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.
Dagenham & Redbridge spent its inaugural season in the Football Conference taking the place of Redbridge Forest.[2] 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.[2] The first competitive result was a 2–0 win over Merthyr Tydfil in the Conference.[2]
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.[4]
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.[5][6]
2007–2015: Football League
Dagenham & Redbridge played its first match in the Football League on 11 August 2007, a 1–0 defeat to Stockport County.[7] The club won its first Football League game at home to Lincoln City on 1 September 2007.[8] 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.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11]
They eventually finished the 2011–12 season in 19th place back in League Two.[12] 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.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15][16]Moses Swaibu was similarly charged in January 2014.[17][18]
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.[19][20] It is believed that the case may have been part of a wider Singaporean match-fixing syndicate which Europol and other investigations uncovered.[21]
2016–present: return to non-League
In their first season back in the National League, they ended the season in fourth place;[12] they lost their play-off semi-final to Forest Green Rovers.[22] The 2017–18 season started positively, but after the club was hit by a financial crisis midway through the season,[23] the Daggers finished the campaign in 11th place.[12] The financial crisis was resolved early in the 2018–19 season.[24]
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.[25]
Manager since March 2023, Ben Strevens was sacked in December 2024, after a run of just seven wins from 23 league fixtures left the Daggers five points above the relegation zone.[26]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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]
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