Dagenham/York Book of Condolence

[Murphy]

Seeing as we and by extension York (come on lads, give it up already), are dropping down to the old National League Deluxe 24 next season, do any of you have fond/fun/horrific memories that will cheer me up of playing us or York at any point?

All contributions welcome

 

[Youpies]

My memory of playing daggers is the 3-2 before we appointed Martin Allen. Karl Heggs, chief scout was in charge of the team and he completely lost his head after the players lost theirs. Sounded like he wanted to cry in his interview.

Went 3 - 0 down in the first 30 mins after Lee was sent off. We almost pulled it back in the end after Sodje smashed the bar. It took a lifetime to get to that match too from Surrey Quays as the district was down. Massive effort from the fans to get there, 0 effort from the players.

York is just a quality day out, they'll be missed

 

[LordJord]

Loved my journeys down to Dagenham. We have won every game we have ever played there. Remember us packing it out when Toni Silva scored in a 1-0 that helped keep us up. Ricky Holmes volley from the edge of the box was a moment of magic.

But I think I speak for all cobblers fans when I say our 3-0 at your gaff 2 years ago when we looked like we might drop will forever be remembered. Ian Morris with a rangey volley and our 17 year old local lad Ivan Toney with 2, including a bicycle kick. What a day!

 

[Meadow]

D&R

Horror - last season's 4-0 drubbing away.
Highlight - Rashid Yussef's lovely goal away in our first L2 season.
Memory - Auntie Merge's blind optimism that you were going to win 6-0 every week. This was on another forum.

York

Horror - 2 drubbings at Bootham Crescent in the conference.
Highlights - our recent record against them.
Memory - Jake Reeves' wonder goal a few weeks back.

 

[Habbinalan]

 

[thewwfc]

I recall my first trip to D&R, which I think was your first game in the football league. Probably the hoofiest game I have ever seen, which is saying something as a lower league fan. My defining memory was the incredible number of balls that were blasted out of the ground, and just thinking how costly that must be over the course of a season if you had unscrupulous local urchins hanging around outside to nick the balls.

Also remember thinking what an irritating mouthy boyband reject ponce Sam Saunders was during that game...erm well until we signed him years later.

I ended up going to see D&R - Wrexham with a Wxm mate, and Tony Roberts miming energetically and vigorously to the "sheepshagger" chants aimed at him by the Wxm fans. Top comedy.

 

[JJ1532]

Only saw us play Dag & Red 3 times, but they were all memorable games.

09-10 season, our first in League One. I am ashamed to admit that I had never even heard of Dag & Red, let alone knew anything about you. Played you on the opening day of the season and I honestly thought we'd win by a handy amount with the squad we had. Went 1-0 down in the first half, got back into it in the 2nd half with a Byron Moore curler. But in true Crewe fashion, we conceded 2 minutes later and lost 2-1. It was then I realised that season was going to be grim and it was. Oh and the Gresty Road end had some great back and forth banter with Tony Roberts, he was ace.

2nd game was in the 11-12 season. Went down to your place in October and it was roasting, proper Indian summer. Went 1-0 up in the 75th minute through Byron Moore(again) and conceded a minute later(again). Did so in the most hilarious fashion though, allowed your winger to dribble up the pitch through about 4 of our players. Crossed it in, goal. Then, final kick of the game, corner comes in and you lot scramble it in, win 2-1. Funny how things change(or don't).

Third game was the return fixture at Gresty Road. Went 1-0 down after a horrendous Dave Artell defensive mistake. But then we equalised through Greg Pearson but didn't look much like winning the game as the 2nd half dragged on. But then we went ahead in hilarious fashion, Abu Ogogo passed it back to the keeper, it hit a bobble and rolled over his foot and went in. So Agogo scored an OG. I found it pretty funny. Won 4-1 in the end.

Never seen us play York, but the last game I remember was in the FA Cup a few years back at Bootham Crescent. We were in League Two, York in the conference. 2-1 up with 4 minutes to go, what could go wrong? They equalised in the 86th minute and just when we were dreading the prospect of a replay, they scored 2 minutes later and put us out. Wasn't the first or last time we'd got out in embarrassing fashion to non-league opposition.

Best of luck in the conference fellas, we might be joining you in 12 months time.

 

[WAP]

In the three years we've been down here our record against Dagenham is W5 D1 so we will definitely miss them.

Won't be missing York quite as much with only the one win against them and that was the 6-0 this season which could/should have been 12-0. Always thought of York as a typical league 2 team, strong, journeymen, rough etc and that was working for them until this season.

Our record at BC isn't great, the first season they comfortably beat us 4-2 ( a wonder goal from Wallace and late one from Marquis flattered us). We did however have John Sullivan in goal who was so bad not only in that game and season that he's given up football to work in Real Estate in America.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

We played Dagenham at our place 2 days after they'd won promotion to the League, and we really needed a win to help us try and avoid relegation and probably extinction. For the first 20-25 minutes their class told and they absolute tore us apart and were 2-0 up, then it was plainly obvious that the hangovers from the previous two nights kicked in and they completely went to shit, I think we were 4-2 up by half time and ended up winning without being troubled as the Daggers players trudged round the pitch going through the motions whilst their fans spent the whole game celebrating.

Game at their gaff (Habbinalan's picture) last season was good fun too, apart from that it has been largely forgettable and I can't say you'll be missed.

York on the other hand will be missed thoroughly, a club of very similar size, who went through an almost identical historical streak to through our years exiled in non-league (twat for an owner, financial meltdown, ground problems, near misses with relegation to regional football, playoff final losses, both down there for about the same amount of time), in a city similarly styled to our own with much of the same characterisitics. Always a great away trip despite a largely mixed bag of results for us, probably the set of fans that my lot have got on best with over the years (along with Barrow) and always good meeting up with them at the Abbey too. A club that should be a warning to us as to what could happen if we struggle to push forward with our stadium development like York have done in the last couple of years. Hopefully a quick return, although it doesn't sound likely.

 

[EricSabin]

That Dagenham game, 3-0 to give us in the edge in the relegation fight was epic. 8:25 train in the morning, one croissant all day, a stunning start to the game. Would loved to have seen the away end from the home end when the first, second and third goals went in.

Capped off the day by throwing up over the side of the ad hoardings onto the pitch

 

[Flaxman's Alibi]

Most of my memories of Dagenham is of losing both games in our own relegation to non-league in 2008 (when many of the locals seemed genuinely delighted at our demise I might add). I think that this season has seen our only win at your place. And to be quite honest I don't recall ever taking any pleasure from any clubs drop in to the Conference . Relegating Bristol the other year wasn't a pleasurable experience.

That drop is genuinely an unrivalled feeling in football. These divs on Match Of The Day with their head in their hands at a fall to the Championship are playing at it.

York is a tough one. We've had some proper ding dongs over the last few years and a sort of expanding half-hearted rivalry has reared its head. It's most Stags fans favourite away day (as our town is a shithole as City fans are eager to always remind us) outside of genuine derby games and I think most of us are in a small mourning at losing them and their city from our calendar.

League 2 can be a horrible dogfight, where what is ultimately the most important objective of everybody's whole season is - DO NOT FINISH BOTTOM 2!
Unfortunately for you guys there's been fewer clear cut candidates over the years.

Personally, I wish you both the very best for the next season and for the future. It's a horrible place to dwell for former Football League clubs (yet is a nirvana for small non league outfits) and the sheer scale of the financial implementations still show no sign of being addressed, unfortunately.

 

[hellogregory]

This season:

2-0 up at York, cruising. Then York go down to 10 men in the second half... Happy days.

Then we fucked it up. 2-2

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Dagenham, Tuesday night in February 2009, Mark Molesley, stoppage time. I was there! The very moment our strange journey started. We still sing about that goal to this day.

 

[cufc17]

This season:

2-0 up at York, cruising. Then York go down to 10 men in the second half... Happy days.

Then we fucked it up. 2-2

Yeah, that was disastrous, but the visit to Bootham Crescent was equally as bad last season, an extremely dull 0-0. The home games against York weren't very good either, a 3-0 defeat and a 1-1 draw in the past 2 seasons. I'll miss visiting York next season, but not the actual games.

Our recent games against Dagenham haven't been particularly memorable, Archibald Henville starting a 15-man brawl last season probably the highlight:

 

[hellogregory]

Our recent games against Dagenham haven't been particularly memorable, Archibald Henville starting a 15-man brawl last season probably the highlight:
View attachment 3147

That was a massive victory for us last season though. Kennedy (I think) had us ahead and despite Dagenham thumping our cross bar and then bouncing off the line as well as a stone wall penalty turned away, we held on for a precious 3 points which pretty much saved us after the horror show in the previous match at Accrington.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Dagenham, that was for Richard Rose and me getting sunstroke at your game in 2011!

Nah in all seriousness it's a shame to see two good clubs go down, very glad I managed to tick off York this season through watching their game vs Plymouth. Looked better than a side that's going down when I saw them.

Cheltenham is a worthy replacement, but dreading who else are going up, bloody Tranmere being bottlejobs! I'm definitely a fan of Grimsby going up though so they best fulfil their early season promise and get themselves up through the playoffs!

 

[E10rifle]

York:

I've only been there the once.

15 years or so ago my sister was studying at Sheffield Uni, and I accidentally-on-purpose coincided visiting her with an away trip to York. She doesn't care for footy much, but tagged along anyway, and we met up with my mate who is a real leftie (he's currently working for one of Jezza's chums) and his missus. At that time, my mate was a very vocal opponent of the BNP (remember them?) contingent active on our message board, and was pretty well known to them after a couple of minor run-ins.

The game in this (probably insufferable) anecdote? Unimportant. It was shit, Dean Smith got sent off and we lost. Plus ça change.

Afterwards, the four of us and a couple of others went to drown our sorrows. Famously, York has 365 pubs. Three hundred and sixty fucking five. It will therefore come as absolutely no fucking surprise whatsoever that, about two minutes after the others had left, about fifty BNP meatheads - including the Orient contingent - wandered in, spotted my mate, dragged him out the back of the pub, and then piled around our table staring at the three of us and telling us how we were all dead because we "loved P***s and hated England". After a good 15 minutes of intimidating two terrified teenage girls (and a terrified teenage me, to be fair), my mate was returned to us in nearly as good a condition as he arrived and we managed to escape with only a modicum of racist saliva as an abiding memory of the wonderful time we had spent together. c***. Not entirely sure why, but my sister hasn't been to a game since.

That was a fun away day all told.


Dog & Duck:

Meh.

 

[wilsontown]

York probably did have 365 pubs at one point, but it doesn't now. More like 100, which is still quite a lot. There's a good proportion of decent ones too.

Off to see us get relegated in a bit. See you next season Daggers, everyone else enjoy your league football. You bastards.

 

[Vanni]

Like Tom says, that 4-2 win against Daggers was vital as we didn't go down and would've had, most likely, to start all over again. Some 3 weeks before this game, we had York at The Abbey and proceeded to lose 0-5 (the second back to back 0-5 defeat in a week) and I clearly remember thinking we were gone.

Still, whenever I think of York, I also remember a couple of good games. The first game of the 07/08 season when we went there and beat them 2-1, and more importantly the point we also got at theirs back in 2011(0-0) which effectively put our relegation fears to rest.

 

[AdamStag]

Having felt the pain of going down I wouldn't wish it on anyone - not even the sodding dog & duck.

It's a harrowing experience and that league is extremely shit. However, as rovers and Cheltenham have proved it is possible - so not all is lost.

What you don't want to see is clubs like Darlo, Halifax, Stockport etc - Yes the clubs struggled as the clubs over stretched themselves but not great for the ever suffering fans.

Safe journey both, hope you see better days soon

 

[TheMinsterman]

We're not coming back, so hopefully some of you come visit us in the void.

 

[PortyPort]

We're not coming back, so hopefully some of you come visit us in the void.

You're still not quite gone yet Feeney's been saying for a while he would be happy if we finished the season 22nd on goal difference, but I didn't realise it appears to be becoming a deliberate strategy!

I'm sure we'll come and see you in the void soon enough...

 

[TheMinsterman]

You're still not quite gone yet Feeney's been saying for a while he would be happy if we finished the season 22nd on goal difference, but I didn't realise it appears to be becoming a deliberate strategy!

I'm sure we'll come and see you in the void soon enough...

You could lose every single game 6-0 and we win all the way to final day and we'd concede a 98th minute equalised to go down.

 

[Wombling Kiwi]

We're not coming back, so hopefully some of you come visit us in the void.

You WILL be back.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

We're not coming back, so hopefully some of you come visit us in the void.

I have seen that a few times from you guys, is there a particular reason why you all have that feeling?

 

[wilsontown]

FFS York, can't even get relegated properly.

Shite all season and then turn on the style and give Pompey a pasting, just when it's basically completely irrelevant. Now most probably going to be sent down by Accrington Stanley on Saturday, where the roles are reversed - they're a well run club and it's us that's the tinpot disgrace to the league.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I have seen that a few times from you guys, is there a particular reason why you all have that feeling?

Feels like our vision is far too much, far too soon, this sudden commitment to youth development sounds wonderful... until you realise you're in the Conference where teams kick you about way more than even in this division. It's a notoriously difficult division to escape, the stadium regardless of the recent good news is still a death sentence waiting to happen the longer they keep postponing it, if we stay down too long we will go bust and be AFC York somewhere in middle of nowhere, we were lucky to escape before that happened before, now we're back so my confidence is at an all time low that we'll escape that fate.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

I first went to York when the away end was massive .....knocking most of that down has been the only 'improvements ' in 40 years ....cracking city though

 

[northstandexile]

I first went to York when the away end was massive .....knocking most of that down has been the only 'improvements ' in 40 years ....cracking city though

Nah, they have put a roof on the away end toilets.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

They put a roof over the home end also ...I forgot ....