence of the usual pre-match handshakes was the only symbol of what would rapidly descend into a monumental pandemic, and ultimately foreshadow the surreal devastation that would follow as the entire landscape of society changed drastically beyond recognition. Football paled into insignificance, undergoing a period of sustained hibernation. The version of it that returned seven months later was sanitised, sterile and bore little resemblance to the sport savoured by millions on a weekly basis. Buffering streams replaced the feeling of emerging through a clunky turnstile, and the ground lay lonely on what, to the regular supporter, felt like matchday in official name only. There were two exceptions. Twice in the past year a relaxation of rules has allowed for a return of fans to stadiums, albeit both were depressingly brief and marred somewhat by the knowledge that they would be false dawns. The Concord Rangers friendly in September came on the same day that it was announced that the planned return of spectators was halted. Three months later, 773 Daggers fans were permitted for the home clash against Altrincham but they all knew that the imminent Tier 3 announcement would make it another one-off. Quite when, or even if, the matchday experience will revert to pre-pandemic levels remains to be seen. It's likely Victoria Road, and indeed every other ground within the country, will always retain some hallmarks of this period. The continual digitalisation of society and gradual eradication of paper will likely persist, while the fairly costly streaming services will certainly be maintained in some form.
Either way, Saturdays becoming synonymous with attending football again is something that cannot happen soon enough.
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May 2024
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