Last Update:
October 11, 2024
On one side is the relatively modern Main Stand, which was opened in 2001. This 800-capacity stand is covered and all seated, with the team dugouts situated at the front of it. The stand comprises six rows of seating and has a small executive area at the back of it. The stand, which is free of supporting pillars, is elevated above pitch level which means that supporters have to climb small sets of steps at the front of it, to gain access. The stand only runs for three-quarters of the length of the pitch and at one end towards the A13 Steel Stand, another separate stand exists.
This stand is called the Barking College Family Stand and is a small covered, seated stand. It is smaller in height than the Main Stand and contains around 200 seats, with some supporting pillars running along the front of it. Again it is raised above pitch level and is accessed via a small staircase.
At one end is West Stand, which is a sizeable 1,200 seated affair. Opened in the 2009/10 season, it is covered, raised above pitch level and has windshields to either side. Although only eleven rows high, it is free from supporting pillars and is quite steep, meaning that fans are kept close to the playing action.
The rest of the ground is terracing, with a small open terrace behind one goal and a covered terrace along one side. The home end, the Bury Road End has a small basic electric scoreboard situated above it. This area also contains the club shop and Police control box.
The North Terrace, which runs along one side of the pitch, is known affectionately by the Dagenham fans as ‘The Sieve’ as apparently at one time it was famed for its leaking roof. This old-fashioned-looking terrace is partly covered to the rear and has a number of supporting pillars. It also has a television gantry perched upon its roof.
The ground for sponsorship purposes is now officially called the ‘Chigwell Construction Stadium’, but it is still known to many fans as Victoria Road.
If you can’t make it to Altrincham tomorrow, we will be showing the game live in the Daggers Bar! 🍻
— Dagenham & Redbridge ⚔️ (@Dag_RedFC) September 23, 2024
The Chigwell Construction Stadium opened in 1917 and is the home of Dagenham & Redbridge FC. Just under 40 years after the ground opened, the main stand was officially opened, along with various other facilities and turnstile blocks at other parts of the stadium.
Facilities across the stadium were improved drastically in the 1990s and 2000s, with eight new floodlights installed in the summer of 2021, ensuring that it met the requirements for a Football League club.
As per Dagenham’s official website: “The most notable improvement recently has seen the SD Samuels Stand replace the terracing at the Western end of the ground, opened in 2009 the stand sits around 1200 supporters and is also now home of the dressing rooms used on a matchday.”
Official Web Site: www.daggers.co.uk
The Clubs new American owners are planning to make some improvements to the ground. This may include the construction of a new covered terrace at the Bury Road End of the ground.
Dagenham are currently 13th in the National League table and will be looking to improve on last season’s 10th placed finish. The last time they were in the EFL was in the 2015/16 campaign.
Away fans are housed in the modern West Stand at one end of the stadium. Up to 1,200 fans can be accommodated in this area. As you would expect from a new stand the views of the playing action and facilities are both good.
The stand itself is easily the best stand at the stadium, so it is intriguing that it is given over to away supporters. It is raised above pitch level, meaning that you have to climb a small set of steps to enter it. One drawback is that the team’s tunnel is located in this stand and the awning is pulled out to the playing area before kick-off. This means that at this time fans can’t easily access the other side of the stand along the front of it, as they are effectively ‘cut off’ until the awning is withdrawn again.
On the plus side away fans are treated to their own indoor bar area. Food inside includes burgers, hot dogs, pies and pastries while alcohol is also served.
There is a fair-sized Social Club at the ground, which apart from a few high-profile games, welcomes away supporters. Nearby pub options include:
- Pipe Major (1 Yew Tree Ave, Dagenham RM10 7FN)
- The Eastbrook (835 Dagenham Rd, Dagenham RM10 7UP)
- The Cherry Tree (Wood Ln, Dagenham, Romford RM8 3LJ)
From The North
Leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London. At the end of the M11 continue onto the A406 towards Docklands (A13) and London City Airport. At the intersection with the A13, turn onto this road in the direction of the Dartford Crossing. At the junction with the A1306, leave the A13 and join the A1306 towards Dagenham. At the third set of traffic lights turn left just before the McDonalds into Ballards Road. At the end of this road you will come to a large roundabout, (known as the Bull roundabout, after the public house of the same name) at which you turn left, into Rainham Road. Proceed up Rainham Road passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.
From The South
Leave the M25 at Junction 31 and take the A13 towards Central London. After approximately 4.6 miles, exit the A13 onto the slip road, signposted Dagenham/Dagenham East. At the end of the slip road at the double roundabout turn right, then going under the A13. At the T-junction turn left onto the A1306. At the second set of lights turn right onto the B178 (Ballards Road). At the end of this road you will come to a large roundabout, (known as the Bull roundabout, after the public house of the same name) at which you turn left, into Rainham Road. Proceed up Rainham Road passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.
Car Parking
There is no parking available at the ground itself. However, there is plenty of street parking, some of which is available on the main Rainham road.
Take the District Line to Dagenham East (and not Dagenham Heathway). Turn left as you come out of the station and the ground is clearly sign posted and only five minutes walk away. Please note that the journey by tube from Central London can take around 45 minutes.
Remember if travelling by train then you can normally save on the cost of fares by booking in advance.
Visit the the trainline website to see how much you can save on the price of train tickets.
Click on the trainline logo below:
Dagenham & Redbridge ticket 2024/25 ticket prices:
- Adults: £17-23
- Over 65s: £12-17
- Next Gen (17-21s): £10-14
- 10-16s: £8-12
- Under 10s: £0-2
Official Programme £3.
Leyton Orient and Southend United.
For details of disabled facilities and club contact at the ground please visit the relevant page on the Level Playing Field website.
Record Attendance
5,949 v Ipswich Town
FA Cup 3rd Round, January 5th 2002
Average Attendance
2022-2023: 1,752 (National League)
2021-2022: 1,774 (National League)
2020-2021: N/A (Covid)
2019-2020: 1,401 (National League)
2018-2019: 1,426 (National League)
2017-2018: 1,464 (National League)
2016-2017: 1,379 (National League)
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Ground Layout
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Dagenham and Redbridge v FC Halifax
National League
Saturday 8th December 2018, 3pm
Mike Finister-Smith (FC Halifax)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Chigwell Construction Stadium?
This was the first match I had attended with my son for two years, as he lives right on the East Coast now, so quite a special day for us. It is also yet another new ground for me.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
It was a bit further from London Euston than I initially expected and it took around an hour on two underground trains. However, the end stop at Dagenham East was only a short walk from the ground.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
We went to the Pipe Major pub, which is a short walk from Dagenham East underground station. It is a chain pub, geared to serving food, with okay beer. I had a chat with several Dagenham supporters and found them all to be friendly and welcoming. We then went to the social club at the ground, which was also very friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Chigwell Construction Stadium?
The ground is quite tidy and the Dagenham fans I talked to were a bit miffed that away fans get the best stand and also have a half time bar and snack shop,. However, we did have to pay £21 each for this so it wasn't cheap, but the view was good from behind the goal, not least because there were only 47 of us there!
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Dagenham were on a good run, we had t play with 10 men for an hour and after they score on the hour we all thought it was game over. However, a good header from a corner gave us a hard-earned draw.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
We went for a quick pint at another pub near the ground after, which was a bit spit and sawdust but still welcoming, before making the return journey home, An enjoyable day.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A good day out at a very friendly club.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Barrow
National League
Saturday 5th August 2017, 3pm
John Woods (Barrow fan)
Dagenham v Southport
National League
Saturday 6th August 2016, 3pm
Chris (Southport fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Victoria Road Ground?
It was the first game of the season and we were visiting a league club really as they had just been relegated. I was quietly optimistic we could get something from the game.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I got the train which was proved difficult as you then have to get across London to the ground. I got lost at first on the London Underground but made it to Barking and got a taxi from there which took 20 minutes. I arrived at the ground just five minutes before kick off.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Had literally no time.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
It was smaller than I expected. They have a terraced end behind the goal. We were behind the other goal. Would call it a non-league ground to be fair.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Lost 3-0. Atmosphere was Okay at the start. Us and the Daggers fans to our right both sang Twist and Shout together which was nice. Their 50 or so fans who sang all game were superb. Had nothing to eat. Stewards were great but we're well behaved and there was only 114 of us.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Walked to Dagenham East station, got the train back and ended up home for around 21:45. Cost me an arm and a leg but we won't go into that!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
If I didn't have issues getting there and the result then maybe I'd have enjoyed it. We played poor, they played well. I don't think I'll go again as on that performance we're going down and Dagenham are going up.
Dagenham and Redbridge v AFC Wimbledon
Football League Two
Tuesday 19th April 2016, 7.45pm
Josh (AFC Wimbledon fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Victoria Road Ground?
Having won our last three games and sitting two clear in the race for the play offs, this was seen as a very important game. As the Daggers had been relegated the previous weekend and it was thought they would come out with no fear for this match. Plus with remembering our last visit to Victoria Road, resulting in a losing 4-0 scoreline, I was somewhat nervous going into the game.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Since I study at Coventry University, the journey was longer than it was for most. The train to Euston was painless, and then it was tube, DLR, Cross City (C2C) and finally a District Line tube to Dagenham East. All was with relative ease apart from it being 6 pm in London and obviously very busy. The walk from the station to the ground is one of the easiest I've ever done.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
As we were waiting for a couple more mates who had our tickets, we headed into the supporters bar at the ground. It's supposed to be 50p entry but as no one was on the door at the time we didn't have to pay! Bar was quite large although quite empty and got served my pint of Coors (£3.35) within seconds. There was a large projector showing Skysports on in the bar and home fans were all friendly enough, even though they had just been relegated from the Football League.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Victoria Road Ground?
The away end is by far the nicest stand in the ground. It's like a League One Stand attached to a Conference South ground. Views are good from the away end and the only pain is if you arrive five minutes before kick off you have to wait for the tunnel to be rolled back in before taking your seats.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.
The game was dominated by Wimbledon as you'd expect, apart from Barry fuller clearing a Jamie Cureton shot off the line when it was still 0-0. Lyle Taylor bagged a brace and really we should have had 5 or 6 apart from some untidy finishing and good goalkeeping. Didn't notice the stewards which is only a good thing. On a side note though, the programme is of very poor quality and isn't worth a pound let alone 3!
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away was very easy straight back on the tube and other connections getting back to Coventry at 01:13am.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Great day out, good win which now sees us four points clear in the play offs. Sad that the Daggers got relegated as I honestly don't see them coming back for sometime as they only had an attendance of 2,027, of which 983 were away fans. Although I do wish them the best for their conference days.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Whitehawk
FA Cup Second Round
Sunday 6th December 2015, 2pm
Rob Dodd (Doing the 92)
Why were you looking forward to visiting the Victoria Road football ground?
This was a second part of a double header in London after watching Leyton Orient the previous day. I do have a soft spot for the Daggers as I have a mate who is possibly the only Dagger on Merseyside. So I've seen the Daggers at various northern grounds and witnessed their League Two Play Off win over Rotherham United at Wembley a few years ago!
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I'd stayed the Saturday night in St Albans so it was easy getting a train to London St Pancras. Unfortunately, horrendous problems on the District Line (track from Aldgate to Dagenham East closed) meant a convoluted journey to Upminster and then a tube back to Dagenham East. However, the journey wasn't as bad as first feared. Having never spent a deal of time in the capital over the years, I've learnt my lesson; investigate the Transport for London website before making any plans! The Victoria Ground is signposted from Dagenham East and is about five minutes walk.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
I was made very welcome in the Supporters Club, enjoyed a pint but no food, except crisps. The home fans were friendly.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of Victoria Road?
Initial impressions walking up to the ground weren't good but thankfully it looks a lot better inside. I took the terrace option at a cost of £10, which meant I could watch from the side or behind the goal. Initially I watched from opposite the Carling Stand, which I thought looked pretty impressive and the away stand was nearly half full and seemed better than most away accommodation I've seen in recent years!
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
I was starving when I entered the ground but Julie's Snack Bar provided the best burger I've had in ages. The atmosphere was good, no doubt helped by about 550 away fans out of an attendance of 1900. In the first twenty minutes, Whitehawk hardly got out of their own half. Jamie Cureton grabbed a typical opportunists goal and The Daggers seemed comfortable. But once Whitehawk found their feet and confidence it was a different story and they finished the first half as the better side. The second half saw Whitehawk continue to dominate the match and I don't think it was a surprise to anyone when the equaliser came, even if it was in the fifth minute of injury time. Whitehawk very much deserved a replay and looked a class or two above their current Vanarama League South status.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
No problems getting away and easily made the Liverpool train from Euston Station, despite the need to go around the world!
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
I very much enjoyed the day and selfishly hope that the Daggers maintain their league status. The winners of the replay will travel to Everton in the third round so what an incentive that is!
Dagenham & Redbridge v Oxford United
League Two
Saturday, January 10th 2015, 3pm
Jake Hardiman (Oxford United fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be)?
I was looking forward to going to the ground as I always enjoy days out in London. This would be Oxford's first away game of 2015 and we were hoping to improve upon a frustrating 2-1 home defeat to Cheltenham Town, in the previous fixture. Finally, it is always nice to visit a new ground, which was to be the case for me with Dagenham.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Although the journey was a slightly convoluted one (walk, bus, train, tube, train, tube, walk), it was very smooth, with every connection working perfectly, giving a total door to door (house to ground) journey time of around three and a quarter hours, including a brief stop at Paddington for lunch. From Dagenham East underground station, on the District line, the ground was decently signposted, and so we found the ground quickly and easily.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy… home fans friendly?
As with any new ground for myself, we took a walk around the outside (not the longest in this case!), before heading through the turnstiles (where we bought our tickets, which, at £12 for a junior, I thought to be somewhat steeply priced) and into the away end. We arrived a good hour before kick off, so there weren't many home fans about at the time, but they all seemed friendly enough and there was no trouble between opposing sets of fans at all.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
Victoria Road is smaller than any of the other few grounds which I've previously visited, so I was very interested to take a good look at it from the away end. We Oxford fans were housed in the impressive all-seater Traditional Builders Stand, which is fairly steep, and towers above the rest of the stadium. This stand also houses the tunnel and changing rooms, and is raised slightly above pitch level.
At the opposite end of the ground was the Bury Road End, an uncovered terrace, above which resides the scoreboard. To our left was a covered terrace stretching the length of the pitch, and, to our right, the Carling (main) Stand and (adjacent to it, towards the away end) the Barking College Family Stand, both of which were also raised slightly above pitch level, and quite small (only 5 or so rows of seats). Overall, I thought that the ground had quite a genuine feel and personality to it, which is always nice.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc…
The game was the definition of a bore draw, with neither side producing more than 1 or 2 real clear cut chances, and it was easy to tell why both sides are sitting comfortably in the bottom half of the table. With regards to atmosphere, there was very little, if anything, from the Dagenham fans, besides a solitary drummer on the terrace and the occasional light smattering of applause. On the other hand, Oxford's fans (as per usual) did themselves and their club proud. 551 made the journey across to East London in total, and maintained great noise and colour throughout the 90 minutes, despite not having a great deal to sing about.
The stewards were relaxed and friendly, allowing us to sit/stand where we liked, which was appreciated (unlike when they took one of our flags, but, other than this, they were indeed a friendly and helpful bunch). However, it could argue that they were poorly planned, as, such was the volume of Oxford fans that another block of the stand had to be opened up so as to accommodate us all. These are but minor details, however. Facilities wise, the stand was well equipped, with a spacious tea/snack bar area (in which some of the Yellow Army had a minor party at half time!) and toilets all easily accessible.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
This was done with relative ease (unsurprising given the low crown of 1,892), and we were leaving Dagenham East on a District line train back towards Central London by quarter past 5. Interestingly, some of our fans continued singing from the game down to the station and onto the train; quite a scene!
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
A great day out marred only by 90 minutes of dreadful football! In all seriousness, however, I hope that the Daggers stay up, so that I can do this brilliant away day once again next time round, and hopefully come home with three points!
Dagenham & Redbridge v Exeter City
League Two
Friday, October 4th 2014, 7.45pm
Steve Ellis (Exeter City fan)
1. Why were you looking forward to going to this ground?
This was my second visit to this ground so was only looking forward to watching Exeter continue their winning run. I travelled up on the official supporters coach leaving Exeter at 12:30pm. The journey was straight forward despite a few hold ups due to an accident and the London rush hour traffic. We arrived at the ground at 6:30pm.
2. What did you do before the game, pub, chippy….home fans friendly?
Due to the time we arrived we opted for the supporters bar rather than take the 15 minute walk to a pub. The supporters bar has a 50p entry fee for visiting supporters and charges on average £3.50 per pint. Home fans that I encountered were friendly and happy to chat.
3. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end and then other sides of ground?
The ground on both sides has traditional looking stands with an open terrace at the far end of the pitch. Away fans are housed in the modern Traditional Builders Stand which is shared with home supporters. If you arrive late then after getting through the turnstile you will have to walk in front of the home support to get to the away section and may also have to wait for the players tunnel to be pushed back.
4. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, refreshments etc.
The game was fairly even and I would of happily taken a 1-1 draw but we went better by getting a last minute winner. The atmosphere between both sets of fans in the Traditional Builders Stand was good but didn't hear much from other areas of the ground. The stewards were helpful and non abtrusive, toilets under the stand were clean. Also under the stand is a nice size bar and food hall, Sky Sports is also shown down there during the game.
5. Comments on getting away from the ground after the game.
No issues in getting away after the game, again you may have to wait until the players have left the pitch and the tunnel has been pushed back in then you share the same exit as home fans, not a huge issue for us but I can imagine problems could occur on a local derby day. The coach was parked just outside the main gates and journey home was a good one, getting home at about 3:30am.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Southend United
League Two
Tuesday, January 28th 2014, 7.45pm
John & Stephen Spooner (Southend United fans)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
Not been to this ground before. Southend were in good form. Despite a recent loss in the FA Cup at home to Premier League Club Hull, Southend were unbeaten in the previous seven league outings. We had also won on our last three visits to neighbours Dagenham. Howerver, Dagenham had won 1-0 at Southend earlier in this season and had also beat Southend 5-2 at Roots Hall in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy so a close encounter was expected.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
My son and I travel to Southend games from North Wales as exiled fans so it was about 230 miles each way. It took over four hours along M6, M1, M25 and local roads into Dagenham, compared to 30 miles for Southend home fans. We used trusted satnav, but could have done without as the ground is easy to find on the Rainham Road. However, parking is not so easy as all nearby roads have permit parking only. After 5:30 pm it was possible to park on the Rainham Road, but with driving rain and heavy traffic it wasn't easy but we eventually managed it.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We took a nap in the car and ate our usual pre-packed picnic.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
The ground came into sight on our left as we arrived and is small, approached via a small street off Rainham Road. There were some huge deep puddles in the car park and the pouring rain did not help the staff as they attempted to brush the waters away. On entering there is a small food bar that served the usual pies and burgers. The ground is cramped in appearance with a very small home standing area with a clock above visible to away supporters, and a Main Stand running the length of the pitch. Both side stands are not that tall, resulting in at least 6 balls during the game either flying over them or landing on the roof. The best stand, is the away fans end which is very modern. It is amazing that such a stand is given to visiting supporters with a clear view of the pitch from all seats and plenty of leg room, and one which would grace many stadiums of a higher status.
The pitch had been almost unplayable in Dagenham's previous home game at the weekend and the referee had taken the players off during a deluge. The rain had continued until Tuesday night and the ground staff had done a magnificent work to prepare a pitch that played well despite 2 or 3 hours of constant rainfall.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The game was a tight affair but both teams tried to play a passing game and Southend managed to take the lead during the second half. Dagenham fought back for a deserved draw. Stewards were friendly enough but insisted that everyone sat as indicated on ticket due to the away seating stand being sold out. The Southend fans made up about 50% of the ground attendance which was brilliant considering the horrible weather. The banter between fans was quite good and about 200 Southend fans in the standing end of the Dagenham Main Stand adjacent to the away seated stand were chanting the usual “stand up if you love Southend” to urge the seated fans to stand and then they chanted “sit down if you love Southend” whereupon the 200 or so promptly sat down on the cold wet concrete terracing to everyone’s amusement. This comical moment was made more surreal when the same standing fans chanting “take off a shoe if you love Southend” which they did, enthusiastically waving their shoes above their heads.
The food on offer was varied and not too expensive and I can vouch for the Pukka beef and onion pies at £2.50 which was delicious. The match program of 64 pages was £3 and okay.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
The only problem in getting away from the away end was the walking area which was more like a lake due to poor drainage after the constant rain. The rain also made for a difficult drive locally up to the M25 but straightforward 4 hours journey back to North Wales.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
The result usually determines our thoughts so a hard earned draw was satisfactory. The local area is densely residential and parking is permit only.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Burton Albion
League Two
Friday, April 6th, 2012, 3pm
John Hubble (Doing the 92)
Needing four grounds to complete the current 92, I had only intended visiting The Amex Stadium Brighton later this month when my team Birmingham City play there and wasn’t intending adding to that this season. However having looked at the Good Friday Fixtures and noting the off peak rail ticket day return from New Street to Euston was £20 and being in a position to use my son’s Oyster card for the tube section of the journey, I decided it was too good an overall deal to turn down and so a visit to Victoria Road for Dagenham’s game against Burton was a done deal.
The journey down to Euston was straight forward enough and I then took the tube to Embankment (Northern Line) to connect up with the District line to Dagenham East which all in all, the journey time is about an hour from Euston, arriving at the ground at 12.30pm. As has been mentioned on reviews on this site before,there is very little in the immediate vicinity hot foodwise or in the hostelry area and so after taking a few pictures inside the ground thanks to helpful stewards, I bought a programme & badge from the (rather limited) club shop and had a couple of beers in the Social club behind the Main Stand and watched the Reading v Leeds game. It cost 50p to enter the Club and they had Doombar ale available at £2.70 a pint, which was very reasonable. Got talking to a couple of Arsenal fans who were taking in this game and obviously the Carling Cup win last year was discussed at some length..(Who put the ball in the Arsenal net…Who put the ball in the Arsenal net !!)
Decided to stand on the terraces (£17) in true tradition and had the usual footy food fare of Cheeseburger with onions for £2.90 which I thought given this is London was pretty reasonably priced (never get any decent pies whatsover in the capital!)
The game itself was pretty average if I’m fair. Dagenham had the greater possession in the first half but neither keeper was really troubled. The second half was only a few minutes old when Burton took the lead with a 20 yard curler into the far corner, possibly against the run of play. Dagenham pressed forward from then on and deservedly equalised in the last few minutes through Brian Woodall. A 1-1 scoreline was just about a fair result and moved Dagenham a point nearer League safety.
After the game I paid a visit to the Programme shop behind the open terrace end which was run by a couple of old boys and enquired if they had the Dagenham v Birmingham programme from the pre season friendly in 2009/10 which they had. If you ever visit Victoria Road and have any time before/after the game the Programme Shop is well worth a visit, large variety of stock,League/ex-League/Current season etc and the two chaps who run it couldn’t be more helpful.
The journey back home went smoothly although the 2 hour 20 minute journey from Euston to New Street was quite labourius (that's why it was only £20) arriving home at 9.30. All in all though a good trip and a pleasant place to visit, stewards,staff etc very kind and friendly and certainly would not rule out another visit sometime if the Blues were playing there.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Southampton
League One
Monday, January 3rd, 2011, 3pm
Paul Bartlett (Southampton fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I was looking forward to visiting Dagenham because the Saints were in good form running up to this, sitting 2nd in League One. Plus it was a chance to sample a recent non league ground and get close to the players.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
Me and my mate took the official coach up the ground, we left at 10.30 am from St Mary's and arrived at Dagenham at 1 pm, very easy journey with no hold ups, and Dagenham seemed a very easy place to find apart from the ground which you do not actually see until your directly outside. The coach parked on the road next to the stadium, as did many cars.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
There wasn't much around the ground if truth be told, apart from a chippy just across the road with a West Ham badge on it, which was bordered up so not much help. There were also a couple of petrol stations nearby, which is where my mate decided to go grab a bite to eat, only to later discover that the food in ground is very good, big portions at reasonable prices. The home fans were very friendly and so were the police surprisingly, getting involved with the banter between the fans.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
You can really tell that Dagenham until recently were a non league team, there was a family stand to our right which was very small and looked like the only stand with seats all the others were terracing and very poor, the away end however is great. Modern, lots of legs room and great views of the action, plus the players tunnel was at our end which is a bit bizarre, and the stewards were very laid back so we could stand right next tunnel and watch players come out to train (not for the kick off though, sadly)
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
The atmosphere was great, Saints fans singing their hearts out for 90 minutes, the daggers fans would break into song occasionally but were generally quiet, the stewards were great very very laid back, had nice conversation with one of them, talking me through daggers history, the toilets were of a poor standard, you were guaranteed to have to queue for them, just like the food. There was a disabled toilet just across from the main toilets which didn't seem to get used that much so a few fans used that instead.
The game itself was fairly controlled by Saints and after going 2-0 up in the second half, it looked as if all three points were safe. However Dagenham pulled one back to make it 2-1 and then hit the underside of the cross bar from a free kick. It was a relief to see Ricky Lambert score to make it 3-1 to Southampton.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away was very easy, hopped back on the coach, we hit no congestion and there didn't seem to be any elsewhere, within 20 minutes we were back on the M25 heading home.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Dagenham is well worth visiting, its a chance to get up close to your teams players, and to sample a recent non league ground, however by League One standards it is fairly poor and I will not be in a rush to go back.
Dagenham & Redbridge v AFC Bournemouth
League Two
Saturday, February 13th, 2010, 3pm
Alex Jones (AFC Bournemouth fan)
1. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be):
I knew that Dagenham wasn’t going to be the most glamorous away trips of the year, however Bournemouth were chasing promotion and it wasn’t such a trek to make up to the capital. We were in good form and I felt we would be able to nick at least a point. It promised to be a exciting day out.
2. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
The journey wasn’t too complicated, a two and a half hour drive up the M3 and then up the M25 to the Dartford tunnel. I used my programme notes to find the ground, and we found a small street to park on, so that wasn’t an issue.
3. What you did before the game pub/chippy…. home fans friendly?
We went straight to the ground to soak up the atmosphere as we had a large contingent of away fans, around 800, so the atmosphere was great. We got a drink and a pie inside the ground, relatively good prices. I think I had a pie and a pint and still managed change from a fiver.
4. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground?
My first thoughts of the ground were how poor it was. There were two terraces and two stands, ours however, the away end was particularly impressive. It was an all seater stand with good facilities. I was rather surprised to see the tunnel was situated beneath our area. However I suppose you come to expect this from a team who have spent most of their existence in non league.
5. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, toilets etc..
The game itself was a shocker from our point of view. As usual a large travelling support wasn’t matched with a good performance. Dagenham won one nil with a penalty on the stroke of half time, a ridiculous decision which had the referee cursing the fact the tunnel was under the packed out away end! We could have grabbed a point, but we were still second and so that suited me fine. The atmosphere was only decent due to our fans, while the stewards were ridiculously over zealous with us. People were being ejected for swearing, which I found crazy considering the 20 quid entrance fee for a mediocre game of football. Toilets were standard, and all in all a good day out bar the result.
6. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
Getting away from the ground was fine, apart from the usual banter lead to a bit of a stand off. We were soon back on the M25 back home, with little congestion around the ground.
7. Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
I thought it was a good day out. However, the ground was fairly basic and I wont be rushing back to Dagenham in the near future, especially if we produce another of those poor performances.