This is our annual look back at the season. Thanks to all the supporters who have made a big effort in writing these words. I, as yet, haven't had a chance to read them myself, so forgive me as I have used the self censorship system. A bit like the 'real press'
I will add new ones at the bottom
First of all Dan Boden
What an absolutly amazing season! Last pre-season I would have settled for top half, decent trophy run, and a league scalp in the fa cup. Out of the summer signings Tony Roberts was easily the best, he's probably the best keeper in the league. Mark Brennan looked good until his injury. I was very disappointed however to see old Chippo leaving however.
After the Rushden home match, I thought we'd have an ok season, yes they were good, but over all, not that much better than us, after that match I felt we would easily finish in the dizzy heights of the top 8.
Drewe Broughton made his debut in the very impressive 6-1 win over Hednesford, and looked very good in the process, early on in his loan spell, I really felt we should have signed him, but as his loan spell went on, you could see his heart wasn't really at the club, and it was probably better for us he didn't join.
We then slipped down the table a bit, which was slightly dissapointing, but was made up for by winning at Lincoln, and was even better the next day when we drew Charlton in the cup.
In the first game we were easily the better team, and the jammiest of equalisers late on, really made my heart sink. When Elvis hit it over I felt even worse. The next week, was absolutely woeful in the trophy. As Garry said, it was a case of after the Lord Mayors Show. We had one or two players missing, but even so, you couldn't see that their replacements were after a place in what would have been there biggest game of the season.
The next Wednesday the original day of the replay seemed to take for ever to come, all the media coverage, war of words etc. During the day it was pretty cold, in the morning we couldn't go outside to play footie in PE as we would 'break our necks' then I should have thought 'there is no way the game is gonna be played tonight' but I didn't even entertain the idea, which probably meant I was more disapointed than I might have been when at twenty past four on sky news they said the game was off.
When the replay finally took place (it seemed like years for it to happen) it was amazing, walking down Victoria Road, people selling scarfs, burgers, the old bill checking your tickets, loads of horse crap, 'this is what its all about' I thought.
Then the buzz inside the stadium was tremendous, you just felt there might be a chance of a shock. To be honest I thought they would thrash us, it's what always seems to happen when the minnows draw in the initial match.
The match itself was fantastic, if a bit heart stopping, Lisbie missed a couple of sitters, Lee Matthews hit an excellent free kick just wide. The worst bit was in stoppage time at the end of the second half, I could barely watch. It was a massive relief when it finally did go.
Disaster struck at the start of extra time, the only mistake Ashley Vickers made in the whole tie, resulted in a goal for Charlton, you could see by how they celebrated, how relieved the Charlton players were.
I then thought being the pessimist I am that the floodgates would open. The atmosphere which was brilliant all day, straight after the Charlton goal got even better, it was obvious we was going to go down fighting. The crowds enthusiasm seemed to rub off on the players. The ecstacy when Timmy Cole equalised, was shortly turned in to agony when the ref (who was crap by the way) disallowed the goal. The chances continued to come, Janners hit wide with a shot he would usually bury.
We was in the middle of song (as we had been for the last half hour continuosly) when the final whistle went, I felt absolutely heartbroken at the end, it was probably the fact I was singing that stopped me from breaking down in to tears (thank god!), what had been an amazing venture was now over.
We was finaly back to league football. And with it came a brilliant 9 wins in a row. Also, KK Opara came in, easily the worst dagger of the season. It wasn't ability that gave him this honour, it was his attitude, and work rate, I was relieved when he went. Danny Hayzleden also joined, he looks very good, and could go on to be a great at the club.
To finish third was an amazing achievement, down to an excellent bunch of players and the best manager in non league football. Next season, we will surely be challenging for the title, because at times, we look un-beatable
Now we have Mike
When my son said to me last summer, "Dad, can you take me to football more this season" I thought about the bank balance being hit by £80 a match at a Ginola-less Tottenham where I'd taken him to a couple of games the year before. Having watched the triumphs of the previous season in the papers and teletext I decided to head back to Victoria Road where I spent my formative years watching football, hardly missing a game home or away from 73 to 80, and see if the place was still as friendly as it used to be. Since the early 80's I had seen the Daggers play only a dozen times or so, and since the merger, hardly at all - what was that blue stuff on the kit? That can't be Dagenham surely?
So, first home game of the season, me and the little one wandered into the ground for the K's game. I spent the match watching an unlucky defeat, a footballing Daggers team with loads of promise and chatting to a couple of thoroughly nice guys from Kingston, having a thoroughly agreeable evening. So back we came, match after match, watching steady progress in the league and Cup with pride, even taking the three year old to a few games. The season really took off though with leaping round the lounge when the Mark Janney blockbuster at Lincoln popped up on the vidyprinter on Grandstand.
Then came that famous day in January. Queuing for tickets worried we would miss out, the atmosphere at Victoria Road before we got on the coach, the gut wrench at seeing the Valley and realising what we were up against, the pride at the noise from our end, the shock of being on top, the noise when Junior scored, the disbelief of leading at half time, a second half that felt like 450 minutes and the disappointment of a streaky equaliser, then pride again as the noise started louder than before, swearing like a navvie in front of my 7 year old son at 6 minutes added time (don't tell his mum please), dancing at the final whistle, not able to talk properly for a week... wow what a day.
Weymouth... bleah
Frost... triple bleah
Tears seeing Dave Andrew so gutted on the TV news.
Watching Victoria Road empty and forlorn over Curbishley's shoulder as he played expert analyst while Villa and Newcastle played live where the Daggers should have been.
4th round day, Victoria Road bursting at the seams, flags, pink panthers, cameras, scaffolding, Salako not wanting to get the ball from next to the shed in the warm up, missed chances, corners, panic in the Charlton defence, Robbo's save, more corners, more panic, extra time, damn, Tim's equaliser disallowed, extra time that was only 10 minutes not 30 surely, standing ovations at the end and no game at White Hart Lane.
Looking at the table after that, knowing how drained I was by that January and imagining how the team must feel I wondered whether it was upward or downward for the rest of the season. The result from Nuneaton Boro led me to think the worst, then came that fabulous run that even had people reaching for the calculators on a possible league championship at one time. Watching the Yeovil match on teletext, goals flying in against Stevenage, muscle and determination against Doncaster, disappointment at Hayes, then back on an even keel to win the last three to secure third.
Wonderful stuff... I'm back, I'm hooked again. Who cares about pampered over paid Premiership mercenaries, this is what sport is all about.
Can we do all that again next season please? (actually, lets skip the Weymouth bit)
And before people start saying "Glory Hunter", I was also there when we played East Thurrock, Malden and Heybridge in the ESC, were you? And remember that we need to get more people paying at the gates if the team is going to be successful and they can't all be the regular 300 to 400 who stood with the club through the low days of relegation. Welcome the newbies, the returnees and the converts and lets have the place filled to the rafters every week in 10 years time.
And now......DJ Johnny!
Well, what a season! I expect most of us will think these words when mulling over the last 9 months. It has been truly fantastic and, I'm sure, beyond all our wildest expectations. Consolidation was the watchword (and I notice Gary Hill has been using this phrase with reference to next season, too) and when we started I wasn't convinced we would manage it.
Two August defeats at home to Kingstonian and Rushden when the opposition just seemed to have too much nous for us, suggested that this was going to be a tough campaign but then after an excellent win at Stevenage we began to settle and good results ensued, culminating in the demolition of Hednesford at the Vic. Brennan was looking a class act in midfield and the enigmatic Broughton had just joined.
The superb display at Rushden where we very unlucky to lose suggested we were here to stay in the Conference, a fact backed up by the comments of Brian Talbot, Rushden's manager, after the game.
Our league form suffered a little in November as we embarked on our never to be forgotten FA Cup run. How many times was that match at Hendon postponed? Victory at the nth time of trying enabled us to look forward to a trip to Lincoln. What a day that was! For me almost as good as the 2 Charlton games as it was the first time I had ever seen my side (Leytonstone though to DagRed) beat league opposition in 35 years of watching. Jammy Janney goal, sure, but a well deserved win all the same.
Of course the Charlton games have received many words and pictures elsewhere but suffice it to say I still can't believe how well we did over the 210 minutes and how ordinary we made a solid Premiership side look. The videos of the 2 games bear this out. After the replay defeat I felt, along with others, that we might suffer a reaction and plummet down the table towards the fringes of the relegation zone. Oh me of little faith, not a bit of it! Once Kettering were despatched 5-1 we couldn't lose until we decided to make sure Hayes were still with us in the top flight next year. And so the 3rd place spot arrived at in March was secured by the time we travelled to Southport for our last game.
Player of the season: Well, my ratings gave it just to Junior Mc Dougald who I thought was splendid throughout. And for those critics I've been reading recently, just try running as far and for as long as Junior has done this season! Lee Matthews was outstanding also and, along with the excellent Lee Goodwin, ran Junior close in my rankings.
Great comebacks: I thought Jason Broom and Danny Shipp were particularly superb once they'd had their Christmas pud and both had great second halves to the season.
Most improved player: A close thing between Lee Goodwin and Paul Terry, both looked the real thing in the Conference and by the end of the campaign exuded confidence in their displays.
Strengths of the team: Clearly a never say die attitude, good team spirit built around a rock solid back line.
Weaknesses: Everyone goes on about how our forwards don't score goals in the Darby/Patmore/Jackson vein but just look at our goals for total compared to others. We score from all over the pitch even goalkeeper!! Maybe a goal poacher in the Owen mould would be nice but…we are just a small club from Essex!
Underrated players: Definitely Steve Heffer and lately Matt Jones, often both unsung and, at times, unfairly criticised.
Disappointments Not many but Mark Brennan's injury deprived us of a whole season of rarely seen midfield skills. Off the pitch it remains disturbing that we still attract the odd racist fan and, the not so odd, over critical "fan". Let's silence them both next season.
Man of the season: It has to be Gary Hill, ably assisted by Terry Harris. Good tactical and motivational ability backed by interesting team selections and signings make him one of the best, if not the best, non-league managers I have come across (that's a tenner, Gary!).
Best goal: like others Matt Jones against Hayes and Drewe Broughton against Hayes but the best for teamwork, build-up and sheer ecstasy once it had gone in Junior's goal at Charlton still sends a tingle up my spine even as I type this!
Other memorable snippets: Heffer's tackling especially in front of the main stand and home bench, Matt Jones goal line clearance at home to Charlton, Mark Brennan's astonishing free-kicks whenever in the opposition half, a Japanese film crew, visiting Rushden's magnificent ground, the trips (and the nerves!) to Lincoln and Charlton, cycling to Stevenage, Cobb's Michael Owen Cup Final display against Morecambe, watching us score 3 at Yeovil on CEEFAX….. I could go on (but I won't.)
Next season: -like that difficult second album that pop/rock artistes have to confront and overcome we are there to be shot down next year and I am a bit fearful. Top 6 in the conference and a cup run of sorts would be great. We all to have to remember that Charlton is unlikely to happen every season. I bother about the tone of the debate on the Forum at times -there's nothing wrong with being ambitious but we are nowhere near ready for an upward leap to Division 3, if that is even a good idea, anyway. We just don't have the support or the infrastructure of a Rushden or Yeovil. Maybe in 5 years time if all goes well in the meantime. I'd be interested to know if the club do have a realistic 5-year plan and what it involves. But it's with almost exclusively positive thoughts I will remember this past year and for that a huge thanks to Gary and the squad for serving up some magnificent entertainment - long may it continue!! I'm really looking forward to next season.
Simon Newell
Where do you start, what a season the Daggers have had. Memories of the season must be the Charlton matches at the Valley and the replay. The moment Junior scored the goal I have never went mad ever before, plus the brilliant atmosphere behind that goal. Also seeing the Daggers in all the National Newspapers as well plus nearly beating them in the replay.
The trip to Rushden & Diamonds was a good night, even though we lost 1-2 the Daggers played really on the night. I missed the Lincoln City match, however to hear so much praise from other managers in the Conference was very pleasing. The full time teams we have beaten over the season: the double over Yeovil, Hereford twice, Scarborough twice, unbeaten v Telford, Doncaster at home & unbeaten v Chester City.
Finally to finish 3rd in the Nationwide Conference in our first season back was remarkable. Hats off to everybody involved.