25 Years

[CFuller]

MAY 2007

Whoever wrote the script for the 2006/2007 Division 1 season must be a psychopathic sadist. When the season reached its conclusion on Sunday 6 May, virtually everything was up for grabs.

 

Burnley were confirmed as champions, with Sunderland and Notts County battling it out to join them in the Premiership. Whoever missed out would have to settle for the play-offs, in which EIGHT teams were still in contention for the remaining three places. Meanwhile, another four clubs were hoping to avoid being relegated to Division 2 alongside Kidderminster and Walsall.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge were one of the quartet still fighting for survival, along with Grimsby, Norwich and the team who currently occupied that fateful 22nd place - Port Vale.

 

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19th    Norwich                         45   9    8    5    29   24   5    2    16   19   38   52   
20th    Grimsby                         45   9    6    7    27   19   5    3    15   22   44   51   
21st    Dag & Red                       45   8    5    9    35   38   7    1    15   22   38   51   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd    Port Vale                       45   7    4    12   33   46   7    4    11   33   37   50   

 

Our final game was at home to Nottingham Forest, who had nothing to play for. Grimsby also finished their season at home, against a Brentford team who were in the thick of the play-off battle. The most important match was at Carrow Road, where Norwich and Port Vale crossed swords.

 

• If Norwich won, Port Vale were relegated. Our result wouldn't matter; we would be safe.
• If Port Vale and Norwich drew, we would need to get at least a draw against Forest to send Vale down. If we lost, we would be relegated - unless Grimsby were battered by at least FIVE more goals than our losing margin.
• If Port Vale won by FOUR goals or fewer, we would be relegated with a defeat - or a draw, if Grimsby avoided defeat.
• If Port Vale won by at least FIVE goals, a defeat would still relegate us - but a draw would be enough to guarantee survival, regardless of Grimsby's result.

 

So, as strange as it would have sounded a few weeks ago, we wanted Norwich to win.

 

Of course, our focus had to be on beating Nottingham Forest, and rendering those other results irrelevant. It wouldn't be easy - Forest were comfortably in mid-table, and had lost just one of their previous nine games. You may also remember that they gave us a 4-0 mauling at the City Ground on Boxing Day.

 

[Gulp] Here goes nothing...

 

6 MAY 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Nottingham Forest

We come out for this match in a determined mood, and a couple of 9th-minute corners put the pressure on Nottingham Forest's defence. Kerry Mayo's first set-piece was swung in towards captain Lee Matthews, whose header was parried behind by Forest keeper Neil Sullivan for another corner. That time around, Mayo found midfielder Steven Sidwell, who outjumped David Prutton and broke the deadlock!

 

Any kind of lead would be enough to keep us in Division 1, but we now wanted to pull even further ahead. Two minutes after conceding Sidwell's opener, Sullivan caught a swerving effort from his Scottish compatriot Craig Winter that could've sent us 2-0 up. Our other Scottish midfielder Alan McLean then drove a shot inches over the bar in the 24th minute.

 

Forest skipper Jermaine Jenas rifled a volley off target in the 34th minute - a miss that almost came back to haunt the visitors three minutes later. Mayo caused them problems with yet another corner, which Sidwell thought he had headed home… until Phil Gilchrist hacked it off the line at the very last moment!

 

Despite looking good for a very commanding advantage, we still only led by a single goal at half-time - but it was still enough as things stood. Other matches were going in our favour, as Norwich were still deadlocked with Port Vale, and Grimsby were 2-0 down to Brentford. Indeed, we looked set to rise all the way up to 18th place - even going ahead of Luton!

 

However, it didn't take long for the mood at Victoria Road to grow more anxious. As Sullivan made another couple of blinding saves to frustrate Daggers strikers Junior McDougald and Luke Beckett, it emerged that Grimsby had scored a couple of quick goals to make it 2-2 with Brentford. If the Mariners scored again, any slip-up here would see them leapfrog us in the table!

 

Forest continued to soak up pressure midway through the second half, before launching a counter-attack in the 79th minute. A rare mistake from our otherwise impressive right-back Jamie Smith gave away a corner, which his Forest counterpart Prutton floated to centre-back Guillermo van Berkum. That prompted Robert Green's first save of the match, which he later followed up with another from Ian Westlake.

 

We were now the team under pressure, and midfield destroyer Simon Rusk showed his commitment in the 84th minute with a crunching tackle on Jenas. Rusk gave away a free-kick - and to make matters worse, he tore his own groin muscle in the process. Rusk was stretchered off, and central defender Michael Nelson came on as we switched to a 3-5-2 for the closing stages.

 

Once the dust had settled, Jenas lifted his free-kick over the defensive wall and into the Dagenham box. His target was substitute midfielder Eugen Bopp, and the former Ukraine Under-21s international flicked a header past Green to draw Forest level. Disaster.

 

Brentford had thankfully regained their lead over Grimsby at that point, and there was still no sign of a goal between Norwich and Port Vale - but now our situation was precarious. If Forest struck again to go 2-1 up, we would drop into the relegation zone... unless Norwich could score a late winner of their own.

 

Those final six minutes before full-time felt like 60. In the end, Forest had run out of steam, and we had just about held on to claim a 1-1 draw. We had done our bit... but was it enough?

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Sidwell 9)

Nottingham Forest - 1 (Bopp 84)

Division 1, Attendance 7,985 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red TBC, Nottm Forest 14th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Green; Smith, Navarro, Matthews, Mayo (Fox); Rusk (Nelson), Sidwell, McLean (Carter); Winter; Beckett, McDonald. BOOKED: Matthews.

 

Even as we returned to the home dressing room, we still didn't know if our Division 1 status was safe. If Grimsby and Port Vale had recorded late victories in their games, we would still be relegated.

 

The results slowly filtered through. When we heard that Grimsby had lost 3-2 to Brentford, almost the entire room erupted in delight.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge had SURVIVED - and with Norwich vs Port Vale finishing goalless, we ended the season in 20th place! Norwich leapfrogged Luton into 18th, Grimsby narrowly survived in 21st, and Vale went down on goal difference.

 

While all the players and coaches wildly celebrated us securing another season in Division 1, I simply slumped onto the bench and breathed a huge sigh of relief. After all the upheaval, after all the schoolboy errors, after starting the season with two points from our first 14 games, we had somehow pulled off a great escape Steve McQueen would have been proud of.

 

And yet it had come so close to ending in tears. If Nottingham Forest had scored one more goal late on, we would have found ourselves back in Division 2. Such were the fine margins between survival and relegation.

 

But if you disregarded our sluggish start, we had still picked up an impressive 50 points from our last 32 games. Replicating that form across an entire season would have given us something like 71 or 72 points - not too far off the play-offs!

 

There was little doubt that we'd finished the season with a much stronger squad than we had come up with. My rather liberal approach to transfers this season had eventually given us a team who could seriously compete with some of the division's giants. Let's not forget that we beat Sunderland at home - and they were automatically promoted in 2nd place (incidentally, Coventry would win the play-offs).

 

And yet there were still some causes for concern. Our number 1 keeper Robert Green had been worryingly erratic, often losing focus and conceding from counter-attacks.

 

We also lacked a consistent goalscorer. Luke Beckett was our only player to score at least 10 goals this season, and he was unsurprisingly named as our 2006/2007 Player of the Year.

 

Full-back had been a major issue throughout the season. Jamie Smith looked to have been a solid late addition on the right, but fellow newcomer Lee Fox had so far been outshone at left-back by the long-serving Kerry Mayo.

 

There are reasons to believe the 2007/2008 season could be a positive one. For one thing, we probably don't have to make too many more radical changes to a competitive team that looks capable of finishing solidly in mid-table. Of course, there's always the fear that second-season syndrome could bite us hard. Just ask Kidderminster.

 

But after six amazing years as Dagenham & Redbridge manager, am I still the right man to take this club forward? Or is it time to look for a fresh challenge?

Edited January 17, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

DIVISION 1 TABLE (End of 2006/2007 season)

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Burnley                         46   16   5    2    55   25   11   5    7    37   31   91   
2nd  P  Sunderland                      46   17   4    2    49   18   7    6    10   33   38   82   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Notts Co                        46   14   5    4    36   22   9    7    7    35   31   81   
4th     Birmingham                      46   13   6    4    46   27   9    5    9    47   39   77   
5th     Brentford                       46   13   8    2    46   27   8    4    11   32   30   75   
6th  P  Coventry                        46   14   4    5    42   24   8    4    11   32   41   74   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Crewe                           46   13   4    6    44   29   8    6    9    22   27   73   
8th     Sheff Utd                       46   13   5    5    39   26   7    7    9    26   27   72   
9th     Charlton                        46   12   5    6    37   27   8    7    8    37   44   72   
10th    Chesterfield                    46   13   2    8    37   30   8    6    9    25   28   71   
11th    W.B.A.                          46   14   2    7    44   29   7    4    12   30   41   69   
12th    Preston                         46   10   9    4    33   28   8    5    10   24   27   68   
13th    Bradford                        46   14   2    7    35   28   6    6    11   29   37   68   
14th    Nottm Forest                    46   12   6    5    39   24   6    7    10   26   37   67   
15th    Fulham                          46   10   4    9    28   27   7    5    11   22   28   60   
16th    Derby                           46   11   5    7    42   34   4    8    11   33   45   58   
17th    Millwall                        46   10   6    7    37   33   4    7    12   23   32   55   
18th    Norwich                         46   9    9    5    29   24   5    2    16   19   38   53   
19th    Luton                           46   9    7    7    15   15   5    4    14   16   34   53   
20th    Dag & Red                       46   8    6    9    36   39   7    1    15   22   38   52   
21st    Grimsby                         46   9    6    8    29   22   5    3    15   22   44   51   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd R  Port Vale                       46   7    4    12   33   46   7    5    11   33   37   51   
23rd R  Kidderminster                   46   5    5    13   29   38   2    6    15   28   53   32   
24th R  Walsall                         46   5    4    14   24   41   2    3    18   30   57   28   

 

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Manchester United hold off a late surge from Arsenal to clinch their fifth consecutive Premiership title on the final day, with Amoroso scoring the decisive goal at Newcastle. It's also their 19th English league championship, breaking Liverpool's record. Pool endure more misery in the FA Cup Final, which Chelsea win 2-1 with an 86th-minute goal from Craig Bellamy.
• Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa are all relegated from the Premiership, as Guus Hiddink heroically leads Southampton to final-day survival. After guiding newly-promoted Wolves to an impressive 8th-place finish, manager Dave Jones has an existential crisis and takes the vacant Middlesbrough job, essentially relegating himself!
• Leeds reach their first European Cup Final since 1975... and the Whites live their ultimate dream in Tel-Aviv, where Mark Viduka's header sees off Barcelona. As Rio Ferdinand triumphantly lifts the Champions League trophy, a delighted Viduka tells his manager David O'Leary, "Okay, mate; can you actually let me leave now?"
• Juventus get their hands on the UEFA Cup, with Marcelo Salas and Federico Domínguez sealing a 2-0 win over Dortmund. Meanwhile in Serie A, Lazio and Milan finish level on points at the top, so the scudetto is decided through a play-off, which Lazio win 3-0 on aggregate to claim a fifth title in eight seasons. Inter finish 3rd, with former champions Roma having to settle for 4th.
• Perennial bridesmaids Leverkusen finally walk down the Bundesliga aisle, beating Bayern München 2-0 on the final weekend to claim their first ever German championship! Barcelona seal a record fifth straight La Liga title with four matches to spare, while Marseille are crowned Ligue 1 champions for the first time since 2003.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Madeleine McCann - a three-year-old girl from Leicestershire - disappears from a hotel while on a family holiday in the Algarve. The Portuguese police launch one of the biggest missing persons searches the world has ever seen.
• France goes to the polls and elects Nicolas Sarkozy to succeed Jacques Chirac as President. 52-year-old Sarkozy is currently divorcing his second wife, so if any Italian models-turned-singer-songwriters are reading this…
• The pro-independence Scottish National Party oust Labour as the largest party in Scotland’s parliamentary election, with Alex Salmond sworn in as the new First Minister. Meanwhile, home rule returns to Northern Ireland of the first time since 2002, as unionist Reverend Ian Paisley and republican Martin McGuinness agree to form a new power-sharing government.
• ‘Good girl gone bad’ Rihanna dominates the UK Singles Chart as “Umbrella” rains down on the hit parade. Steve McClaren is seen buying 100 copies of the single at the Sunderland branch of HMV.

Edited January 17, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

DAG & RED PLAYER STATISTICS (2006/2007)

Goalkeepers                    Apps     Con    Asts   Yel    Red    MoM    Av R
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1   Green, Robert              49       82     0      1      0      1      6.88   
13  Pollitt, Mike              1 (1)    1      0      0      0      0      7.00   

Outfield Players               Apps     Gls    Asts   Yel    Red    MoM    Av R
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Alsop, Julian              0 (2)    0      0      0      0      0      5.50   
*   Barrett, Neil              17 (3)   1      0      2      0      0      6.25   
25  Beckett, Luke              47 (2)   11     3      0      0      3      7.08   
19  Bell, Simon                13 (7)   1      0      1      0      1      6.70   
*   Brooker, David             2 (5)    0      0      0      0      0      5.86   
14  Carter, Ryan               29 (7)   4      7      2      0      1      6.56   
27  Ferry, Paul                0 (1)    0      0      0      0      0      6.00   
33  Foley-Sheridan, Michael    10 (8)   1      5      0      0      0      6.33   
3   Fox, Lee                   8 (3)    0      0      0      0      0      6.18   
34  Graham, Paul               4 (5)    0      2      0      0      0      6.00   
*   Hamilton, Des              0 (3)    0      0      0      0      0      5.67   
*   Hawkins, Peter             1        0      0      0      0      0      4.00   
10  Kyle, Kevin                3 (11)   0      1      0      0      0      6.43   
*   Maher, Shaun               3 (1)    0      0      0      0      0      7.25   
5   Matthews, Lee              46       1      0      4      0      4      7.07   
11  Mayo, Kerry                30 (6)   0      8      2      0      0      6.56   
26  McCourt, John              0 (2)    0      0      0      0      0      6.50   
40  McDonald, Scott            12 (2)   7      1      0      0      2      7.21   
9   McDougald, Junior          7 (9)    4      1      0      0      0      6.81   
31  McLean, Alan               28 (3)   3      4      2      0      1      6.58   
*   Melligan, John-Joseph      4 (3)    0      1      0      0      0      6.71   
*   Mitchell, Paul             9 (1)    0      1      0      0      0      6.10   
*   Mwaruwari, Benjani         7 (1)    1      0      2      0      0      7.43   
6   Navarro, David             35 (3)   4      4      4      2      4      7.13   
15  Nelson, Michael            8 (5)    0      0      4      0      0      6.31   
8   Osman, Leon                18 (4)   2      5      0      0      0      6.45   
16  Prenderville, Barry        15 (4)   0      1      0      0      0      6.32   
21  Rankin, Isaiah             24 (9)   7      2      0      0      0      6.94   
32  Rusk, Simon                36 (2)   6      2      8      0      1      6.79   
17  Ryan, Robbie               11 (5)   0      1      3      0      0      6.19   
22  Sidwell, Steven            19       3      3      1      0      0      6.89   
2   Smith, Jamie               8        0      0      0      0      0      6.75   
*   Walsh, Michael             4 (6)    0      0      0      0      0      6.40   
20  Weekes, Nick               1 (6)    0      0      0      0      0      6.14   
*   Williams, James            3        0      0      0      0      0      6.33   
18  Winter, Craig              28 (13)  7      2      0      1      2      6.76   
*   Worrell, David             10 (1)   0      0      0      0      0      6.55   

* [Player not currently at club]

 

[CFuller]

JUNE 2007

The toughest season of my managerial career was finally over. After three promotions in five years, Dagenham & Redbridge had faced its most gruelling challenges yet in Division 1 - but despite a shocking start, we had avoided relegation. Only by the skin of our teeth, mind.

 

During my post-season holiday, I had a lot of time to think about my future. Had I taken the Daggers as far as I could? Was it time to pass the baton to a different manager? Or did I have enough in me to build a Dagenham side that could thrive in Division 1, rather than just survive?

 

In the end, my decision was surprisingly easy. I still had one more year left on my contract, and I owed it to this club to at least see it out. Another big part of my decision was that there were no job vacancies in the English or Scottish leagues that were attractive or realistic enough to lure me away.

 

Having committed to the Daggers for another season, I now had to make some tough decisions about who to keep in the squad - and who to ditch.

 

The first player to leave was Mike Pollitt. Mike was our starting goalkeeper when we were promoted from Division 3 in 2005 and had more recently played second-fiddle to Robert Green. Though he no longer had a future at Victoria Road, I'm sure the 35-year-old still has some life left in him. Any lower-league club looking for a solid shotstopper could do worse.

 

Third-choice goalkeeper Andy Woodman, also 35, dropped down to the Conference and signed for Farnborough. Woodman was Pollitt's understudy during the 2004/2005 season, making five appearances before dropping into the reserves.

 

20-year-old reserve winger John Powell signed for Welsh Premier League side Newtown after failing to break into our first-team. Powell would hope to have a better time in Wales than striker Chris Griffiths, whose latest loan spell at Connah's Quay had yielded nine goals and four assists in 43 matches.

 

Pacey striker Isaiah Rankin was sold to Norwich for £200,000 - a small profit on the £140,000 we paid Barnsley for him just 10 months ago. Rankin scored seven goals in 33 games for us, which wasn't a terrible return - certainly not compared to Kevin Kyle, who played 14 matches without scoring even once! Unfortunately, Izzy lacked the consistent finishing we needed at this level.

 

And finally, Mark Janney was released. The right-winger played over 200 games after joining us from Tottenham as a teenager in 1997 and was one of our standout performers when we won the Conference title in 2003. He then gradually drifted out of the first-team picture, and didn't play for us at all this season. It was a sadly anti-climactic end to a decade of service for a true Daggers legend.

 

I also put several players up for sale. Kyle was placed in the shop window alongside midfielders Michael Foley-Sheridan and Nick Weekes, and full-backs Kerry Mayo, Barry Prenderville and Robbie Ryan. If anyone wanted to take them off our hands, I was willing to listen.

 

Financially, the club was still on a solid footing. The board had ploughed plenty of money into the training facilities, upgrading them to an acceptable standard for Division 1. Despite that, they were still willing to give me a fresh £4million transfer budget, most of which came from TV revenue.

 

Having splurged close to £2million on new players over the past 12 months, I vowed to be more careful with my spending this summer. I decided to raid the free transfer market for some bargains before writing out any heavy cheques.

 

A couple of young midfielders joined our reserve team. Jermaine Barnett (17) is a nippy right-winger from east London. Iceland youth international Ólafur Jónsson (18) is a brave defensive midfielder who made 50 league appearances for Valur.

 

On the other end of the experience scale, Espen Baardsen will provide some serious competition for Green's number 1 jersey. The 29-year-old has been capped nine times by Norway, and has previously played for Tottenham, Watford and latterly West Brom. He's agile, smart, and composed under pressure - just the goalkeeper we need.

 

My most expensive signing so far is 21-year-old striker Danny Roberts, who cost us £45,000 from Grays Athletic. Roberts lit up the Conference last season, scoring 21 goals in just 31 games, even as Grays were relegated back to the Isthmian League. Danny certainly has the athleticism, technique and power to be a prolific poacher - the only question is whether he can carry his non-league form over to the professional game.

 

But if Roberts isn't the answer to our scoring problems, I'm confident our other major signing will be. Have you ever heard of a fella named Cherno Samba?

 

Samba is a 22-year-old Gambian international striker who really has it all - pace, stamina, strength, teamwork, and excellent finishing ability both on the ground and in the air. I was as surprised as anyone when I heard Millwall had allowed his contract to expire... but after scoring eight goals in just 19 games this term, you could understand why Cherno wanted to look for regular first-team football elsewhere.

 

A striker of Samba's calibre wasn't ever going to come cheap - even on a free transfer. After a couple of weeks of negotiations, he eventually agreed to sign a four-year contract on £6,500 per week, making him our new highest earner. Let's hope we can actually get a good return on our investment this time (I'm looking at you, Kevin).

 

We still need a couple of quality full-backs to compete with Lee Fox on the left and Jamie Smith on the right, but otherwise, I'm pretty satisfied with our squad. I don't think we have too many glaring weaknesses that the bigger teams can easily exploit. All being well, I'm confident this coming season won't be quite as stressful as the last one...

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Manchester United look to continue their Premiership dominance with another huge signing, snapping up Athletic Bilbao forward Joseba Etxeberría for £18.25million. Considering that he already had to contend with Amoroso, França and Djibril Cissé for a starting place, Ruud van Nistelrooy begins to wonder if it's time to take his talents away from Old Trafford.
• Premiership runners-up Arsenal sign a Spanish superstar of their own, acquiring 25-year-old playmaker Vicente on a Bosman free transfer from Valencia. Chelsea also show they mean business by bringing in Nottingham Forest's highly-rated midfielder Jermaine Jenas. Meanwhile, new European champions Leeds sign a little-known 35-year-old Frenchman called Zinedine Zidane.
• After winning the Primeira Liga title without losing a single game, Porto send out a warning to their Portuguese rivals by breaking their transfer record. Italy full-back Gianluca Zambrotta moves to the Estádio das Antas in a £16.25million move from Bologna, where he spent two seasons after leaving Juventus in 2005.
• Schalke 04 manager Huub Stevens is sacked after last season's Bundesliga champions drop to 5th, with former HSV boss Edgardo Bauza coming in as his successor. Erstwhile Valencia coach Rafa Benítez takes on an intriguing new challenge with Turkish champions Fenerbahçe.
• Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman retires from playing aged 35 and joins Setanta Sports as a pundit. Armchair football fans let out a collective groan.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• British Prime Minister Tony Blair ends his 10-year premiership, having announced his intention to step down last month. Blair's Chancellor and long-time Labour rival Gordon Brown takes over, making the short move from 11 Downing Street to Number 10.
• Bristolian tenor Paul Potts wins the first series of ITV's new talent show "Britain's Got Talent", wowing audiences with his performance of "Nessun Dorma". Meanwhile on BBC Two, an unsigned 19-year-old soul singer from Tottenham called Adele Adkins makes her television debut on "Later... with Jools Holland".
• Bernard Manning - the larger-than-life Mancunian comic notorious for his sexist and racist jokes - dies aged 76. The legendary black newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald pays a heartfelt tribute on his new ITV show, calling Manning "a fat white b*****d".
• The wrestling community is stunned when WWE superstar Chris Benoit and his family are found dead at their home in Fayetteville, Georgia. Shock soon turns into horror, as it emerges that the 40-year-old Canadian had murdered his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son Daniel before hanging himself.

[CFuller]

SEASON REVIEW 2006/2007

ENGLAND

NOTE: All goals and assist records relate to league matches only.

 

PREMIERSHIP

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Man Utd                         38   16   2    1    43   10   7    6    6    26   25   77   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd     Arsenal                         38   11   7    1    40   11   9    4    6    31   22   71   
3rd     Tottenham                       38   14   3    2    40   17   5    10   4    23   19   70   
4th     Liverpool                       38   11   7    1    25   9    8    5    6    18   17   69   
5th     Chelsea                         38   13   5    1    46   21   5    8    6    32   32   67   
6th     Leeds                           38   11   2    6    39   20   7    6    6    26   22   62   
7th     West Ham                        38   12   4    3    37   23   6    3    10   21   31   61   
8th     Wolves                          38   12   2    5    30   24   4    6    9    28   38   56   
9th     Bolton                          38   9    7    3    31   20   5    5    9    26   39   54   
10th    Stoke                           38   9    4    6    25   16   6    2    11   20   28   51   
11th    Sheff Wed                       38   7    6    6    32   30   6    6    7    24   27   51   
12th    Newcastle                       38   8    6    5    32   28   4    5    10   19   37   47   
13th    Everton                         38   6    5    8    13   15   7    3    9    22   35   47   
14th    Man City                        38   9    4    6    35   27   4    2    13   25   44   45   
15th    Blackburn                       38   5    10   4    28   26   3    8    8    22   31   42   
16th    Crystal Palace                  38   6    5    8    28   33   5    3    11   25   40   41   
17th    Southampton                     38   7    3    9    32   29   1    7    11   17   37   34   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18th R  Aston Villa                     38   5    5    9    25   34   3    4    12   11   31   33   
19th R  Middlesbrough                   38   4    7    8    26   31   3    4    12   17   34   32   
20th R  Ipswich                         38   5    6    8    25   29   2    3    14   20   43   30   

 

Top Goalscorer - Bosko Balaban (Sheff Wed), Francis Jeffers (Arsenal): 20.

Most Assists - Ricardo Gardner (Bolton): 15.

Highest Average Rating - Patrice Evra (Arsenal): 8.18.

 

PFA Player of the Year - Thierry Henry (Arsenal).

PFA Young Player of the Year - not awarded.

 

DIVISION 1

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Burnley                         46   16   5    2    55   25   11   5    7    37   31   91   
2nd  P  Sunderland                      46   17   4    2    49   18   7    6    10   33   38   82   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Notts Co                        46   14   5    4    36   22   9    7    7    35   31   81   
4th     Birmingham                      46   13   6    4    46   27   9    5    9    47   39   77   
5th     Brentford                       46   13   8    2    46   27   8    4    11   32   30   75   
6th  P  Coventry                        46   14   4    5    42   24   8    4    11   32   41   74   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Crewe                           46   13   4    6    44   29   8    6    9    22   27   73   
8th     Sheff Utd                       46   13   5    5    39   26   7    7    9    26   27   72   
9th     Charlton                        46   12   5    6    37   27   8    7    8    37   44   72   
10th    Chesterfield                    46   13   2    8    37   30   8    6    9    25   28   71   
11th    W.B.A.                          46   14   2    7    44   29   7    4    12   30   41   69   
12th    Preston                         46   10   9    4    33   28   8    5    10   24   27   68   
13th    Bradford                        46   14   2    7    35   28   6    6    11   29   37   68   
14th    Nottm Forest                    46   12   6    5    39   24   6    7    10   26   37   67   
15th    Fulham                          46   10   4    9    28   27   7    5    11   22   28   60   
16th    Derby                           46   11   5    7    42   34   4    8    11   33   45   58   
17th    Millwall                        46   10   6    7    37   33   4    7    12   23   32   55   
18th    Norwich                         46   9    9    5    29   24   5    2    16   19   38   53   
19th    Luton                           46   9    7    7    15   15   5    4    14   16   34   53   
20th    Dag & Red                       46   8    6    9    36   39   7    1    15   22   38   52   
21st    Grimsby                         46   9    6    8    29   22   5    3    15   22   44   51   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd R  Port Vale                       46   7    4    12   33   46   7    5    11   33   37   51   
23rd R  Kidderminster                   46   5    5    13   29   38   2    6    15   28   53   32   
24th R  Walsall                         46   5    4    14   24   41   2    3    18   30   57   28   

 

DIVISION 2

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Q.P.R.                          46   17   4    2    48   24   14   6    3    51   31   103  
2nd  P  Carlisle                        46   18   1    4    59   22   10   4    9    47   44   89   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd  P  Peterborough                    46   14   6    3    54   31   12   3    8    45   42   87   
4th     Leicester                       46   15   6    2    44   14   9    6    8    34   35   84   
5th     Wrexham                         46   13   5    5    40   24   9    7    7    41   34   78   
6th     Portsmouth                      46   16   2    5    47   28   7    4    12   28   40   75   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Shrewsbury                      46   14   3    6    46   29   7    6    10   31   35   72   
8th     Huddersfield                    46   15   4    4    54   34   5    5    13   42   60   69   
9th     Torquay                         46   16   3    4    58   39   5    3    15   37   60   69   
10th    Swindon                         46   8    9    6    44   37   7    13   3    36   28   67   
11th    Gillingham                      46   11   8    4    45   31   6    7    10   34   38   66   
12th    Rochdale                        46   11   7    5    50   33   5    5    13   34   43   60   
13th    Reading                         46   9    8    6    39   31   6    5    12   26   37   58   
14th    Watford                         46   9    5    9    38   37   7    5    11   27   40   58   
15th    Northampton                     46   12   2    9    50   43   4    6    13   37   55   56   
16th    Cambridge Utd                   46   8    6    9    35   37   7    3    13   34   42   54   
17th    Wycombe                         46   11   6    6    42   39   2    8    13   23   40   53   
18th    Bristol City                    46   8    4    11   37   39   7    4    12   39   57   53   
19th    Doncaster                       46   7    6    10   34   37   5    10   8    25   32   52   
20th    Cardiff                         46   10   6    7    40   31   4    4    15   23   44   52   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21st R  Bristol Rovers                  46   11   7    5    47   31   2    5    16   26   54   51   
22nd R  Oxford                          46   9    6    8    42   36   5    3    15   29   56   51   
23rd R  Hull                            46   10   4    9    39   38   4    3    16   23   50   49   
24th R  Lincoln                         46   1    9    13   15   39   3    2    18   12   50   23   

 

DIVISION 3

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Tranmere                        46   11   9    3    22   13   13   6    4    36   26   87   
2nd  P  Darlington                      46   16   3    4    61   37   10   4    9    36   34   85   
3rd  P  Exeter                          46   16   3    4    49   22   9    6    8    38   40   84   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th     Brighton                        46   12   8    3    40   28   10   5    8    42   34   79   
5th     Hartlepool                      46   13   4    6    36   23   11   3    9    45   40   79   
6th  P  Colchester                      46   10   7    6    36   25   11   8    4    26   16   78   
7th     Mansfield                       46   13   4    6    50   37   9    6    8    45   40   76   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8th     Oldham                          46   13   6    4    36   20   7    9    7    30   28   75   
9th     Rotherham                       46   12   5    6    42   31   9    6    8    41   42   74   
10th    Wigan                           46   12   8    3    41   25   7    8    8    35   37   73   
11th    Bournemouth                     46   14   6    3    26   13   5    9    9    14   20   72   
12th    Scarborough                     46   10   5    8    33   24   10   4    9    36   27   69   
13th    Wimbledon                       46   13   4    6    47   37   6    7    10   38   42   68   
14th    Macclesfield                    46   11   7    5    46   37   5    8    10   28   37   63   
15th    Barnsley                        46   9    8    6    24   22   5    5    13   26   35   55   
16th    Blackpool                       46   8    7    8    39   37   6    5    12   27   41   54   
17th    Rushden                         46   7    11   5    30   28   5    5    13   23   39   52   
18th    Leyton Orient                   46   8    4    11   39   46   6    6    11   27   37   52   
19th    Plymouth                        46   11   7    5    38   25   0    7    16   22   44   47   
20th    Stockport                       46   7    3    13   35   42   4    10   9    44   55   46   
21st    Bury                            46   5    10   8    26   30   3    9    11   16   34   43   
22nd    Nuneaton Borough                46   8    3    12   37   50   4    2    17   20   50   41   
23rd    Scunthorpe                      46   5    7    11   39   47   2    7    14   30   55   35   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24th R  Cheltenham                      46   5    6    12   36   45   1    0    22   19   55   24   

 

CONFERENCE

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Telford                         42   13   7    1    49   25   11   3    7    43   34   82   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd     Swansea                         42   16   2    3    48   20   6    6    9    39   49   74   
3rd     Boston Utd                      42   12   5    4    39   23   7    9    5    38   31   71   
4th     Northwich Vics                  42   15   3    3    48   26   6    3    12   35   39   69   
5th     Hereford                        42   13   6    2    43   21   5    5    11   33   43   65   
6th     Morecambe                       42   11   5    5    29   21   7    5    9    21   27   64   
7th     Southend                        42   11   6    4    41   24   5    8    8    43   50   62   
8th     Barnet                          42   13   4    4    52   38   5    4    12   34   45   62   
9th     Stalybridge                     42   9    4    8    41   42   9    4    8    40   44   62   
10th    Margate                         42   13   4    4    39   28   3    7    11   22   34   59   
11th    Stevenage                       42   10   3    8    37   34   8    1    12   29   31   58   
12th    Yeovil                          42   11   6    4    36   23   3    8    10   22   35   56   
13th    Bath City                       42   7    9    5    41   40   7    4    10   26   29   55   
14th    Slough                          42   12   5    4    41   22   3    4    14   15   39   54   
15th    Farnborough                     42   7    7    7    38   38   5    8    8    29   36   51   
16th    Hucknall                        42   11   3    7    24   24   3    6    12   16   37   51   
17th    Stafford R                      42   11   3    7    41   31   2    8    11   24   40   50   
18th    Sutton Utd                      42   10   6    5    39   29   3    3    15   29   46   48   
19th    Salisbury                       42   6    9    6    37   34   6    3    12   30   41   48   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20th R  Grays Athletic                  42   8    5    8    40   41   4    4    13   36   52   45   
21st R  Frickley                        42   6    7    8    31   39   4    6    11   23   35   43   
22nd R  Halifax                         42   7    6    8    24   26   3    6    12   22   41   42   

 

Promoted to Conference: Clevedon, Enfield, York.

 

FA Cup: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool.

League Cup: Preston 3-2 Wolves.

Community Shield: Leeds 1-1 Man Utd (4-3 pens)

Football League Trophy: QPR 2-0 Shrewsbury.

[CFuller]

OTHER LEAGUES

 

FRANCE

Ligue 1

Top Three: Marseille (1st), Bordeaux (2nd), Nantes (3rd).

Relegated: Lens (18th), Nice (19th), Lorient (20th).

Promoted from Ligue 2: Ajaccio AC (1st), Caen (2nd), Strasbourg (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Emmanuel Adebayor (St-Etienne), Francisco Salazar (Toulouse): 23.

Most Assists - Michael Essien (Lille): 16.

Highest Average Rating - Alexandr Shirko (Nantes): 8.03.

 

Coupe de France: Nantes 4-3 Toulouse.

Coupe de la Ligue: Bordeaux 2-0 Sochaux.

 

GERMANY

1. Bundesliga

Top Three: Leverkusen (1st), Dortmund (2nd), HSV (3rd).

Relegated: Bielefeld (16th), Duisburg (17th), St Pauli (18th).

Promoted from 2. Bundesliga: Oberhausen (1st), Frankfurt (2nd), 1860 München (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Landon Donovan (Leverkusen): 23.

Most Assists - Bernd Schneider (Leverkusen): 15.

Highest Average Rating - Claudio Pizarro (FC Bayern): 7.92.

 

DFB-Pokal: FC Bayern 2-1 Hertha BSC (aet).

DFB-Liga Pokal: FC Bayern 3-0 Kaiserslautern.

 

HOLLAND

Eredivisie

Top Three: Ajax (1st), Feyenoord (2nd), PSV (3rd).

Relegated: Go Ahead (16th, lost play-off), AZ (17th, lost play-off), Volendam (18th).

Promoted from Eerste Divisie: Roda (1st), De Graafschap (4th, won play-off), Emmen (7th, won play-off).

 

Top Goalscorer - Gabor Torma (Groningen): 29.

Most Assists - Brett Emerton (Feyenoord): 17.

Highest Average Rating - Andriy Shevchenko (Ajax): 8.40.

 

KNVB Beker: Ajax 3-1 PSV.

 

ITALY

Serie A

Top Three: Lazio (1st, won play-off), Milan (2nd, lost play-off), Inter (3rd).

Relegated: Sampdoria (15th), Perugia (16th), Fiorentina (17th), Modena (18th).

Promoted from Serie B: Genoa (1st), Reggina (2nd), Napoli (3rd), Ternana (4th).

 

Top Goalscorer - Hernán Jorge Crespo (Lazio): 18.

Most Assists - Darijo Srna (Bologna): 17.

Highest Average Rating - Gianluca Zambrotta (Bologna): 7.94.

 

Coppa Italia: Roma 2-1 Juventus (aggregate).

 

PORTUGAL

Primeira Liga

Top Three: Porto (1st), Benfica (2nd), Sporting (3rd).

Relegated: Varzim (16th), Marítimo (17th), Ovarense (18th).

Promoted from Segunda Liga: Alverca (1st), Belenenses (2nd), Farense (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Saeed Nasrullah Al-Kuwari (Estrela Amadora): 26.

Most Assists - Deco (Porto): 15.

Highest Average Rating - Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting): 8.32.

 

Taça de Portugal: Porto 5-0 Benfica.

 

SCOTLAND

Premier League

Top Three: Rangers (1st), Celtic (2nd), Motherwell (3rd).

Relegated: Hearts (12th).

Promoted from Division 1: Arbroath (1st).

 

Top Goalscorer - Tore Andre Flo (Rangers), Steven Nicholas (Celtic): 18.

Most Assists - Stiliyan Petrov (Celtic), Stephen Simmons (Celtic): 12.

Highest Average Rating - Tore Andre Flo (Rangers): 8.27.

 

Scottish Cup: Celtic 3-2 Rangers (aet).

League Cup: Celtic 1-1 Hibs (4-2 penalties).

 

SPAIN

La Liga

Top Three: Barcelona (1st), Real Madrid (2nd), Betis (3rd).

Relegated: Badajoz (18th), Elche (19th), Extremadura (20th).

Promoted from Segunda División: Osasuna (1st), Villarreal (2nd), Sporting Gijón (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Gastón Casas (Betis): 30.

Most Assists - Clarence Acuña (Atlético Madrid), Ronaldinho (Real Madrid): 13.

Highest Average Rating - Samuel Eto'o (Mallorca): 8.21.

 

Copa del Rey: Espanyol 3-1 Atlético Madrid.

 

CONTINENTAL & INTERNATIONAL

 

CLUB

Champions League: Leeds 1-0 Barcelona - in Tel-Aviv.

UEFA Cup: Juventus 2-0 Dortmund - in London.

Super Cup: Leeds 3-0 Roma.

 

Intercontinental Cup: Palmeiras 0-0 Roma (4-3 penalties).

 

FIFA World Player of the Year - Hernán Jorge Crespo (Lazio & Argentina).

World Footballer of the Year - Hernán Jorge Crespo (Lazio & Argentina).

African Player of the Year - Julius Aghahowa (Schalke 04 & Nigeria).

European Player of the Year - Djibril Cissé (Man Utd & France).

South American Player of the Year - Fernando Cavenaghi (River & Argentina).

Oceania Player of the Year - Mark Viduka (Leeds & Australia).

 

LEADING TRANSFERS (Premiership)

DATE       NAME                        POSITIONS     FROM                TO                  FEE
27/06/07   Joseba Etxeberría           F RC          Athletic Bilbao     Man Utd             £18.25M
13/10/06   Araújo                      AM/F RLC      Valencia            Man Utd             £13M
26/07/06   Damien Duff                 AM L          Blackburn           Man City            £10.5M
23/10/06   Damiano Zenoni              D/DM RC       Atalanta            Man Utd             £10.5M
15/07/06   Eric Abidal                 D/DM LC       Monaco              Chelsea             £9.25M
25/10/06   Diego Fernando Gavilán      DM RC         Middlesbrough       Blackburn           £8.25M
13/07/06   Michael Carrick             DM C          W.B.A.              Man City            £7.5M
02/08/06   Sean Davis                  DM RC         Fulham              Sheff Wed           £7.25M
29/09/06   Amoroso                     F LC          Dortmund            Man Utd             £6.75M
26/10/06   Enzo Maresca                AM LC         Tottenham           Blackburn           £6.5M

 

LEADING TRANSFERS (not including Premiership)

DATE       NAME                        POSITIONS     FROM                TO                  FEE
25/09/06   Ashley Cole                 D L           Real Madrid         Roma                £19.5M
11/06/07   Gianluca Zambrotta          D/DM RL       Bologna             Porto               £16.25M
15/12/06   David Beckham               M RC          Man Utd             Barcelona           £14.25M
02/01/07   Torsten Frings              D/DM RC       Arsenal             Inter               £13.25M
03/10/06   Gaizka Mendieta             DM RC         Lazio               Hertha BSC          £12.75M
26/09/06   Iván Helguera               D/DM C        Man Utd             Milan               £12M
01/07/06   Sol Campbell                D C           Real Madrid         Milan               £11.25M
01/07/06   David Arturo Ferreira       AM/F LC       Leverkusen          Kaiserslautern      £11M
25/07/06   Bordon                      D C           VfB Stuttgart       Real Madrid         £10.75M
15/12/06   Allan Dellon                AM/F C        Cruziero            Real Madrid         £10.5M

 

[CFuller]

JULY 2007

After surviving a gruelling first season in Division 1, it was now time for Dagenham & Redbridge to prove we belonged in the second tier. We began our training for the 2007/2008 campaign in a buoyant mood, confident that we could go further than mere survival this time around.

 

Our activity in the transfer market had been much quieter than last summer. While my search for a couple of reliable full-backs continued, I'd wasted little time in bringing in major improvements at both ends of the pitch. The experienced Norway goalkeeper Espen Baardsen had been followed to Victoria Road by a couple of young, pacey strikers in ex-Millwall wonderkid Cherno Samba and non-league sensation Danny Roberts.

 

The signings of Samba and Roberts would also herald the end of an era at Dagenham. We were barely into the second week of pre-season training when the ageing Junior McDougald realised just how tough he would find it to remain in the first-team picture.

 

"How'm I supposed to compete with these guys?" McDougald asked me, with half a smile. "Cherno and Danny, they've got it all - pace, power, energy, desire! They're on a totally different level to me, boss."

 

I asked Junior if it was perhaps time to leave the club, and drop down a league or two to get regular first-team football. He shook his head and sighed, "Nah, boss. I think I'm done, to be honest. It's time to call it quits."

 

And so, on 11 July 2007, the greatest striker in Dagenham & Redbridge's history announced his immediate retirement from professional football, at the age of 32. Junior McDougald had scored 93 league goals for the club since his debut in 1999.

 

The only other Dagger who'd even come close to matching McDougald's club record was his former partner-in-crime Julian Alsop. By pure coincidence, Alsop had also recently hung up his boots, following a miserable year in Lincoln. In a way, it seemed fitting that Junior and Jules would be riding off into the sunset at the same time.

 

McDougald was also the only player who'd featured in all my previous six seasons as Daggers boss, netting 78 goals in all competitions during my tenure. Captain Lee Matthews was my last 'original' who was still at Victoria Road, though of course, he spent three seasons at Bury before returning in 2005.

 

The current Daggers squad was now almost completely unrecognisable from our Conference days. Incidentally, our first pre-season friendly was away to Enfield, who had just returned to the Conference for the first time since 1990 after winning the Isthmian League.

 

18 JULY 2007: Enfield vs Dagenham & Redbridge

The first half was a frustrating experience, to say the least. We missed a host of chances before the 38th minute, when Enfield's star striker Ben Wright put us 1-0 behind against a team three divisions below us in the pyramid.

 

In the second half, though, Enfield were weakened by a couple of injuries to midfielders, helping us to fight back and win. It was a memorable day for both Kevin Kyle and Danny Roberts, who broke their Dagenham ducks - Roberts in his first appearance, and Kyle in his 15th. You took your time, Kevin!

 

Enfield - 1 (Wright 38)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Kyle 67, Roberts 80)

Friendly, Attendance 1,046

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen (Green); Smith (Prenderville), Navarro (Nelson), Bell, Fox (Mayo); Graham (M Jones), Sidwell (McLean), Carter; Osman (Winter); Beckett (Kyle), Samba (Roberts). BOOKED: Navarro.

 

Not a fantastic performance, but we always start pre-season slowly. It's just the way it is for us.

 

The League Cup Round 1 draw took place a few days later. We would start off our cup campaign at home to Gordon Strachan's Plymouth, who finished 19th in Division 3 last season.

 

Our pre-season usually begins with us having a training camp in another of the British and Irish nations, followed by a few friendlies against local opposition. This summer, we were heading back to Scotland - but we were only playing one match, against Falkirk from Division 1.

 

25 JULY 2007: Falkirk vs Dagenham & Redbridge

We were much quicker off the mark this time around, as Danny Roberts headed in a Kerry Mayo corner after just seven minutes. Unfortunately, Danny's game was brought to a sad end halfway through the second half, when he twisted his ankle and had to be stretchered off. Despite that, we held our nerve, with captain Lee Matthews doing a particularly good job of shutting Falkirk out.

 

Falkirk - 0

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Roberts 7)

Friendly, Attendance 1,213

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Green (Baardsen); Prenderville (Smith), Nelson (Navarro), Matthews, Mayo (Fox); Weekes (Graham), McLean (Sidwell), Carter; Winter (Osman); Kyle (Beckett), Roberts (Griffiths).

 

After scoring two goals in two friendlies, Roberts now faced two months on the sidelines. The exciting young poacher would not make his league debut for us until September at the earliest.

 

Roberts' misfortune meant that Samba now had a big opportunity to show what he could do. The Gambian international made his Victoria Road debut when Premiership side Blackburn came to town.

 

28 JULY 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Blackburn Rovers

Cherno Samba announced himself as a Dagger with a fantastic header in the 20th minute, doubling the surprise lead that midfielder Michael Foley-Sheridan had given us in the 6th. Alan Cork's Blackburn side started to come at us a bit more after their slow start, and though Daggers goalkeeper Espen Baardsen kept them at bay for a while, he was eventually beaten by former Portugal Under-21s striker Mokas.

 

The second half was very competitive. Rovers had some good chances to equalise, but just couldn't take them. As victory drew nearer, we gradually grew in confidence - and Kevin Kyle put the result beyond all doubt with two goals in the final two minutes. A couple of assists from youngsters Alan McLean and Chris Griffiths helped the resurgent Scot fire us to an improbable 4-1 victory!

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 4 (Foley-Sheridan 6, Samba 20, Kyle 89,90)

Blackburn Rovers - 1 (Mokas 32)

Friendly, Attendance 1,272

DAG & RED LINE-UP (3-5-2): Baardsen (Green); Nelson, Bell, Matthews (Navarro); Smith (Prenderville), Fox (Ryan); Foley-Sheridan (Winter), Sidwell (McLean), Graham (Carter); Beckett (Kyle), Samba (Griffiths).

 

Blackburn have been Premiership mainstays for the best part of 15 years. We've just made them look like amateurs! Let’s hope that’s a sign of what’s to come, eh?

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Arsenal continue their summer spending with an £8.75million swoop for Brazilian centre-back Roque Júnior, who moves to Highbury after five years at Celtic. The Gunners also inject some youth into the team by signing a couple of exciting England Under-21s internationals - Walsall midfielder Craig Ward, and Blackburn defender Matt Gale.
• Jurgen Klopp is sacked as 1.FC Köln manager, after club executives discover that he has been forcing his players to run non-stop for 25 hours a day, 8 days a week. The Billy-Goats subsequently give the job to Ajax boss Quinito, who is replaced at the Amsterdam Arena by Huub Stevens.
• Chelsea player-coach Alan Shearer announces he is hanging up his boots aged 36, having made an incredible zero appearances since joining the Blues last summer. Meanwhile, two of England's star midfielders head overseas on free transfers. Aston Villa's Gareth Barry joins Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, while Newcastle's Kieron Dyer signs for Bordeaux in Ligue 1.
• Brazil playmaker Denílson - once the world's most expensive footballer - makes another big-money move. After nine seasons with Betis, the 29-year-old crosses Iberia and joins Porto for £13million. Porto's Primeira Liga rivals Sporting also strengthen their midfield by signing Javier Mascherano from Lazio, presumably as a last-ditch effort to convince Cristiano Ronaldo to stay in Lisbon.
• It's a big month for Denílson and his international colleagues, as Brazil successfully defend the Copa América by beating hosts Argentina in the Final. Ronaldo's 26th-minute opener is cancelled out just two minutes later by Inter clubmate Marcelo Gallardo, but Argentine fans are ultimately silenced by a blistering winner from Manchester United midfielder Elano - it's his first international goal.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Live Earth hosts a series of major concerts across nine major cities around the world to raise awareness of climate change. Thousands of fans at Wembley Stadium are treated to performances from legendary bands and artists such as Genesis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna... and James Blunt.
• Smoking in enclosed public places becomes illegal across the UK after the ban comes into effect in England. The Gallagher brothers from Oasis try to come up with something else to enjoy with their alcohol.
• Michael Bay's first "Transformers" film explodes onto the box office, raking in over $700million. The main protagonist is played by Shia LaBoeuf, who is sadly not related to Frank.
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” - the seventh and final book in JK Rowling’s best-selling fantasy series - is released worldwide, just as the fifth film hits cinemas. Spoiler alert: Professor Dumbledore is gay.

[CFuller]

Dagenham & Redbridge squad - Start of 2007/2008 season

 

GOALKEEPERS

1. Robert Green - GK, age 27, English

Green's status as first-choice goalkeeper is less secure than it was last summer. Though he has great jumping reach and reflexes, his concentration tends to waver too often.

 

13. Espen Baardsen - GK, age 29, Norwegian [9 caps]

Baardsen is a solid international shotstopper with a carefree attitude to the game. He hasn't played an English league match for nearly four years, but I still have faith in him.

 

DEFENDERS

2. Jamie Smith - D/M R, age 32, English

Smith's arrival from Brentford in mid-March helped spark a change in fortunes. The right-back is athletic, intelligent, and has a wealth of league experience.

 

3. Lee Fox - D/DM L, age 22, English

Left-back Fox hasn't had the best start to his Daggers career, but I'm hopeful he'll settle soon. The former Port Vale youngster is energetic and can distribute the ball well.

 

5. Lee Matthews - D C, age 34, English

Captain Matthews remains an unflappable presence at the back. He's determined and very tough to beat in the air... but could his declining pace become an issue?

 

6. David Navarro - D C, age 27, Spanish

Navarro is a powerful defensive stopper and one of our most consistent players. Having been sent off twice last season, though, he'll need to keep his emotions in check.

 

11. Kerry Mayo - D/DM L, age 29, English

Though left-back Mayo struggled for consistency last season, he still started most of our league games. Indeed, the dead-ball specialist got eight assists - his best haul for us so far.

 

15. Michael Nelson - D C, age 24, English

Nelson has an admirable attitude, but the former Ayr centre-back has not yet justified his £130,000 transfer fee. The tough-tackling northern colossus has a point to prove.

 

16. Barry Prenderville - D R, age 30, Irish

Prenderville is another of last season's signings who perhaps isn't good enough for Division 1. He's quick and can deliver a fine cross, but that's about it.

 

17. Robbie Ryan - D L, age 30, Irish

After a year-and-a-half at Victoria Road, I'm afraid Ryan is surplus to requirements. Though his bravery can't be questioned, he's a bit on the slow side for my liking.

 

19. Simon Bell - D C, age 22, English

Ex-Watford prospect Bell has shown some glimpses of his talent. If the big centre-half can work on his focus and anticipation, he could become an important defender.

 

MIDFIELDERS

4. Steven Sidwell - DM C, age 24, English

Since signing from Leyton Orient in January, Sidwell has become a regular starter. This strong holding midfielder has also been promoted to vice-captain for this season.

 

7. Michael Foley-Sheridan - AM LC, age 24, Irish [capped at Under-21s level]

Foley-Sheridan is a gifted left-winger and attacking midfielder, but only got six goals/assists in 18 games last term. The ex-Liverpool trainee knows that record has to improve.

 

8. Leon Osman - AM C, age 26, English

Another attacking midfielder with Merseyside connections, Osman has also flattered to deceive. His excellent technique sadly disguises his limited passing range.

 

12. Alan McLean - DM C, age 21, Scottish

McLean is well on the way to becoming a useful first-team midfielder. Though there is still work to do tactically, his playmaking abilities are truly precocious.

 

14. Ryan Carter - M C, age 21, English

Carter's excellent ball-playing skills got him seven assists last season. He is well on course to reach 200 Daggers appearances if he keeps working hard in training.

 

18. Craig Winter - AM/F C, age 31, Scottish

There are real concerns that our attacking midfield dynamo Winter might have gone cold. He got 24 goals in 2005/2006, but only found the net seven times last term.

 

20. Nick Weekes - M C, age 25, English

Weekes was one of the undisputed stars of our lower league days, but he has sadly floundered in Division 1. The ex-cricketer started just once last season and is now up for sale.

 

21. Simon Rusk - DM C, age 25, Scottish

Rusk endured a rough start after his arrival last summer but gradually settled down. This strong ball-winner will surely become an important player for us this term.

 

34. Paul Graham - SW/DM C, age 21, Scottish

Energetic holding midfielder Graham has the world at his feet, according to our coaches. Sadly, he also has a lax attitude that is holding his development back.

 

FORWARDS

9. Cherno Samba - S C, age 22, Gambian [21 caps, 12 goals]

Samba is one of the most exciting 'wonderkids' to come out of England in recent years. After 22 goals in 86 games for Millwall, can the pacey striker kick on at Victoria Road?

 

10. Kevin Kyle - S C, age 26, Scottish

Target man Kyle failed to score in 14 games last season, and I was prepared to write him off. However, his pre-season displays have given me hope that the goals will soon flow.

 

23. Chris Griffiths - S C, age 21, Welsh

Griffiths has now had three loan spells in Welsh football without ever really kicking on. Time might be running out for this young poacher to make an impact.

 

24. Danny Roberts - S C, age 21, English

Roberts' electric pace and predatory instinct got him 21 Conference goals for Grays last season. Unfortunately, his League breakthrough has been delayed by an ankle injury.

 

25. Luke Beckett - S C, age 30, English

Beckett was our star performer and top scorer last season, with 11 goals. That isn't an amazing record, but the veteran Yorkshireman has always given everything for us.

 

RESERVES

DEFENDERS: Declan Brady (19), John McCourt (17)

MIDFIELDERS: Jermaine Barnett (17), Alan Jones (19), Mark Jones (19), Ólafur Jónsson (18), Simon Warren (17), Alex Wood (21)

FORWARDS: Paul Ferry (18), Bob Fowler (20), John McGlynn (20)

[CFuller]

AUGUST 2007

In the final game of last season against Nottingham Forest, Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder Simon Rusk tore his groin muscle. He had missed most of this pre-season campaign completing the final stages of his recovery... but now Simon was fit and ready to return.

 

When Rusk took to the field against Division 2 side Gillingham, though, it was amid speculation about his future. Our Division 1 rivals Millwall had offered us £200,000 to buy Rusk - but I had no intention of selling him for less than double that. Bid rejected.

 

1 AUGUST 2007: Gillingham vs Dagenham & Redbridge

A 10th-minute volley from Cherno Samba got us off to the perfect start, but the next 80 made for miserable viewing. Despite being down in Division 2 nowadays, Gillingham played like a team who had graced the Premiership as recently as 2005. The Gills' dominance would produce them an equaliser from Shefki Kuqi just before half-time, and then a winner from ex-Newcastle wing-back Andrew Griffin midway through the second period.

 

Gillingham - 2 (Kuqi 44, Griffin 66)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Samba 10)

Friendly, Attendance 8,082

DAG & RED LINE-UP (3-5-2): Baardsen (Green); Nelson (Bell), Navarro (McCourt), Matthews; Prenderville, Mayo (Fox); Foley-Sheridan (Osman), Rusk (Jónsson), Graham (Carter); Kyle (Beckett), Samba (Ferry).

 

That's Dagenham & Redbridge for you, folks. Within a few days, we can go from outclassing a top-flight team to being outclassed by lower-league opposition.

 

I felt we still lacked quality at right-back, so I took Charlton's Richard Jackson on loan for four months. The 27-year-old Yorkshireman is fiercely determined, a strong tackler. and has plenty of physical fitness.

 

Jackson featured in our final pre-season friendly - an east London 'derby' at home to West Ham. Alex McLeish's Hammers had just enjoyed one of their best Premiership seasons in recent times, finishing 7th.

 

5 AUGUST 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs West Ham United

West Ham put us firmly on the back foot in the first half... but just like Blackburn a week earlier, they struggled to execute their chances. Scottish midfielder Alan McLean punished them with an excellent strike on the counter-attack on the stroke of half-time.

 

Though Hammers winger Michael Gray responded at the start of the second half, we never lost heart. Indeed, history repeated itself in the 89th minute, when Daggers midfielder Ryan Carter banged an 89th-minute winner beyond the reach of Shay Given. This might have been merely a pre-season friendly, but the Victoria Road crowd celebrated as if we'd just lifted the FA Cup!

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (McLean 45, Carter 89)

West Ham United - 1 (Gray 46)

Friendly, Attendance 2,382

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-1-3-2): Green (Baardsen); Jackson (Prenderville), Nelson, Bell (Matthews), Mayo (Fox); Rusk (Sidwell); Osman (Winter), McLean (Carter), Foley-Sheridan (Weekes); Kyle (Beckett), Samba. BOOKED: Rusk, Nelson.

 

Okay, this is getting a bit silly now!

 

After the match, it was announced that Robbie Ryan had left the club. After making 24 appearances for the Daggers in 18 months, the Irish left-back was dropping back down to Division 2, signing for Darlington for £85,000.

 

Then, with almost impeccable timing... Lee Fox suffered a shin injury in training. We would have to start the season with Kerry Mayo as our only available left-back.

 

That opening game of the new league campaign was at home to Luton. When the Hatters last came to Victoria Road back on 7 April, we produced an impressive 3-1 win that essentially kick-started our late surge towards Division 1 survival. Four months on, could we deliver another result to get us off the mark nice and early?

 

11 AUGUST 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Luton Town

Ted McMinn set his team up to try and keep a clean sheet, but we blew their plan apart after just seven minutes. Kevin Kyle's 10-month wait for his first Dagenham league goal was finally ended when he powered in a through-ball from his debutant strike partner Cherno Samba. 1-0 to the Daggers!

 

Kyle wasn't content with just breaking his duck, mind. The Scot scored again on 25 minutes, heading in a fantastic delivery from midfielder Ryan Carter. Three minutes later, Luton captain Jason Gavin hit the crossbar with a header that could have got his team back in the game, but we remained comfortably ahead at the break.

 

Luke Beckett replaced Leon Osman in the attacking midfield hole for the second half. Despite failing to find the net at all in pre-season, our top scorer from last term started this one as he meant to go on, heading us into a 3-0 lead after 59 minutes. That rounded off an impressive opening day for us - and a miserable one for Luton, who picked up six bookings and only rarely tested Espen Baardsen in the Daggers goal.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 3 (Kyle 7,25, Beckett 59)

Luton Town - 0

Division 1, Attendance 7,955 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 3rd, Luton 24th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Navarro (Bell), Matthews, Mayo; Rusk, McLean, Carter; Osman (Beckett); Kyle, Samba (Sidwell).

 

It took us 15 matches to get our first league win last season. In fact, we picked up just two points from our first 14 games. Barely 90 minutes into the 2007/2008 season, we already had three on the board.

 

A week later, we hoped to continue our good start at Brunton Park against Carlisle. The Cumbrians finished runners-up in Division 2 last season and were playing at this level for the first time since 1986.

 

18 AUGUST 2007: Carlisle United vs Dagenham & Redbridge

We made a quick start to this match as well. Cherno Samba's 8th-minute header might have been cleared off the Carlisle goal line by defender Trent McClenahan, but David Navarro was on hand to blast home the rebound.

 

We then grew from strength to strength, taking the game to the Cumbrians before Cherno doubled our lead on 33 minutes later. Sadly, our two-goal cushion only lasted a couple of minutes, before Navarro gave away a penalty with a poor two-footed challenge on John Shackell. The young Cumbrians midfielder - recently signed from Notts County - confidently scored the spot-kick, and we were only 2-1 up at the break.

 

The match took another twist shortly after play restarted for the second half. Dagenham centre-back Simon Bell made a firm but fair challenge on Carlisle midfielder Micky Moran, who retaliated with a petulant kick. The referee clearly saw the incident and showed Moran the red card, leaving United a man down as well as a goal down!

 

At that point, seeing the victory out should have been pretty straightforward for us... but you all know what the Daggers can be like. And in the 56th minute, we saw what Carlisle could do with the pressure off their shoulders. The pacey attacking midfielder Eddie Barnes came off the bench, beat three Daggers on his own, and then fired his shot past Espen Baardsen to give the hosts an improbable equaliser!

 

We were stunned, but nonetheless, we tried hard to get our lead back. Craig Winter almost did that with an excellent 60th-minute shot that just clipped the wrong side of the bar. Kevin Kyle then came close to scoring a third goal in two games, but Steve Harper's save in the 71st minute meant we had to settle for just one point rather than three.

 

Carlisle United - 2 (Shackell pen35, Barnes 56)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Navarro 8, Samba 33)

Division 1, Attendance 14,663 - POSITIONS: Carlisle 18th, Dag & Red 2nd

DAG & RED LINE-UP (3-5-2): Baardsen; Navarro (Sidwell), Bell, Matthews; Smith, Mayo; Rusk, McLean, Carter (Winter); Kyle (Beckett), Samba. BOOKED: Navarro, Mayo.

 

After dropping our first league points of the season, we went back to Victoria Road for our League Cup opener. Our visitors were Plymouth, who had made a good start to their Division 3 campaign and were no doubt eager to cause an upset. We had to be on our guard.

 

21 AUGUST 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Plymouth Argyle

After Cherno Samba spurned our first two chances at goal, Plymouth gave us a huge fright with their first. In the unlucky 13th minute, visiting striker Nathan Ellington rounded Daggers defender Michael Nelson, and then fired the Pilgrims into a surprise 1-0 lead. It was pure agony for us - and particularly for Nelson, who injured his knee in an ill-fated tackle and had to be replaced with 17-year-old John McCourt.

 

Two minutes later, things were looking a little brighter. Samba's cross was headed in by Luke Beckett, giving us an equaliser that would surely spur us on to a comfortable victory. Right?

 

Er... Plymouth took the lead again in the 36th minute, as club stalwart Martin Phillips surged from the left wing and drove an excellent shot past Robert Green. Rob's miserable night against the men in green only got worse three minutes later, when he clipped Ellington's feet to concede a penalty which Argyle captain Graham Coughlan converted. 3-1 to the team from Division 3.

 

Naturally, I was seething at half-time, which I spent roaring at my players to show some fight and anger. Attacking midfielder Craig Winter - who'd been subbed on for Leon Osman shortly after Argyle's second goal - took my words to heart. After Plymouth were awarded a dubious free-kick in the 56th minute, Winter furiously demonstrated with the referee, who pulled out his red card! Could this night get any worse?!

 

Oh yes, it could - and then some. Two minutes later, Ellington outjumped Green to head in his second goal - and Plymouth's fourth. Another ten minutes then passed before substitute midfielder Matthew Bloomfield made it 5-1. At that point, I just turned to my assistant Johnson Hippolyte and asked, "Remind me, Johnno. Which team is the Division 3 team again?"

 

To compound our misery, Plymouth had a 36-year-old Danish goalkeeper called Benny Gall, who might as well have been named Peter Schmeichel for all the saves he made against us. Right-back Richard Jackson and midfielder Steven Sidwell did eventually get a couple more goals past Gall in the closing stages, but they only turned a 5-1 humiliation into a mere 5-3 embarrassment. Our League Cup campaign had ended in disgrace.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 3 (Beckett 15, Jackson 82, Sidwell 90)

Plymouth Argyle - 5 (Ellington 13,58, Phillips 36, Coughlan pen39, Bloomfield 68)

League Cup Round 1, Attendance 2,437

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Green; Jackson, Bell, Nelson (McCourt), Fox; Foley-Sheridan, Sidwell, Carter (M Jones); Osman (Winter); Beckett, Samba. SENT OFF: Winter.

 

What an absolute disaster. That was THE worst result of my career. EVER.

 

Craig Winter was fined two weeks' wages for his dismissal, and Robert Green received a similar punishment for a goalkeeping performance that would have made Massimo Taibi blush. There was no doubt in my mind now - Espen Baardsen was my number 1.

 

Green's shambles also highlighted our need to add a third goalkeeper to the ranks. Barely 48 hours later, we announced the £40,000 signing of Oxford's Paul Rachubka - a 26-year-old Anglo-American with incredible agility and a cool head.

 

Next up was another home game, against Derby. The Rams had opened their campaign with one point from two games, and there were reports of widespread discontent amongst the squad. This was a great opportunity to get that Plymouth collapse out of our system.

 

25 AUGUST 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Derby County

It didn't take us long. For the third league game in a row, we were off the mark before the minute counter had ticked into two figures. The 7th minute was a lucky one for captain Lee Matthews, whose header from Leon Osman's corner proved too good for Derby keeper Darren Trigg.

 

However, the Rams were not likely to roll over easily. After several unsuccessful attempts on goal throughout the first half, they finally broke through three minutes from time. Scottish midfielder Keith Lasley rifled in a volley from left-back Tero Penttilä's cross, and his equaliser would turn the entire game on its head.

 

Two minutes into the second half, our defence was breached again - this time by Derby's top scorer Malcolm Christie. The 28-year-old might have needed two attempts to beat Espen Baardsen, but his manager Roy Hodgson certainly wasn't complaining.

 

Daggers midfielder Simon Rusk got pretty wound up after watching us fall 2-1 behind. When Rusk picked up a yellow card for pushing County defender John Hills in the 52nd minute, I called him to my technical area and urged him to calm down. Not even a minute later, Rusk was calmly wiping out Darko Kovacevic with a bad challenge... and then calmly walking down the tunnel with a second booking in his pocket. [Facepalm]

 

We were again down to 10 men, and another capitulation soon followed. Lasley doubled Derby's lead with his second goal on 57 minutes, and though Kevin Kyle did pull one back for us soon afterwards, the momentum was now very much with our visitors. By the 64th minute, Lasley had completed a hat-trick of goal contributions with a brilliant assist for ex-Juventus striker Kovacevic, who made it 4-1.

 

After 72 minutes, the final nail was hammered into our coffin. Even the usually unflappable Lee Matthews was now making schoolboy errors, and when he backed into Christie in our penalty area, I knew what was coming. Christie's cool penalty completed a 5-2 away win, and the Victoria Road faithful could not believe what they'd just sat through.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Matthews 7, Kyle 62)

Derby County - 5 (Lasley 42,57, Christie 47,pen72, Kovacevic 64)

Division 1, Attendance 7,978 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 12th, Derby 10th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Smith, Navarro (Bell), Matthews, Mayo; Rusk, McLean, Carter (Sidwell); Osman; Samba (Beckett), Kyle. BOOKED: Rusk. SENT OFF: Rusk.

 

I can't believe it. 10 goals conceded in two home games. WHAT THE HELL?!

 

Luckily, just two days later, we got to escape east London for a while and visit Chesterfield on Bank Holiday Monday. After flirting with the play-offs last season, Bryan Robson's Spireites had got their campaign off to an awful start and were bottom of the table.

 

So... how many goals would they score against us, d'you reckon?

 

27 AUGUST 2007: Chesterfield vs Dagenham & Redbridge

After 13 minutes, we continued the Daggers tradition of taking the lead early. 21-year-old Alan McLean had started all our league games so far, and the promising playmaker showed why he was fast becoming an important first-teamer. McLean picked out Luke Beckett with an impressive long chip, which the prolific Yorkshireman headed beyond Chesterfield keeper Gary Martin.

 

Ten minutes later, we continued another fine Daggers tradition - by losing an early lead. The Spireites midfield clinically tore through our defence when Chris Carruthers' through-ball was driven in by the skilful Ian Herring.

 

From that point, it was all Chesterfield. Espen Baardsen was undermined by a shaky Daggers defence faced a never-ending wave of Spireites shots. To the Norwegian's credit, he did save 10 of them and put forward a strong case to be named 'man of the match', though it was ultimately Beckett who took the champagne bottle at full-time.

 

Sadly, we were in no mood to spray Luke's prize across the dressing room. Ten minutes from time, Chesterfield substitute Scott Walker took a break from making avant-garde pop music to head in the winning goal for the Spireites. We had led in all four of our league matches so far, and yet we only had four points to show for it.

 

Chesterfield - 2 (Herring 23, Walker 80)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Beckett 13)

Division 1, Attendance 5,980 - POSITIONS: Chesterfield 17th, Dag & Red 15th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-4-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Bell, Navarro (Matthews), Fox; Smith (Osman), McLean, Sidwell, Foley-Sheridan; Beckett, Samba (Kyle). BOOKED: Smith, Navarro.

 

And poof, there goes any early-season optimism I had. We might look a lot better going forward - but at the back, we still have the strength and water resistance of a paracetamol tablet.

 

Ironically, later that week, Chesterfield offered us £425,000 to re-sign Simon Rusk. That was £175,000 more than we'd paid the Spirieites 12 months earlier - and seeing as Rusk's form would often fluctuate between brilliant and frustrating, I felt it was a good deal for us. Simon was on his way back to Saltergate.

 

We also said good riddance to Rob Green, who took his teflon gloves to Shrewsbury in a £300,000 deal. As great as he'd been for us in Division 2, Green had been an utter liability since our last promotion, so his taking a step back down is a move that benefits everyone.

Edited March 25 by CFuller

[CFuller]

DIVISION 1 TABLE (End of August 2007)

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st     W.B.A.                          4    2    0    0    7    3    1    1    0    6    4    10   
2nd     Aston Villa                     4    2    0    0    5    0    1    0    1    4    4    9    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Ipswich                         4    2    0    0    4    0    1    0    1    5    4    9    
4th     Preston                         4    1    1    0    3    2    1    1    0    5    3    8    
5th     Norwich                         4    1    1    0    3    1    1    1    0    2    1    8    
6th     Derby                           4    1    1    0    6    4    1    0    1    6    4    7    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Birmingham                      4    1    1    0    3    2    1    0    1    5    2    7    
8th     Middlesbrough                   4    2    0    0    6    2    0    1    1    4    6    7    
9th     Crewe                           4    2    0    0    4    0    0    1    1    0    3    7    
10th    Charlton                        4    1    0    1    5    3    1    0    1    2    4    6    
11th    Brentford                       4    1    0    1    2    2    1    0    1    3    4    6    
12th    Luton                           4    2    0    0    4    0    0    0    2    1    7    6    
13th    Fulham                          4    1    1    0    5    2    0    1    1    1    2    5    
14th    Carlisle                        4    1    1    0    4    2    0    1    1    2    3    5    
15th    Dag & Red                       4    1    0    1    5    5    0    1    1    3    4    4    
16th    Grimsby                         3    1    1    0    6    5    0    0    1    0    2    4    
17th    Chesterfield                    4    1    0    1    3    4    0    1    1    2    5    4    
18th    Bradford                        4    1    0    1    3    5    0    1    1    2    5    4    
19th    Peterborough                    4    1    0    1    3    6    0    0    2    0    3    3    
20th    Millwall                        4    0    0    2    2    5    0    2    0    3    3    2    
21st    Sheff Utd                       4    0    2    0    2    2    0    0    2    2    5    2    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd    Notts Co                        4    0    1    1    1    2    0    1    1    1    3    2    
23rd    Q.P.R.                          4    0    2    0    2    2    0    0    2    0    5    2    
24th    Nottm Forest                    3    0    1    0    1    1    0    0    2    1    3    1    

 

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Brazil lift another trophy after defeating Germany 3-2 in the Confederations Cup Final in Berlin. Ronaldo twice gives the Seleção the lead, only for Germany to equalise each time, despite losing their Brazilian-born striker Aílton to a first-half red card. 'Die Mannschaft' are eventually brought down by a 102nd-minute golden goal from Dortmund right-back Dani Alves - it's his first international goal.
• Despite drawing their opening group game against Japanese side F Marinos, Roma still make it through to the Club World Championship Final in Istanbul without conceding a goal. However, they finally come unstuck against Leeds, whose Norwegian midfield ace Eirik Bakke scores a 109th-minute golden goal. The Whites then thrash Juventus 4-0 in the Super Cup.
• Zinedine Zidane's love affair with Leeds lasts exactly one match. After taking one listen to the Kaiser Chiefs' new album, he asks Peter Ridsdale to cancel his contract and let him return to France. Meanwhile, Torino's right wing-back Aimo Diana makes an £11million move to Lazio, amid interest from Roma and the Daily Express.
• Former Liverpool and Barcelona playmaker Pavel Nedved signs for Bayern München, and the 35-year-old Czech reinvigorates Germany's sleeping giants. After a 3-2 opening-day win at newly-promoted Oberhausen, Bayern thrash Nürnberg 5-0 - with braces from Claudio Pizarro and Roque Santa Cruz firing them to the top of the Bundesliga! They then... er, lose 3-0 to third-division Braunschweig in the DFB-Pokal.
• After being released by Manchester United in the summer, legendary French right-back Lilian Thuram takes on a new challenge as player-manager of Major League Soccer side Miami Fusion. Thuram wins his second game 1-0 at home to New York Metrostars, whose head coach is... some Brazilian fella named Romário.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Bill Gates is no longer the world’s richest person, according to Fortune magazine. That record is now held by Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, who is said to be worth around $59million. Carlos’ brother Fatboy has to praise him.
• Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 756th home run in Major League Baseball, breaking the legendary Hank Aaron’s career record. To be fair, that’s not bad going for a 60-year-old former West Ham midfielder. No, wait, that’s Billy Bonds…
• The death of long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro is announced... by showbiz blogger Perez Hilton. Of course, the 81-year-old dictator turns out to be very much alive and well, and he has no plans to give up power just yet.
• Sadly, the death of Mancunian music icon Tony Wilson aged 57 is very real. Wilson founded the Haçienda nightclub and the Factory Records label, which brought bands such as New Order and the Happy Mondays to prominence.

[CFuller]

SEPTEMBER 2007

After conceding a dozen goals across three consecutive defeats, the September international break came at an ideal time for us. We could refresh ourselves and work on our defensive tactics, while I had plenty of time to look for a new midfielder who could replace the now-departed Simon Rusk.

 

I eventually struck a deal to take 27-year-old Neil Gibson on loan from Sheffield United until early January. The Welshman has fantastic passing ability, but he's also full of pace and energy, making him an excellent box-to-box midfielder. In many ways, Gibbo is quite similar to one of the Daggers' greatest ever players - Damien Lacey.

 

Gibson made his debut at Blundell Park, against a Grimsby side who were directly below us in 16th. We might have won both our meetings last season, but we were likely to face a very different challenge from the Mariners this term. Grimsby had recently hired their fourth manager in less than four years - the much-travelled Nigel Winterburn, who led QPR to the Division 2 title in May.

 

8 SEPTEMBER 2007: Grimsby Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Surely enough, we were blown away by a sensational start from Grimsby - or Stuart Campbell, to be more specific. A magnificent solo goal by the Scottish winger put the Mariners ahead after just three minutes. Barely a minute later, Campbell made another mazy run at our defence, and then floated the ball across our goal for striker Rory Allen to head home.

 

Grimsby captain Jonathan Rowan almost gave them a 3-0 lead in the 11th minute - but after surviving that scare, we calmed down and steadily got ourselves back into the game. A 35th-minute shot from Cherno Samba was pushed behind by Steve Croudson for a Daggers corner. Leon Osman's delivery was perfect for Samba, who managed to beat Croudson at the second attempt and pull us back to 2-1.

 

Samba's confidence soared, and he found the net again just before half-time. Sadly, the Gambian international was just a smidge offside when Ryan Carter played the ball through to him, and so we remained behind at the break.

 

The second half was a bit more scrappy, with Grimsby reining in their attacking game a bit more to protect their lead. We would not come close to finding the net again until injury time, when Luke Beckett's square ball was finished by Osman. Unfortunately, the offside flag caught us out again, and we were left rueing a single-goal defeat that could easily have gone the other way.

 

Grimsby Town - 2 (Campbell 3, Allen 4)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Samba 36)

Division 1, Attendance 6,882 - POSITIONS: Grimsby 11th, Dag & Red 18th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-1-3-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Navarro, Matthews, Mayo (Fox); McLean; Gibson (Sidwell), Osman, Carter; Kyle (Beckett), Samba.

 

We were now in real of danger of being pulled back into the relegation zone. Four days later, we faced a huge home game against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees had failed to win any of their opening four games since losing star man Jermaine Jenas to Chelsea in the summer.

 

This match would see Danny Roberts make his long-awaited Daggers debut, after missing most of pre-season with injury. Could the 21-year-old prospect make an instant impact and fire us to a priceless victory?

 

12 SEPTEMBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Nottingham Forest

After putting in some excellent performances in training over the past week, I gave Michael Foley-Sheridan another chance in attacking midfield. The Irishman would prove his worth in the 26th minute, poking in a rebound shot after Cherno Samba's initial effort had been saved by Neil Sullivan. That was the only shot to beat the evergreen 37-year-old Forest keeper, whose heroics kept our lead down to a single goal at the break.

 

To try and break Sullivan's resistance, I replaced Luke Beckett with debutant Danny Roberts for the second half. The young starlet would take just five minutes to announce himself on the Football League stage. Steven Sidwell lifted a long ball towards Roberts, who outpaced veteran defender Phil Gilchrist to head in his first competitive Daggers goal!

 

Danny's face was full of unbridled joy... but four minutes later, it was showing a very different emotion. A crunching tackle from visiting left-back Alan Rogers had sent Roberts crashing to the turf, writhing around in agony. Our new hero appeared to have hurt his thigh and needed to be substituted. His debut had lasted exactly nine minutes.

 

Leon Osman came on in Roberts' place - and in the 69th minute, he was on the end of another full-blooded tackle from Rogers. This time, the referee had no choice but to send Rogers off, effectively killing off any hopes Nottingham Forest had of taking anything from this game. We'd recorded our first victory since the opening day, but at what cost?

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Foley-Sheridan 26, Roberts 50)

Nottingham Forest - 0

Division 1, Attendance 7,967 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 17th, Nottm Forest 23rd

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson (Smith), Navarro, Matthews, Fox; Gibson, McLean, Sidwell; Beckett (Roberts (Osman)), Samba.

 

Roberts had indeed suffered a thigh strain in that tackle, ruling him out for another month. Danny might have been a precocious talent, but as our head physio pointed out, he was also a fragile one. This was the EIGHTH match injury he'd sustained in less than two years.

 

For heaven's sake! Don't tell me I've signed a crock!

 

After defeating the second-from-bottom team, we faced the side that was bringing up the rear. Millwall had conceded 13 goals in their opening six matches, so Cherno Samba would surely be relishing his return to The Den.

 

15 SEPTEMBER 2007: Millwall vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Millwall's squad included a Champions League winner in Jesper Blomqvist - but the former Manchester United winger wasn't on the pitch for long. Just 10 minutes after kicking off, Blomqvist's ageing thigh muscles gave way, forcing Lions boss Dennis Wise into a very early substitution.

 

Millwall were weakened, and we sensed blood. When our loanee midfielder Neil Gibson was fouled by Lions counterpart Stanton Fredericks in the 28th minute, we won a free-kick in dangerous territory. Richard Jackson's set-piece was swung into the box towards Cherno Samba, whose pinpoint header silenced the vociferous home crowd who'd once adored him!

 

Samba was in party mood again six minutes into the second half. Cherno's second goal was another header - this time set up by Gibson, whose long ball was powerfully nodded past Millwall keeper Lee Harper. We now had firm control of the match, and there was surely no way we were going to let a 2-0 lead slip... or was there?

 

Shortly after our second goal, Wise brought on one of his newest signings - veteran striker Deon Burton, who had a point to prove after spending several years on Derby's bench. The Jamaican international showed he had lost none of his pace or predatory instinct when, in the 73rd minute, he outjumped Lee Matthews to head in Marc Bircham's floating cross.

 

Six minutes after Bircham's assist halved our lead, Millwall's Cockney Canadian captain was hunting for an equaliser. As Lions right-back Luke Young sent a cross into our box, Bircham drove through our midfield to latch onto it and fire a low left-footer past Espen Baardsen. The Den roared with delight, and we were left wondering how we'd squandered another victory.

 

Millwall - 2 (Burton 73, Bircham 79)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Samba 28,51)

Division 1, Attendance 14,069 - POSITIONS: Millwall 22nd, Dag & Red 16th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Navarro, Matthews, Fox; Gibson, Sidwell, Carter (Graham); Foley-Sheridan (Osman); Beckett, Samba. BOOKED: Matthews.

 

Seven games into the season, and we had already dropped 10 points from winning positions. If we had held onto even half those points, we would have been in 6th place rather than 16th.

 

Our next game at Victoria Road was against Brentford, who - like us - were in the lower end of mid-table. While the Bees didn't concede many goals, they had also yet to keep a clean sheet this season. No doubt we would do our best to change that statistic...

 

23 SEPTEMBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Brentford

Brentford might have been unlikely to shut us out, but they made their attacking intentions clear from the start. Riccardo Scimeca's 9th-minute header was brilliantly tipped away by Espen Baardsen, who had to face another stern test in the 21st. This time, however, he could do little to stop a fierce strike from Scimeca's centre-back partner - the giant Palestinian international Sami El-Nounou.

 

By half-time, I was quite embarrassed. Not only were we struggling to break through a shaky Brentford defence, but we were being beaten by a man who shared his name with the Teletubbies' vacuum cleaner! I told my player in the dressing room, "You'll never hear the end of it if you lose tonight! Po out there and prove you're not dipsy lala, you tinky-winkys!"

 

We threw everything we had at Brentford in the second half. Our efforts started to pay off in the 66th minute, with Alan McLean's midfield cross setting up Cherno Samba's fourth goal in as many matches. Five minutes after Cherno's leveller, strike partner Luke Beckett put the game on its head with another header. We were now 2-1 up and heading for victory...

 

...but I just knew that wasn't going to happen. Nine minutes from time, the Bees gave us a nasty sting. The experienced Scott Murray crossed from the right wing, and former Milan striker Marco Borriello leapt above our erstwhile Ayr defender Michael Nelson to head in an equaliser. 2-2. Unbelievable.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Samba 66, Beckett 73)

Brentford - 2 (El-Nounou 21, Borriello 81)

Division 1, Attendance 7,995 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 16th, Brentford 13th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Smith, Navarro (Nelson), Matthews, Fox; Gibson, McLean, Carter; Osman (Foley-Sheridan); Beckett (Kyle), Samba. BOOKED: Gibson.

 

Make that a dozen points thrown away from winning positions. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take, to be honest.

 

Our next match saw us host yet another bottom-half rival in Sheffield United. Surely lightning would not strike for a third time in a row?

 

26 SEPTEMBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Sheffield United

Sheffield United broke the deadlock after 16 minutes, as our traditional full-back weakness was exposed once again. Mark McCormick skilfully took the ball past Daggers left-back Lee Fox and then crossed to his young strike partner Jimmy Moran, who headed in his first goal for the Blades.

 

At the other end, United keeper Paul Gallacher was doing a fine job of preserving their lead, especially with both Cherno Samba and Luke Beckett looking sharp. Beckett almost equalised in the 45th minute, but Gallacher managed to claw his header away from goal. Fortunately, Leon Osman was first to the rebound, which he smashed home to give us a timely equaliser!

 

Though the Blades were comfortably the better team in the second half, our defence managed to keep the scores level- only just, mind. Moran almost capped off an excellent performance with a match-winning assist in the 90th minute, but his cross was headed against the post by captain Kevin Hunt. An almighty scramble followed, and McCormick hit the upright as well, before Osman finally managed to clear the danger!

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Osman 45)

Sheffield United - 1 (Moran 16)

Division 1, Attendance 7,973 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 16th, Sheff Utd 20th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Baardsen; Jackson, Bell (Navarro), Matthews, Fox; Sidwell; Gibson, Carter; Osman; Beckett (Kyle), Samba.

 

After three successive score draws, we finished September off by travelling to Villa Park. Aston Villa had kept faith in manager Bruce Grobbelaar following their relegation from the Premiership - and with star striker Darius Vassell tearing it up in Division 1, they were already looking good for an instant return.

 

29 SEPTEMBER 2007: Aston Villa vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Though Bruce Grobbelaar was in the home dugout, the only wobbly legs to be seen at Villa Park were in the Dagenham defence. Lee Matthews' legs looked particularly shaky in the 17th minute, when he sent home striker Darius Vassell crashing into our penalty area. The referee instantly pointed to the spot, and a clinical penalty from midfielder Ryan Williams broke the deadlock.

 

Though an excellent Vassell volley in the 21st minute was beaten away by Espen Baardsen, the Villans striker would not be kept off the scoresheet for long. Three minutes later, the former England youth striker got his head to a brilliant left-wing cross from current England Under-21s star Jason Cunningham. Vassell's header brought him his 10th goal in 11 games - the same number as he'd scored in 47 matches last season!

 

The Villans carried their 2-0 lead into the break, and then effortlessly saw the game out. Though their enigmatic attacking midfielder David Dunn came close to adding a third goal, they never really needed it. Grobbelaar's side were rock-solid and well-organised in defence, with right-back Graeme Murty particularly impenetrable. Despite Cherno Samba's best efforts, we were beaten to nil for the first time this season.

 

Aston Villa - 2 (R Williams pen17, Vassell 24)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 0

Division 1, Attendance 25,815 - POSITIONS: Aston Villa 3rd, Dag & Red 18th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (3-5-2): Baardsen; Bell, Navarro, Matthews (Nelson); Smith, Mayo; Gibson, McLean (Sidwell), Osman (Winter); Beckett, Samba. BOOKED: Matthews, Bell, Nelson.

 

No complaints about the result, but the performance shows just how poor we are defensively. We've conceded 23 goals in 11 matches this season - including that League Cup defeat to Plymouth.

 

After making a decent start to his Daggers career, Espen Baardsen's recent performances have taken a dip... but there's really no point in changing the goalkeeper yet again. Our problems run much deeper than that.

 

Lee Matthews is still putting in consistently strong showings at centre-back, recording a 7.40 average rating over 10 league games. But when up against the pace and power of Darius Vassell, our 34-year-old captain just couldn't keep up. It seems to be a theme now that quick strikers are beating Matthews much more easily.

 

And that leads me to ask some startling questions. Is Matthews' declining physique making him a hindrance to the team? Is it time to start phasing him out of the side - and if it is, do we have anyone who can take on his leadership duties? Or do I have to go back into the transfer market?

Edited March 25 by CFuller

[CFuller]

DIVISION 1 TABLE (End of September 2007)

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st     W.B.A.                          10   4    1    0    14   6    2    2    1    12   8    21   
2nd     Crewe                           10   4    0    1    9    2    2    2    1    6    5    20   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Aston Villa                     10   4    1    0    11   2    1    2    2    10   12   18   
4th     Birmingham                      10   2    3    0    7    4    3    0    2    11   8    18   
5th     Preston                         8    4    1    0    12   6    1    1    1    6    6    17   
6th     Ipswich                         9    3    1    0    8    1    2    0    3    9    10   16   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Bradford                        10   4    0    1    10   6    0    4    1    5    8    16   
8th     Charlton                        10   3    0    2    9    6    2    1    2    7    10   16   
9th     Middlesbrough                   10   3    2    0    13   5    1    1    3    8    12   15   
10th    Luton                           10   3    0    2    6    3    2    0    3    4    8    15   
11th    Grimsby                         9    3    1    1    11   8    1    1    2    4    6    14   
12th    Norwich                         10   2    2    1    9    8    1    3    1    6    7    14   
13th    Brentford                       10   2    1    2    6    6    2    1    2    8    10   14   
14th    Derby                           10   2    3    0    10   6    1    1    3    8    9    13   
15th    Fulham                          10   1    2    2    8    7    2    2    1    5    3    13   
16th    Chesterfield                    10   2    1    2    9    9    1    2    2    7    10   12   
17th    Notts Co                        9    1    2    1    5    5    1    3    1    5    5    11   
18th    Dag & Red                       10   2    2    1    10   8    0    2    3    6    10   10   
19th    Sheff Utd                       10   2    3    0    7    4    0    1    4    3    10   10   
20th    Millwall                        10   1    1    3    6    11   1    2    2    5    7    9    
21st    Carlisle                        10   1    2    2    8    10   0    3    2    6    11   8    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd    Peterborough                    10   2    0    3    6    10   0    1    4    2    9    7    
23rd    Nottm Forest                    9    0    4    0    3    3    0    0    5    2    10   4    
24th    Q.P.R.                          10   0    3    2    6    10   0    1    4    1    9    4    

 

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Leeds' Champions League defence gets off to the worst possible start, with back-to-back defeats against Roma and Feyenoord. The Whites soon decide to ditch their £4.8million flop Nicolas Anelka, who scored just 4 goals in 46 matches. Incredibly, they make a £2million profit upon selling him to Auxerre, where 'Le Sulk' is reunited with former team-mate Zinedine Zidane.
• There's a major shock in Round 1 of the UEFA Cup, as Miha Golob's own goal earns surprise League Cup winners Preston a famous extra-time win over Slavia Prague. Chelsea breeze past Cibalia, but not before defender John Terry tears his ACL in the first leg in Croatia. Terry will miss the rest of the season, but on the plus side, he now gets to spend more time with his team-mates' families.
• Though Milan can't quite prise Cristiano Ronaldo away from Sporting, the Rossoneri do manage to sign his equally talented team-mate Ricardo Quaresma for £8.75million. Meanwhile, Milan legend Andriy Shevchenko ends his two-year stay at Ajax and returns to the San Siro... in a £12million transfer to Inter.
• Guus Hiddink's Southampton blow the Premiership title race open with impressive home wins over last season's top two - Manchester United and Arsenal. Newcastle take advantage and go top, with captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring seven goals. Sunderland also start strongly, climbing to 3rd place after their promotion from Division 1.
• No umbrellas are required at Wembley, as England win their Euro 2008 qualifying group. Real Madrid midfielder Frank Lampard and Newcastle striker Tommy Smith score twice apiece to beat Sweden 4-1 and secure the Three Lions' tickets to Switzerland. Sven-Göran Eriksson smiles awkwardly.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state... and then "The Big Bang Theory" exploded onto CBS, becoming America's hottest new sitcom and making nerdy scientists cool again! BANG!
• Two very different European entertainers sadly leave us. The final curtain falls on Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who loses his battle with pancreatic cancer aged 71. French mime artist Marcel Marceau passes away a few weeks later aged 84, leaving his fans speechless.
• Scottish rally driver Colin McRae, his son, and two friends are all killed in a helicopter crash near the McRae family home in Lanark. The 39-year-old was best-known for winning the World Rally Championship in 1995, becoming the first Briton to take the drivers' title.
• The first-person shooter “Halo 3” is released on the Xbox 360 and becomes the fastest-selling video game in history, grossing $300million in its first week. Meanwhile, Beyoncé suddenly has a great idea for a new song…

[CFuller]

OCTOBER 2007

The October internationals gave me plenty of time to think about how to resolve our defensive issues. I was happy with David Navarro at centre-half, but I was weighing up whether it was time to replace Lee Matthews - the club legend who was finally starting to show his age.

 

There were a couple of interesting centre-backs available on the transfer list, but I wasn't prepared to bring out my chequebook just yet. Instead, I would give Simon Bell an extended run in the starting line-up, to see if the tall and strong 23-year-old could step into Matthews' shoes.

 

I did make one signing this month, as I sought to bring in a third-choice goalkeeper, just in case anything happened to Espen Baardsen and Paul Rachubka.

 

37-year-old Alan Miller's best days were well behind him, but he had played well over 300 Football League games for a series of clubs - including Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Watford and (most recently) Barnsley. As far as experienced backup keepers go, he's not a bad option to have.

 

The best years of Miller's career arguably came at West Brom, for whom he featured in 93 league matches between 1997 and 2000. By pure coincidence, our first match of the new month was at The Hawthorns against Alan's former employers. The Baggies had been top of the Division 1 table since the second weekend, though Andy Hessenthaler's team lost their unbeaten record to Preston in their previous match.

 

13 OCTOBER 2007: West Bromwich Albion vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Espen Baardsen faced a couple of early tests from his former West Brom team-mate Stern John, but it was actually us who broke the deadlock after just seven minutes. Cherno Samba's steady start to his Daggers career continued when he latched onto Leon Osman's through-ball and stroked in his fifth goal for the club.

 

Just eight minutes later, though, it was third time lucky for John. The Trinidad & Tobago striker drew the Baggies level after a fantastic assist from Italian playmaker Elpys José Espinal.

 

John was on the attack again in the 29th minute, when his next effort was pushed away by Baardsen. Sadly, Espen could only push it as far as Rob Penders, and the ex-Holland defender smashed it home.

 

It looked like we would head into the break with a 2-1 deficit... but a couple of Scottish Daggers had other ideas. On the outside right, Alan McLean lifted an excellent ball towards Kevin Kyle, who outjumped long-time Albion defender Neil Clement and headed in the game's second equaliser!

 

A breathless first half was followed by a goalless second... though it wasn't for the want of trying, at least where West Brom were concerned. Jason Roberts had a couple of dangerous efforts saved by Baardsen, who put in a solid goalkeeping performance to get us a point. Kyle could have grabbed us another two in stoppage time, but he blazed his last-ditch effort over the bar.

 

West Bromwich Albion - 2 (John 15, Penders 29)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Samba 7, Kyle 40)

Division 1, Attendance 14,876 - POSITIONS: West Brom 1st, Dag & Red 19th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-1-3-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Navarro, Bell, Fox; Sidwell (Gibson); McLean, Osman (Mayo), Carter; Kyle, Samba.

 

A good result there, but could we follow it up when 5th-placed Norwich visited Victoria Road? With Matthews still relegated to the bench, and vice-captain Steven Sidwell struggling for form, I decided to give Cherno Samba the captaincy for this match.

 

16 OCTOBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Norwich City

After a tense opening 24 minutes, it was Norwich who struck first. Jon-Paul McGovern's corner kick was headed home by Canaries captain Stephen Clemence, and the visitors were ahead...

 

…for about a minute. Then our captain Cherno Samba inspired us to a quick equaliser, with his deft flick-on setting up a simple finish for Michael Foley-Sheridan.

 

Norwich played an intense passing game under their manager Brian Flynn, and we struggled to get a foothold on the game after MFS' leveller. Despite their utter dominance of possession, though, City wouldn't score again until the 62nd minute, when McGovern produced another assist. Scoring the goal that put us 2-1 behind was well-renowned poacher... er, Ben Thatcher.

 

Ex-Daggers forward Isaiah Rankin almost secured the points for Norwich in the 71st minute, but his cross was headed wide by strike partner John Sutton. That miss would prove costly for the Canaries four minutes later. Foley-Sheridan was played through on goal by Luke Beckett, and it looked like the Yorkshireman’s second goal of the night would be enough to secure at least a draw.

 

But then the hardest man in Norfolk dealt our survival bid some grievous bodily harm. Yes, Ben Thatcher scored again in the 87th minute - the ex-Wales and Tottenham left-back applying a striker's finish to a through-ball from substitute midfielder David Noble. Just like coal miners in the 1980s, we had been screwed over by Thatcher.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Foley-Sheridan 25,75)

Norwich City - 3 (Clemence 24, Thatcher 62,87)

Division 1, Attendance 7,997 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 20th, Norwich 2nd

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson (Beckett), Navarro, Bell, Fox; Gibson (Mayo), McLean, Carter (Sidwell); Foley-Sheridan; Kyle, Samba. BOOKED: Carter.

 

That hurt. We were comfortably the worse team in that match and somehow nearly stole a point... but Norwich's 87th-minute winner still hurt. We were now only two points above the relegation zone.

 

A tricky away game at Deepdale against League Cup holders Preston was next on our schedule. David Moyes' team were just outside the play-offs in 8th, but that was arguably a false position, as their UEFA Cup exploits had left them with a backlog of fixtures.

 

21 OCTOBER 2007: Preston North End vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Just three days after holding French side Toulouse to a 2-2 draw at Deepdale, Preston were showing few signs of post-European tiredness. Their long-time strike partnership of David Healy and Richard Cresswell drew blood after 13 minutes, when Healy's free-kick was headed home by Cresswell.

 

Our best chance to equalise before half-time came in the 24th minute, when a David Navarro free-kick struck the crossbar. Navarro was marshalling the defence well - so well that he was later named 'man of the match' - but it was his centre-back colleague Simon Bell who shone four minutes into the second half. Bell intercepted a Healy pass and then hit an excellent ball ahead of Luke Beckett, who levelled the scores!

 

With parity restored, we now had to be wary of a Preston resurgence. Dave Marsh - the 21-year-old winger who scored the League Cup Final winner that took the Lilywhites into Europe - unluckily hit the crossbar in the 63rd minute. Two minutes later, the experienced Steve Housham sent a volley wide.

 

Then, on 73 minutes, Dagenham midfielder Craig Winter came off the bench to silence Deepdale by banging in his first goal of the season. Winter's strike put us on track for a first away win this season, with Lee Matthews coming off the bench to help us see through those final few minutes.

 

Preston North End - 1 (Cresswell 13)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 2 (Beckett 49, Winter 73)

Division 1, Attendance 14,044 - POSITIONS: Preston 8th, Dag & Red 18th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-1-3-2): Baardsen; Smith, Navarro, Bell, Fox (Mayo); Sidwell (Matthews); Gibson, Foley-Sheridan (Winter), Carter; Beckett, Samba.

 

Two days after recording a famous away win, we had the chance to get another. This time, we were heading all the way to the north-east to face Middlesbrough, who were in 3rd place and had won four of their last five games.

 

23 OCTOBER 2007: Middlesbrough vs Dagenham & Redbridge

We've faced a few away-day onslaughts in Division 1, but this was one of our toughest yet. After Luke Beckett's 14th-minute header was beaten away by Middlesbrough keeper Mark Schwarzer, all the attacking momentum shifted towards the home team. It was only thanks to some sublime goalkeeping from Espen Baardsen - and a little bit of luck - that we managed to keep Boro off the scoresheet for so long.

 

After 73 minutes of almost non-stop Middlesbrough attacks, however, our defence finally cracked. Boro's attacking midfield captain Shane Tolley broke the deadlock with a powerful header, set up by former Arsenal midfielder Edu. With that, Dave Jones' team took all three points.

 

Middlesbrough - 1 (Tolley 73)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 0

Division 1, Attendance 19,208 - POSITIONS: Middlesbrough 3rd, Dag & Red 18th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-4-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Navarro, Bell, Mayo (Fox); Smith (Winter), McLean (Carter), Sidwell, Foley-Sheridan; Beckett, Samba.

 

Our next home game a big one in our bid to stay clear of the drop. We were facing Peterborough, who were also just above the relegation places as they looked to establish themselves in Division 1.

 

After being benched for the last four games, Matthews regained his starting place - and the captaincy - as he lined up alongside Bell in the centre of our defence. The prodigious striker Danny Roberts was also back in the squad for the first time since his all-too-brief cameo against Nottingham Forest in mid-September.

 

27 OCTOBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Peterborough United

Lee Matthews' return to the starting line-up almost got off to a disastrous start in the very first minute. Matthews' attempt to head Steven Bryce's right-wing cross away from goal nearly diverted the ball into Espen Baardsen's net, but the goalkeeper reacted quickly to push it away. That was as close as either team came to scoring in a miserable first half, in which Peterborough lost veteran midfielder Bobby Ford to a knee injury.

 

I freshened up our attack for the second half, replacing Kevin Kyle with substitute Danny Roberts. Roberts didn't get injured after nine minutes this time. Instead, he got injured after 25 minutes, when his groin gave way.

 

Danny's injury left Cherno Samba playing up front on his own - but the big man thrived as the main man. Nine minutes from full-time, Cherno got above Posh defender Andy Webster to head in a long ball from Daggers playmaker Alan McLean and give us a narrow victory.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Samba 81)

Peterborough United - 0

Division 1, Attendance 7,959 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 15th, Peterborough 20th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Bell, Matthews, Fox; Sidwell, McLean, Carter; Osman; Kyle (Roberts (Foley-Sheridan)), Samba.

 

Danny Roberts, 25 minutes, groin strain, injured for another month. I hope I can still find the receipt somewhere. It’s probably in one of my desk drawers.

 

Still, at least Cherno had got us back to winning form, which we hoped would continue in midweek against 19th-placed Fulham. Then again, it was Halloween, so perhaps this would be more of a horror show...

 

31 OCTOBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Fulham

Our worst nightmares came true after just nine minutes, when Cherno Samba felt something in his thigh and gestured to be substituted. Craig Winter came off the bench and went up front to partner Luke Beckett, whose ferocious strike in the 25th minute hit the bar.

 

Though we bossed most of the first half, Fulham had a golden patch just before the break. Paul McVeigh's header drew a fingertip save out of Espen Baardsen and won the Cottagers a corner, which midfielder Garry Flitcroft swung deep into our box. At the far post was Fulham winger Chris Batt, who beat our left-back Lee Fox to the header and opened the scoring.

 

A few moments later, it seemed like Lady Luck was playing some nasty tricks on us, as Winter also went down injured. Midfielder Neil Gibson came on as the substitute's substitute... and first-half injury-time was extended just enough for us to have one last pop at goal. Beckett's knock-down set up Steven Sidwell, who blasted the ball home and made it 1-1!

 

Sidwell's strike completely turned the game around. Despite losing two attackers to injuries, we returned for the second half to put in one of our best performances this season. Five minutes after the restart, Sidwell returned the favour to Beckett, who outmuscled Fulham keeper James Mitchell to head us into a 2-1 lead. Beckett was also involved in our third goal after 77 minutes, when Michael Foley-Sheridan headed in his cross to seal another home win!

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 3 (Sidwell 45, Beckett 50, Foley-Sheridan 77)

Fulham - 1 (Batt 45)

Division 1, Attendance 7,971 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 15th, Fulham 19th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Bell, Matthews, Fox; Sidwell, McLean, Carter (Navarro); Foley-Sheridan; Beckett, Samba (Winter (Gibson)). BOOKED: Carter, Gibson.

 

The injuries to Samba and Craig Winter were, thankfully, not as bad as first feared. Cherno had bruised his thigh, and Craig his shin. Both would be out for a week or two, but no more.

 

And in spite of our ongoing defensive problems, those last two victories had extended the gap between us and relegation from two points to eight. We also had five more wins on the board than we had at this point 12 months ago. Reasons to be cheerful?

Edited March 25 by CFuller

[CFuller]

DIVISION 1 TABLE (End of October 2007)

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st     Aston Villa                     15   7    1    0    18   2    2    2    3    12   14   30   
2nd     Middlesbrough                   15   5    2    0    16   6    4    1    3    17   15   30   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     W.B.A.                          15   4    3    1    20   13   4    2    1    14   8    29   
4th     Birmingham                      15   3    3    1    9    6    5    1    2    16   9    28   
5th     Preston                         14   6    1    1    15   8    2    2    2    9    9    27   
6th     Norwich                         16   4    2    2    18   13   3    3    2    12   11   26   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Brentford                       15   4    2    2    17   11   3    2    2    14   15   25   
8th     Derby                           15   3    4    0    13   8    3    2    3    14   12   24   
9th     Ipswich                         15   4    3    0    12   4    2    3    3    14   15   24   
10th    Crewe                           15   5    0    2    16   7    2    3    3    8    11   24   
11th    Luton                           15   4    1    3    11   7    3    1    3    5    8    23   
12th    Charlton                        15   4    0    3    11   9    3    2    3    11   13   23   
13th    Sheff Utd                       15   3    5    0    11   7    2    1    4    8    11   21   
14th    Bradford                        15   5    0    1    11   6    0    6    3    8    14   21   
15th    Dag & Red                       16   4    2    2    16   12   1    3    4    10   14   20   
16th    Grimsby                         16   3    2    3    12   14   2    2    4    7    12   19   
17th    Notts Co                        15   1    3    3    7    9    2    4    2    11   10   16   
18th    Chesterfield                    15   2    4    3    13   14   1    3    2    8    11   16   
19th    Fulham                          16   1    3    4    10   13   2    2    4    7    11   14   
20th    Peterborough                    16   3    1    4    10   14   1    1    6    5    15   14   
21st    Carlisle                        15   2    2    3    11   11   0    4    4    7    16   12   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd    Millwall                        15   2    1    5    8    15   1    2    4    7    11   12   
23rd    Q.P.R.                          15   1    3    3    8    12   0    2    6    3    19   8    
24th    Nottm Forest                    15   0    6    2    6    10   0    0    7    4    15   6    

 

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Sunderland's dream start to their Premiership comeback goes on. Steve McClaren's side leapfrog Manchester United into 1st place after a 19th-minute goal from Leroy Griffiths sees off Arsenal at the Stadium of Light. After the match, Gunners striker Thierry Henry asks his manager Arsène Wenger, "What is ze French for 'I want a new challenge'?"
• The Roman monopoly in Serie A shows no signs of being broken up. After eight games, Roma and Lazio are well clear at the top with seven points apiece. Roma remain undefeated - and the Giallorossi win their Champions League group, with legendary attacking midfielder Francesco Totti playing arguably the best football of his career aged 31.
• Despite winning the Bundesliga last season, Leverkusen look a completely different team following winger Bernd Schneider's summer transfer to Milan. The Schneider-less Werkself plummet into the relegation zone after a 3-0 humbling by Bayern München, and also crash out of the Champions League at the first group phase. Gareth Barry might be wondering what he's let himself in for.
• With Leverkusen in disarray, two new challengers emerge for their Bundesliga crown. Michael Skibbe leads Werder Bremen to the top of the table with seven wins and three draws from their first 10 games. Perennial mid-tablers Borussia Mönchengladbach are three points behind in 2nd, thanks largely to their prolific Spanish striker Salva.
• In Ligue 1, PSG's defence falls apart in a series of shocking defeats that leave them bottom of the table. A 3-2 home defeat to Saint-Etienne is followed by a 5-1 hammering against Nicolas Anelka's Auxerre, and a 4-2 beating by Monaco. The latter result costs PSG manager Jacques Santini his job.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• The Formula 1 season reaches a thrilling climax in Brazil. 22-year-old British rookie Lewis Hamilton leads the standings going into the final race, but the ice-cool Finn Kimi Räikkönen takes the chequered flag to pip both Hamilton and defending champion Fernando Alonso by a single point!
• England reach another Rugby World Cup Final, but lose their title 15-6 to South Africa at the Stade de France. The turning point comes early in the second half, when England wing Mark Cueto has a try disallowed that could have given his team the lead.
• After being implicated in a huge drugs scandal, American sprinter Marion Jones admits to using steroids when she won three gold and two bronze medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Jones returns her medals and announces her retirement from athletics.
• Néstor Kirchner steps down as President of Argentina before the country's general election, which is won by... his wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Is this Juan and Eva Perón all over again?

[CFuller]

NOVEMBER 2007

After finishing October with back-to-back home wins, we found ourselves closer to the Division 1 play-off places than the relegation spots. Could we continue to climb the table in November, or was it only a matter of time before we crashed back to Earth?

 

Fellow mid-tablers Bradford provided the opposition in the first of our four matches this month. Our last trip to Valley Parade back in January ended in a 1-0 Daggers win, courtesy of a Ryan Carter penalty.

 

3 NOVEMBER 2007: Bradford City vs Dagenham & Redbridge

Our first chance to take the lead came after seven minutes, when Luke Beckett's half-volley was easily caught by Bradford keeper Erwin Lemmens. After that, all the momentum went with the Bantams, with midfielder Henrik Pedersen and wing-back Kurt Elshot each getting shots on target.

 

As Bradford piled on the pressure, our worst fears came to pass in the 33rd minute. A heavy first touch from Beckett conceded possession to home defender Scott Young, whose long ball sent Sam Dalla Bona charging through on goal. The ex-Chelsea attacking midfielder fired a fantastic volley into the net... but the assistant referee's offside flag went up, and the scores remained goalless.

 

But not for long. Bradford's front two breached our defence in the 48th minute, when Robbie Blake's cross was headed home by another ex-Blue - journeyman striker Mark Nicholls. This time, not even the linesman could save us, and we were 1-0 behind.

 

Captain Lee Matthews took responsibility for that goal, having failed to keep a close enough watch on Nicholls when Blake's cross came in. Matthews' day got even worse in the 62nd minute, when he suffered a game-ending knee injury. Though we valiantly battled on without our leader, we just couldn't string any attacks together and whimpered to defeat.

 

Bradford City - 1 (Nicholls 48)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 0

Division 1, Attendance 14,069 - POSITIONS: Bradford 12th, Dag & Red 15th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Bell, Matthews (Navarro), Fox; Gibson (Smith), McLean (Sidwell), Carter; Foley-Sheridan; Beckett, Kyle.

 

To further compound our misery, Lee Matthews was sidelined for three weeks with strained knee ligaments. Steven Sidwell would also miss our next match after hurting his wrist in training a couple of days later.

 

That next match was at home against the so-solid Crewe. John Collins' Railwaymen sat in 6th place - seven points ahead of us. If we could record a third straight win at Victoria Road, a surprise play-off push wouldn't be out of the question!

 

10 NOVEMBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Crewe Alexandra

The first half was a struggle for both teams, as both teams had plenty of chances but couldn't get them on target. Dagenham goalkeeper Espen Baardsen had a slightly busier first half than his Crewe counterpart Carlo Nash, saving a couple of tame efforts from winger Florentin Petre and striker Dean Ashton.

 

Baardsen's job would get a whole lot tougher three minutes into the second half. A clumsy foul on Crewe midfielder James Harper from our right-back Jamie Smith gave the Railwaymen a penalty, which Petre stepped up to take. Baardsen correctly guessed where the Romanian international's effort was heading, but it was just too powerful for him to keep out.

 

We threw everything at Crewe in the second half, but it seemed like luck just wasn't on our side. In the 57th minute, David Navarro's free-kick rebounded off the wall and fell to Luke Beckett, whose shot was well held by Nash. Replacing the lacklustre Leon Osman with his fellow attacking midfielder Michael Foley-Sheridan did inject some fresh creativity into our attacks, but it wasn't enough to avoid another defeat.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 0

Crewe Alexandra - 1 (Petre 48)

Division 1, Attendance 7,975 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 15th, Crewe 5th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-3-1-2): Baardsen; Smith, Nelson, Navarro (Bell), Fox; Gibson, McLean, Carter; Osman (Foley-Sheridan); Beckett, Samba. BOOKED: Navarro.

 

After another toothless performance from Leon Osman, I'd run out of patience with the attacking midfield playmaker.

 

"Why did I pay 200 grand for you, Leon? Going by your performances, I doubt you're even worth 200 quid! I'm docking you a week's wages for that latest s***show - and you can go play for the reserves until you buckle up!"

 

The dressing room felt eerily silent for about a minute, and then I heard Carter mutter, "Christ... what's the gaffer's problem?"

 

At that point, I realised my heavy-handed approach to man-management was rubbing some of our players the wrong way - including our longer-serving players like Carter. The team atmosphere was not good. Not good at all.

 

With that in mind, it was crucial that we got back on track at Loftus Road against newly-promoted QPR, who were already on their third manager of the year. After winning the Division 2 title with Rangers last season, Nigel Winterburn defected to Grimsby, and his successor Gary Speed was sacked in October after a miserable start to the new Division 1 season. Ex-England midfielder David Platt was now at the helm.

 

17 NOVEMBER 2007: Queens Park Rangers vs Dagenham & Redbridge

In our previous two matches, we conceded a decisive goal three minutes into the second half. This time around, our defence decided to repeat the trick a full half early. It hadn't quite been 180 seconds since kick-off when QPR's new Emirati midfielder Abdulrahim Jumah Al-Junaibi played a killer ball through our defence. The receipient was the explosive ex-Wimbledon striker Patrick Agyemang, who rounded Espen Baardsen and tapped into an empty net.

 

Though Agyemang almost scored again later in the first half, QPR's lead was only by a single goal as we went into the second half. My big change during the break was in midfield, where Craig Winter replaced a disappointing Alan McLean. Winter's creative qualities came to the fore just two minutes after the restart, when he set up an impressive equaliser for Michael Foley-Sheridan on the left wing.

 

Two minutes after MFS' equaliser, however, the home fans were cock-a-Hoops again. David Platt had given a senior debut to Craig Cox - an 18-year-old youth-team forward with incredible finishing ability. Cox received a clever cross from another exciting prospect - the on-loan Leeds right-back Luke Liddle - and then prodded it past Baardsen from close range.

 

We then received one more nasty kick up the R's midway through the second half. This time, the killer blow was dealt by Loftus Road stalwart Stuart Wardley, who came off the bench to finish a cross from left wing-back Mikael Dorsin. Three goals for the hosts, and three straight defeats for the Daggers.

 

Queens Park Rangers - 3 (Agyemang 3, Cox 49, Wardley 69)

Dagenham & Redbridge - 1 (Foley-Sheridan 47)

Division 1, Attendance 11,249 - POSITIONS: QPR 23rd, Dag & Red 16th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-4-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Nelson, Bell, Fox; Smith, Sidwell, McLean (Winter), Foley-Sheridan; Beckett, Samba (Ferry).

 

Perhaps it was a mistake to go 4-4-2. Perhaps my players were losing faith in my managerial skills. At any rate, it felt like I was heading into a critical phase of my long Daggers tenure.

 

If we finished November with a fourth defeat in a row, we would be pulled dangerously close to the relegation places - having held play-off aspirations only a few weeks earlier. Next up were Birmingham, who had lost two Playoff Finals in the past three seasons and were already on track for another top-six finish.

 

24 NOVEMBER 2007: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Birmingham City

I'm not quite sure when Robbie Savage decided he wanted to be a striker, but Birmingham's veteran defensive midfielder was at the heart of their early attacks. The long-haired Welshman smashed a couple of shots narrowly off target around the 15-minute mark. He made it third time lucky on 28 minutes, racing past Daggers right-back Richard Jackson to head home a Steven Hampshire cross.

 

As the Blues carried a 1-0 lead into the second period, I turned the air blue in the home dressing room at half-time. I didn't make any substitutions straight away, but I warned our defenders to stay on the guard - and our midfielders to give the attackers more direct support. Cherno Samba and Luke Beckett might have been class strikers, but they couldn't save us by themselves.

 

Though we upped the tempo for the second half, we also started to snatch at our shots more often, and from less promising positions. It wasn't until the 75th minute that we posed any sort of danger to the Birmingham backline. Loanee midfielder Neil Gibson lifted the ball to an unmarked Luke Beckett, whose volley was turned behind by goalkeeper Mart Poom.

 

Two minutes later, Savage started to live up to his name a bit more, fouling Daggers defender Michael Nelson about 20 yards from the away goal. This was prime shooting territory for Samba, but the free-kick was too close to Poom. That would be our last chance to save anything from another dismal performance.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge - 0

Birmingham City - 1 (Savage 28)

Division 1, Attendance 7,956 - POSITIONS: Dag & Red 17th, Birmingham 5th

DAG & RED LINE-UP (4-1-3-2): Baardsen; Jackson, Nelson, Bell, Fox; Sidwell; Gibson, Foley-Sheridan (Winter), Carter (McLean); Beckett (Kyle), Samba.

 

That was my 99th defeat in 330 matches as Dagenham & Redbridge manager. It would also be my last - because after six-and-a-half years, I had reached my breaking point.

 

About an hour later, I attended an emergency board meeting at Victoria Road, where I handed in my resignation to chairman Dave Andrews. It was clear to me that I no longer had the team's support, and that my position as manager was no longer tenable.

 

Dave had never shown any inclination to sack me, but he reluctantly agreed that there needed to be a major change. With a huge chunk of regret, he accepted my resignation and agreed to cancel my contract seven months early.

 

I had led Dagenham & Redbridge to an FA Trophy, three promotions, and the highest league ranking in the club's short history - but Division 1 had proven a step too far. The fairytale was over.

[CFuller]

DIVISION 1 TABLE (2007/2008 - up to 24 November 2007)

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st     Aston Villa                     19   9    1    0    21   2    3    2    4    15   17   39   
2nd     Middlesbrough                   19   7    3    0    23   9    4    1    4    20   19   37   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     W.B.A.                          19   6    3    1    29   16   4    3    2    15   11   36   
4th     Crewe                           19   7    0    2    20   7    3    4    3    10   12   34   
5th     Ipswich                         19   6    3    0    15   5    3    4    3    18   18   34   
6th     Norwich                         20   5    3    2    22   14   4    3    3    17   13   33   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Birmingham                      19   3    4    2    13   14   6    1    3    17   10   32   
8th     Charlton                        19   6    0    3    16   10   4    2    4    15   19   32   
9th     Brentford                       19   5    3    2    19   12   3    3    3    17   19   30   
10th    Luton                           19   6    1    3    15   7    3    2    4    6    11   30   
11th    Bradford                        19   8    0    1    18   10   0    6    4    8    17   30   
12th    Preston                         18   6    2    2    17   11   2    3    3    10   13   29   
13th    Derby                           19   4    5    0    15   9    3    2    5    15   19   28   
14th    Sheff Utd                       19   4    6    0    14   8    2    2    5    8    12   26   
15th    Millwall                        19   4    1    5    12   15   2    2    5    9    12   21   
16th    Notts Co                        19   2    3    4    9    11   2    5    3    13   13   20   
17th    Dag & Red                       20   4    2    4    16   14   1    3    6    11   18   20   
18th    Grimsby                         20   3    3    3    13   15   2    2    7    7    16   20   
19th    Carlisle                        19   4    2    3    15   11   0    5    5    8    20   19   
20th    Chesterfield                    19   3    4    3    15   14   1    3    5    8    18   19   
21st    Peterborough                    20   3    2    5    12   17   2    1    7    8    20   18   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd    Fulham                          20   1    5    4    12   15   2    3    5    9    16   17   
23rd    Q.P.R.                          19   2    3    4    12   15   0    3    7    5    22   12   
24th    Nottm Forest                    19   1    6    3    10   13   0    0    9    5    18   9    

 

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Tottenham's Champions League debut goes surprisingly well, as they pick up 10 points in six group games. Unfortunately, it's not enough to get them past either Barcelona or Rangers, and so they drop into the UEFA Cup. After being subbed off in a fateful 1-1 draw with Barcelona, Spurs' Irish wonderkid Joe O'Shea scoffs that he's "too good to be substituted" and asks to leave.
• Preston's dream run in the UEFA Cup ends at Round 2, as they bravely go down to Toulouse on away goals. Meanwhile, Premiership leaders Chelsea recover from a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat Parma, whose goalkeeper Sebastien Frey seemingly didn't know how to save a life.
• Wales defeat Poland 4-2 in the Euro 2008 play-offs to reach their first European Championship. Manchester City's Andy Johnson and Newcastle's Matthew Jones score the decisive goals in the second leg to become national heroes. However, Spain's hopes of continental glory are crushed by Andriy Shevchenko's Ukraine, who will also make their Euros debut next summer.
• Former Leeds striker Alan Smith wins over his new Rangers fans by scoring an Old Firm winner against Celtic at Ibrox. Despite that defeat, the Bhoys remain comfortable at the top of the Scottish Premier League, and are further strengthened by the £8million signing of Aston Villa's showboating midfielder David Dunn.
• Third-tier side Energie Cottbus make headlines in Germany by reaching the Quarter Finals of the DFB-Pokal. 'Die Lausitzer' cause a major shock in Round 3 with a 4-3 win over top-flight Kaiserslautern, in which ex-Arsenal and West Ham striker Kaba Diawara reminds everyone that he can actually score goals!

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• After attempting over 75 motorcycle jumps, and breaking virtually every bone in his body multiple times over, the American stuntman Robert 'Evel' Knievel goes on his final ride. He dies of pulmonary disease in Florida, aged 69.
• John Howard - Australia’s second longest-serving Prime Minister - is voted out of office after 11-and-a-half years. Howard’s Liberal Party lose the general election to the Labor Party, led by new PM Andy… no, sorry, Kevin Rudd.
• At an Ibero-American summit in Chile, Venezuela’s dictator Hugo Chávez sparks anger by repeatedly interrupting a speech from the Spanish Prime Minister. The King of Spain eventually loses his cool and tells Chávez, “Why don’t you shut up?” One was very clearly not amused!
• 12,000 film and TV screenwriters from the Writers Guild of America go on strike in a dispute over funding. The strike disrupts the production of many popular American TV shows, such as “Saturday Night Live”, “The Big Bang Theory” and “Pushing Daisies”.

Edited February 21, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

DAG & RED PLAYER STATISTICS (2007/2008 - up to 24 November 2007)

Goalkeepers                    Apps     Con    Asts   Yel    Red    MoM    Av R
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13  Baardsen, Espen            20       32     0      0      0      0      7.00   
*   Green, Robert              1        5      0      0      0      0      3.00   

Outfield Players               Apps     Gls    Asts   Yel    Red    MoM    Av R
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25  Beckett, Luke              14 (5)   6      3      0      0      2      7.05   
19  Bell, Simon                14 (3)   0      1      1      0      0      6.94   
14  Carter, Ryan               16 (1)   0      1      2      0      0      6.76   
27  Ferry, Paul                0 (1)    0      0      0      0      0      6.00   
7   Foley-Sheridan, Michael    11 (3)   5      0      0      0      0      6.79   
3   Fox, Lee                   15 (2)   0      0      0      0      0      6.59   
21  Gibson, Neil               11 (3)   0      1      2      0      0      6.36   
34  Graham, Paul               0 (1)    0      0      0      0      0      6.00   
22  Jackson, Richard           15       1      1      0      0      0      6.60   
36  Jones, Mark                0 (1)    0      0      0      0      0      6.00   
10  Kyle, Kevin                8 (4)    4      0      0      0      1      6.92   
5   Matthews, Lee              12 (2)   1      1      2      0      0      7.36   
11  Mayo, Kerry                6 (3)    0      1      1      0      0      6.78   
26  McCourt, John              0 (1)    0      0      0      0      0      7.00   
12  McLean, Alan               16 (1)   0      5      0      0      1      6.76   
6   Navarro, David             14 (3)   1      0      3      0      1      7.24   
15  Nelson, Michael            4 (2)    0      0      1      0      1      7.00   
8   Osman, Leon                10 (3)   1      3      0      0      0      6.77   
24  Roberts, Danny             0 (2)    1      0      0      0      0      7.50   
*   Rusk, Simon                3        0      0      2      1      0      6.67   
9   Samba, Cherno              20       7      5      0      0      2      7.45   
4   Sidwell, Steven            12 (7)   2      2      0      0      0      6.84   
2   Smith, Jamie               9 (2)    0      0      1      0      0      6.55   
18  Winter, Craig              0 (8)    1      1      0      1      0      6.50   

* [Player not currently at club]

[CFuller]

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE

14 July 2001 - 24 November 2007 (2324 days)

 

Played: 330. Won: 156. Drawn: 75. Lost: 99. Goals Scored: 581. Goals Conceded: 427. Goal Difference: +154.

 

MOST APPEARANCES                               Apps
---------------------------------------------------
McDougald, Junior              2001-2007       188
Carter, Ryan                   2002-2007       187
Mayo, Kerry                    2003-2007       176
Lacey, Damien                  2002-2006       174
Alsop, Julian                  2002-2006       167

MOST GOALS                                     Gls
---------------------------------------------------
McDougald, Junior              2001-2007       78
Alsop, Julian                  2002-2006       71
Winter, Craig                  2005-2007       32
Mwaruwari, Benjani             2005-2006       25
Melton, Stephen                2003-2005       20

MOST ASSISTS                                   Asts
---------------------------------------------------
Weekes, Nick                   2002-2007       39
Alsop, Julian                  2002-2006       28
Carter, Ryan                   2002-2007       27
Mayo, Kerry                    2003-2007       27
Lacey, Damien                  2002-2006       26

MOST MAN OF THE MATCH AWARDS                   MoM
---------------------------------------------------
Alsop, Julian                  2002-2006       22
Matthews, Lee                  2001-2007       15
Anderson, John                 2002-2005       12
McDougald, Junior              2001-2007       11
Lacey, Damien                  2002-2006       9

[CFuller]

DECEMBER 2007

It's been a month since my abrupt departure from Dagenham & Redbridge. I've had plenty of time to clear my time and look back on my time at Victoria Road - to assess what went right, and also what didn't.

 

When I became Daggers boss in July 2001, we had just finished 3rd in the Conference, in our first season at that level since promotion from the regional Isthmian League. Joining the professional ranks still seemed some way away as Garry Hill stepped down and passed on the reins to me.

 

Though we couldn't improve on our 3rd-place league finish in 2001/2002, my first season did end in glory, as we thumped Farnborough at Highbury to lift the FA Trophy for the first time. That gave us the confidence to go a step further the following season - winning the 2002/2003 Conference title, and earning a place in the Football League.

 

Many fans and pundits were expecting a baptism of fire for the Daggers. What actually happened was a meteoric rise over the next three years - reaching the Division 3 play-offs in 2004, then going up as champions in 2005, and then another automatic promotion from Division 2 in 2006. Just three years after entering the FL, we found ourselves in the second tier of English football.

 

Once we got to Division 1, though, we just stalled. After an appalling start in which we took just two points from 14 matches, it looked like we were certain to return to Division 2 as quickly as we'd exited it. Only after a late-season surge did we hang onto our Division 1 status on the final day - and even then, we were still just one goal away from being relegated.

 

The higher standard of our opponents notwithstanding, the biggest factor behind our struggles in Division 1 was that I'd changed the squad so radically in such a short space of time.

 

Yes, we've always had a high turnover of players at Victoria Road. I'd always been quick to improve the squad as needed with every step we took - but as soon as we made it into the second tier, I tried to change far too much far too soon. Over the course of the 2006/2007 season, I signed 21 (TWENTY-ONE) players, only a handful of which seemed to significantly improve the squad.

 

Looking back, I can only imagine the uncertainty many of my players would have been fearing for their places. One month, they might be integral to my team - and then a month later, I might be trying to flog them off for two pints of lager and a packet of crisps. (Okay, probably not the lager. I don’t drink.)

 

Dagenham's goalkeepers seemed to have especially short lifespans. I reckon I signed something like a dozen goalkeepers in half a dozen years, none of which lasted more than two seasons as first-team starters. Tony Roberts, Ian Bennett, Richard Knight, Glynn Thompson, Mike Pollitt and Robert Green all came and went over the years.

 

Espen Baardsen was the most recent player to don the Daggers gloves. Has he actually been any better than Roberts or Pollitt or even Green were at their peaks? I'm honestly not sure.

 

The goalkeeping dilemma remained our biggest issue this season, even as I took a more relaxed approach to transfers. Our most significant signing was Cherno Samba, who has been an instant success up front - providing 7 goals and 5 assists in his first 20 games. There's surely even more to come from this exciting young striker.

 

It was thanks to Samba's goalscoring heroics that we found ourselves 15th in the Division 1 table at the end of October. It looked like we were heading for a season of mid-table safety, rather than another relegation battle. But then we opened November with an unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Bradford. One loss soon became two, became three, became four.

 

We'd gone back to our erratic old ways, and I was losing patience. I became much more critical of my underperforming players, which only served to split the dressing room - and turn some of my players against me. They'd had enough of my constant chopping and changing, and they wanted to see some stability.

 

I'm afraid things have only got worse for the Daggers since my resignation. Assistant manager Johnson Hippolyte was in caretaker charge for their visit to Notts County, where they duly got spanked 5-0.

 

A few days later, the new Dagenham & Redbridge manager arrived. Willy Wordsworth might have shared his name with a famous poet, but he'd hardly written a memorable story with Barnsley, leading the newly-relegated Division 3 team to a 15th-place finish last season.

 

Wordsworth started his Daggers tenure by signing a number of wide players - and he also dropped Baardsen in favour of backup goalkeeper Paul Rachubka. Paul repaid his new manager's faith with two fantastic clean sheets - at home to Charlton, and then away to Ipswich. Sadly, the attackers didn't perform, and both matches ended in 0-0 draws.

 

Those stalemates were then followed by three straight defeats: 0-1 at Luton, 0-1 at home to Carlisle, and 1-3 at Derby (the only Daggers goal coming from newly-signed right-winger Scott Huckerby).

 

Dagenham & Redbridge have now collected just two points from their last nine matches, slipping from 15th place to 22nd. Barring an impressive turnaround in the new year, I fear that the Daggers will soon be relegated back to Division 2 - and that a lot of the good work I did at Victoria Road will unravel.

 

But I'm afraid that's not my problem anymore. After spending the Christmas holidays with my family, it'll soon be time for me to look for a new job. Surely there's a Division 2 club out there who needs a manager with a proven track record of lower-league success?

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Is there a changing of the guard in the Premiership? Thomas Gravesen scores twice as Chelsea race to a 3-0 half-time lead over Manchester United - and even a late brace from Ruud van Nistelrooy can't spare the champions from a costly defeat. Chelsea finish the month top of the Premiership - seven points clear of 2nd-placed Liverpool, and ELEVEN ahead of United, who have three games in hand.
• Marseille upset Auxerre twice in a month - firstly by handsomely thrashing them in the UEFA Cup, and then by leapfrogging them to the top of Ligue 1. Meanwhile, former French champions Lille appoint Valid Halilhodzic as their new manager, following Rudi Völler's defection to Atalanta. Halilhodzic is replaced as Nantes manager with Didier Deschamps, whose Nice team were relegated from Ligue 1 last season.
• Having fallen as low as 13th in the Bundesliga table last month, Bayern München rebound to 4th after a string of victories, including a narrow 1-0 win at leaders Werder Bremen. Werder's slip-up means that VfB Stuttgart - whose team includes Dirk Kuijt, Kevin Kurányi, and England defender Martin Taylor - climb into 1st place.
• In one of the strangest managerial moves you'll ever see, Jim Jefferies leaves Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic to become the new head coach of... River Plate in Argentina. Even more bizarrely, the Bhoys give the job to Gabby Logan's dad - Terry Yorath, who was previously manager of English Division 2 frontrunners Huddersfield.
• After eight-and-a-half years in Milan, Clarence Seedorf leaves the Rossoneri and rejoins his former club Ajax for £4million. His fellow Dutch midfielder Boudewijn Zenden also arrives in Amsterdam in a £3.2million transfer from Arsenal. Top scorer Ariel Ortega is so delighted with Ajax's new arrivals that he signs a pre-contract agreement with Valencia.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Benazir Bhutto - the former Prime Minister of Pakistan - is assassinated in a shooting and suicide bombing attack in Rawalpindi. She was 54 years old. Bhutto made history in 1988 as the first democratically-elected female leader of a Muslim state, and was then re-elected in 1993.
• Tom Brady becomes the first NFL quarterback to throw 50 touchdown passes in a single season, as the New England Patriots enter the play-offs with a perfect 16-0 record. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick also hits the headlines… after being jailed for 23 months for running a dog-fighting ring.
• Hard rock legends Led Zeppelin reunite for a one-off concert at London’s O2 Arena. Technology to bring John Bonham back from the dead hasn’t yet been invented, so his son Jason plays drums instead.
• Actress and former popstar Billie Piper weds her fellow thespian Laurence Fox in East Sussex on New Year’s Eve. At least this one can’t go any worse than Piper’s previous marriage to Chris Evans…

[oche balboa]

Great Story, Shame you had to leave Dagenham. Have you considered going abroad? 

[CFuller]

2 minutes ago, oche balboa said:

Great Story, Shame you had to leave Dagenham. Have you considered going abroad? 

Realistically, I would prefer to stay in England for my next job - even if it meant dropping down to Division 2. But yes, I would be interested in going abroad if an interesting challenge popped up.

[dtown1414]

1 hour ago, CFuller said:

Realistically, I would prefer to stay in England for my next job - even if it meant dropping down to Division 2. But yes, I would be interested in going abroad if an interesting challenge popped up.

Good luck with your next job. Choose wisely! Apply to Yeovil Town if it's open. I always got a kick out of the name. Crappy club in a crappy city but would be a good challenge. Once again, they're fighting to avoid relegation. Visited the college a couple of times on a recruiting trip. City was bla to me and couldn't wait to leave. I'll continue to follow along here. 

[CFuller]

On 24/02/2023 at 11:41, dtown1414 said:

Good luck with your next job. Choose wisely! Apply to Yeovil Town if it's open. I always got a kick out of the name. Crappy club in a crappy city but would be a good challenge. Once again, they're fighting to avoid relegation. Visited the college a couple of times on a recruiting trip. City was bla to me and couldn't wait to leave. I'll continue to follow along here. 

I appreciate the suggestion. Yeovil are currently mid-table in the Conference, and I'm not sure I want to drop back that far down at this stage in my career. 

[CFuller]

JANUARY 2008

After taking some time out over the winter holidays, a new year presented the opportunity to make a fresh start. I began my 2008 by scouring the job market, looking for any potential job openings in the Football League - and perhaps beyond.

 

Unfortunately, the only vacancies that cropped up in England were at Bristol Rovers and Bury - both Division 3 clubs. Having managed for (more or less) a season-and-a-half in Division 1, I had no desire to drop down two levels if I could help it.

 

There were slim pickings to be found overseas as well. The only vacancy that caught my interest was at Castel di Sangro - yes, that's the same club whose miracle the great American author Joe McGinniss wrote about a decade ago. These days, this little club from southern Italy found itself not at the giddy heights of Serie B, but in the fourth-tier Serie C2.

 

Sadly, the prospect of performing a second miracolo became rather less attractive when I read further into Castella's situation. The Giallorossi had just sacked their fourth manager in less than three years, so the new allenatore would be under pressure from the off. There were also reports in Italy that the club was heavily in debt, and perhaps even on the brink of bankruptcy.

 

Even more significantly to me, Gabriele Gravina was still the club's presidente. If you have read "The Miracle of Castel di Sangro", you'll know just how shady a character Signor Gravina is. If you haven't, let's just say he's the type of chairman who would make Owen Oyston and Ken Richardson look like upstanding citizens.

 

So, yeah, forget about that.

 

Meanwhile, you might be pleased to read that Dagenham & Redbridge have found their feet again for the first time since my departure. New manager Willy Wordsworth oversaw couple of home wins over Chesterfield and Grimsby, alongside a valiant comeback from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Brentford. Those results took the Daggers up to 19th place, albeit only two points above the drop zone.

 

In the FA Cup, meanwhile, they were drawn at home to Conference side Northwich in Round 3. Unfortunately, what should've been a straightforward win turned into an unmitigated disaster, as captain Lee Matthews was sent off and the Vics stormed to a 3-0 win.

 

Well... some things haven't changed at Victoria Road!

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• After knocking Division 1 strugglers Dagenham & Redbridge out of the FA Cup, non-league Northwich host the mighty Manchester United in Round 4. The Vics' resistance holds out for 56 minutes before they eventually succumb to goals from Damiano Zenoni, Wes Brown and Joseba Etxeberría.
• Premiership champions Manchester United continue to stutter, losing 3-2 at Leeds after a couple of howlers from young Welsh keeper Michael Phillips, who recently succeeded Fabien Barthez as number 1. This comes just days after leaders Chelsea are spanked 5-0 at Newcastle, thanks to an unexpected hat-trick from Geordie cult icon Shola Ameobi. Prior to that game, Ameobi had scored eight Premiership goals in the last five-and-a-half years!
• Roma suffer their first Serie A defeat this season, as the league leaders fall 2-0 at Milan. Bernd Schneider's first Rossoneri goal is followed by Álvaro Recoba's first strike at the San Siro since signing from Inter for £2.4million. Their arch-rivals don't seem to mind, as the Nerazzurri duly spend £11million on Liverpool wing-back Julio Arca.
• La Liga champions Barcelona experience a mid-season slump, as they are held to a 0-0 home draw by Deportivo before being stunned 4-1 by Levante. Claudio Ranieri's Valencia take full advantage, scoring 22 goals in just five games - including SIX against winless Villarreal - to hit the front! Dilly-ding, dilly-dong!
• After months of fierce speculation, the architect behind Sporting's recent Portuguese football dominance finally moves on to pastures new. Their head coach László Bölöni is poached by Sevilla. Cristiano Ronaldo can't believe that his record of 27 goals in 28 games is still not enough to get him a big move away from Lisbon.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary dies aged 88 and is given a state funeral in his native New Zealand. In 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men ever to reach the summit of the world's tallest mountain - Mount Everest.
• Australian actor Heath Ledger is found dead at his home in New York from an accidental drug overdose. The 28-year-old had just finished filming as The Joker in the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight", which will be released later this year.
• Crime drama “Breaking Bad” premieres on the AMC television station in the United States. Bryan Cranston stars as Walter White - a terminally ill chemistry teacher from New Mexico who tries to support his family through producing and selling meth. Hey, remember when Cranston was the hapless dad from “Malcolm in the Middle”?
• In showbiz news, Lionel Richie’s ballerina girl has a daughter with the singer from pop-punk band Good Charlotte. The little girl (no, not Nicole) is named Harlow - presumably because Joel Madden is a big fan of the Essex town.

Edited February 27, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

FEBRUARY 2008

Two months after leaving Dagenham & Redbridge, my job search got underway in earnest in February.

 

First off, when I heard that Scottish Premier League strugglers Dundee had parted company with Mark McGhee, I thought I'd put in my CV. Sure, they were a top-flight side, but McGhee's last job ended with him almost getting Watford relegated from Division 2. So, why wouldn't they consider taking a chance on someone who'd actually been promoted from Division 2 very recently?

 

Unfortunately, the Dark Blues decided to look elsewhere. Ironically, the man who replaced McGhee at Dundee was the same man who'd replaced him at Watford... and the same man who'd preceded him at Dundee.

 

Since his 1980s heyday when he was singing sophisti-pop and winning 24 caps for Northern Ireland, Danny Wilson had enjoyed a nomadic managerial career. Beginning this decade at Sheffield Wednesday, he'd since gone on to coach Bristol City and Burnley before becoming Dundee boss for 20 months between April 2003 and December 2004. Wilson subsequently moved on to Watford, and then Northampton, whom he had left just outside the Division 2 play-off places.

 

Wilson's exit from Northampton had opened up another interesting job vacancy. The Cobblers had an exciting team with some big names, such as ex-Poland striker Emmanuel Olisadebe, former Manchester City cult icon Georgi Kinkladze, and veteran Premier League winger Keith Gillespie. But they also had a couple of promising young midfielders in Alan Frost and Halldór Guðjónsson - both of whom were on my Daggers shortlist.

 

Northampton was also seen as a good springboard to future success. Two of Wilson's predecessors - Nigel Winterburn and Richard Hill - had since gone on to bigger and better things in Division 1 with Grimsby and Birmingham respectively.

 

After a productive interview with Cobblers chairman Barry Stonhill, I was looking forward to starting work at Sixfields, just in time for the final quarter of the season.

 

Then, on 26 February, I turned on to Sky Sports News... and read on the yellow ticker that Northampton had appointed Frank Yallop as their new manager.

 

That's the same Frank Yallop who was sacked by Bristol City last year, when they were desperately fighting against relegation from Division 2. Seriously? How did this loser get the job ahead of me?

 

BLOODY CANADIANS!

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Premiership leaders Chelsea hit a few bumps on the road to their first league title since the 1950s. After a surprise 2-0 loss at newly-promoted Burnley, the Blues have to come from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Everton at Kings Dock. Chelsea midfielder Thomas Gravesen is sent off in the 78th minute after boasting to his former Toffees team-mates about his new Las Vegas penthouse.
• Tottenham might be struggling in 15th, but could they be about to bring some continental silverware to White Hart Lane? Spurs record an impressive 2-0 home win over Inter in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Round 4 tie. One of their standout performers is 18-year-old Northern Irish left-back Billy Gray, who makes a superb assist for Portuguese midfielder Bruno Coelho.
• Marseille are top of Ligue 1, with top scorer Didier Drogba firing them inexorably towards another French championship... until manager Dae-Shik Nam decides he wants to manage La Liga strugglers Málaga instead. In their first match with new head coach Giuseppe Pancaro, Marseille are spanked 5-0 at Lille.
• After being overshadowed by young superstar Lionel Messi in recent years, Barcelona striker Patrick Kluivert has a late-career renaissance. The 31-year-old Dutchman scores 10 goals in a month - including La Liga hat-tricks against Mallorca and still-winless Villarreal.
• As Rangers look to take advantage of Celtic's recent shaky form under new boss Terry Yorath, Gers manager David Seaman brings another international star to Ibrox. Argentina left-back Juan Pablo Sorín arrives in a £5.5million deal from Seaman's former club Arsenal.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Fidel Castro retires as President of Cuba at the age of 81, nearly half a century after taking over the country in a guerilla war. He is succeeded by his brother Raúl - a sprightly, fresh-faced 76-year-old.
• After a couple of unsuccessful takeover attempts, the Newcastle-based bank Northern Rock is nationalised by the British government. The decision is announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling, who dyes his hair white and his eyebrows black in tribute to the city’s football team.
• France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy marries singer and former model Carla Bruni after a whirlwind romance - and less than four months after divorcing his second wife Cécilia. Wedding bells are also ringing for Liam Gallagher, who marries for a second time to All Saints singer Nicole Appleton - the subject of Oasis’ 2003 hit single “Songbird”. There’s another romance that’s sure to last…
• At the 80th Academy Awards, “No Country For Old Men” star Daniel Day Lewis wins his second Oscar for Best Actor - 18 years after his previous triumph for “My Left Foot”. Marion Cotillard has no regrets about portraying French chanteuse Édith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose”, as she wins the Best Actress Oscar.

[CFuller]

MARCH 2008

English football's job market had dried up in March, so I extended my search for a new role further afield...

 

...to Scotland! Nah, just kidding. Only a total wash-up like Roy Keane or Kevin Keegan would even consider managing in the Scottish lower leagues. (If you're wondering, Kevin Keegan is still at Elgin City - and they're still in Division 3. Poor Kev.)

 

Anyway, I was now seriously entertaining the idea of going abroad for my next job. I scoured the web for any attractive opportunities that had cropped up across Europe, with a little translation help from a good friend called Babel Fish. Within days, I was being offered interviews - some of which soon translated into firm job offers.

 

By the middle of the month, two clubs from the Croatian second division had offered me the chance to manage their teams. After careful consideration, however, I decided that neither Gospic nor Bjelovar was the right place to go at this stage in my career.

 

Likewise, a move to Poland didn't offer enough appeal. Don't get me wrong, I was flattered to be offered the chance to manage Gornik Zabrze - the most successful club in the country with 14 national titles, their last coming in 1988.

 

However, Gornik had fallen on hard times. Mounting debts at the Silesian club had culminated in relegation from the top flight last season, and with the team now in the middle of the second division, an immediate return looked unlikely. Expectations would be very high - perhaps too high for an inexperienced foreigner to confidently take on.

 

Instead of going east, I headed south - to Portugal. After a successful interview at Segunda Liga side Penafiel, I was offered a 15-month contract to manage the Rubro-Negros... and on a higher salary than I had earned at Dagenham & Redbridge.

 

Based in the north of Portugal, Penafiel were a modest club with no major trophies to their name. They had spent a total of ten seasons in the top-tier Primeira Liga but hadn't been there since 1992. They now sat 10th in the 18-team Segunda Liga, and while they had almost no chance of getting promoted this season, they were also not quite safe from relegation.

 

While I was considering whether to take the job, I watched Penafiel's home game against fellow mid-tablers Espinho, in which they valiantly battled an onslaught of visiting attacks before salvaging a 2-2 draw late on. Portugal's second tier perhaps wasn't as strong as Division 1 was in England, but several home players possessed enough talent that they could've walked into my old Daggers side.

 

However, I also noted that the 20,000-capacity Estádio 25 de Abril was barely a quarter full. Indeed, I sensed that the few home fans who had turned up were generally hostile towards their own players. It seemed that the only Penafiel players immune from their vitriolic abuse were Congolese midfielder Loukima Tamukini (who'd been with the Rubro-Negros for a decade) and top-scorer Ângelo (who'd netted 20 goals in 30 games).

 

I also heard some precautionary tales from other English managers who'd coached in Portugal before - and who'd failed so miserably that they'd effectively been hounded out of the country. At that point, I began to wonder if this was the right move for me.

 

When decision day came around a few days later, I regretfully told the Penafiel board that I would not be taking up their offer. The president seemed very disappointed, but I reassured him that it was a very difficult decision to make.

 

And so, I returned home to England, still out of work four months after leaving Victoria Road. With no other vacancies on the horizon, I decided to put my job search on the backburner until the end of the season. Once the season was over, I reasoned, a bunch of clubs would change their managers - and there would be at least one vacancy that caught my eye.

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• A thrilling derby at Maine Road sees Manchester United recover from 3-1 behind to defeat Manchester City 5-3 - and push their arch-rivals closer to Premiership relegation. The turning point comes in the 59th minute, when City's England Under-21s goalkeeper Anthony Talbot is sent off for a reckless foul on Paul Scholes. Meanwhile in the League Cup Final, Division 1 side Norwich record a stunning 4-0 win over nine-man Leeds.
• Things don't get any better for Manchester United in the Champions League, where a 3-1 loss at Benfica condemns them to elimination at the second group phase. Liverpool and Roma also fall short, both finishing just one point behind Porto and Barcelona in a ridiculously tight Group A.
• Tottenham start dreaming of UEFA Cup glory when Joe O'Shea's double gives them a 2-0 first-leg lead over HSV in the Quarter Final. Naturally, Spurs being Spurs, they promptly lose the second leg 4-0 in Hamburg.
• Lazio retain a six-point lead in Serie A after Hernán Jorge Crespo heads in a 75th-minute equaliser against Roma. Crespo's 22nd goal of the season keeps him on track to win the league's Golden Boot for a fourth year in succession.
• Lionel Messi's halo slips at Deportivo, where the Barcelona wonderkid is sent off for screaming profanities at the referee. Barça lose 1-0 - a result that allows Claudio Ranieri's Valencia to replace them at the top of La Liga. Meanwhile, Frank Lampard's fitness is questioned by Real Madrid fans after the England midfielder is injured in a derby loss to Atlético Madrid.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• British science-fiction writer and futurist Sir Arthur C Clarke dies aged 90. Nicknamed the 'Prophet of the Space Age', Clarke co-wrote the groundbreaking 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey" with its director Stanley Kubrick.
• After a turbulent five-and-a-half-year marriage, Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney divorces his second wife Heather Mills on the grounds of “unreasonable behaviour”. Former model Mills tries to argue otherwise, but she doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
• 25 years into her pop career, Madonna is elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with the Dave Clark Five, John Mellencamp… and Leonard Cohen. Hallelujah!
• Disgraced British athlete Dwain Chambers considers switching to rugby league - and playing in the Super League for Castleford Tigers. But after hearing he must take a drugs test first, Chambers sprints away.

[CFuller]

APRIL 2008

The season is nearly over, and it probably won't surprise you that I still haven't found a new job. However, there is some good news to report.

 

Dagenham & Redbridge are staying in Division 1 for another season. In fact, they secured their survival with several games to spare.

 

That shock FA Cup defeat to Northwich notwithstanding, the Daggers have played quite well since Willy Wordsworth replaced me as manager in December and instilled a new tactical philosophy.

 

While my team was renowned for playing intense attacking football, Wordsworth has instilled a more disciplined defensive approach and frequently lined his players up in a wide 5-3-2 formation. That's a huge departure from my go-to method of packing the midfield and putting the wing-backs in sole charge of our wide play.

 

I'll admit that Wordsworth's rather unorthodox approach is getting results. Their last 19 league matches have seen them record seven wins (mostly by single-goal margins), eight draws, and just four defeats. Survival was wrapped up over the Easter weekend, in which they stunned promotion-chasing Middlesbrough 1-0 at Victoria Road before grinding out a 0-0 away draw against a Charlton team with play-off ambitions.

 

Though Paul Rachubka was in goal for the first few weeks of Wordsworth's tenure, he was displaced in February - but not by Espen Baardsen, who's hardly caught a football since I left. Instead, Daggers fans have witnessed an unexpected Indian summer for 38-year-old Alan Miller, who's kept six clean sheets in 15 games!

 

Miller's resurgence has not been entirely smooth, mind. In the middle of March, Dagenham were spanked 4-0 at Norwich, whose striker Isaiah Rankin scored two late goals against his former employers.

 

My decision to sell Rankin to Norwich for just £200,000 last summer was probably a mistake. In his one season at Victoria Road, Rankin got 7 goals and 2 assists in 31 league games, posting an average rating of 6.97.

 

Since his move to Carrow Road, Izzy has bagged 20 goals and 10 assists in 36 league outings, for an incredible 8.02 average rating! Whoops.

 

Rankin's firepower has clearly been missed, as Dagenham are set to end this season as the fourth-lowest scorers in Division 1. They head into their final game at home to Ipswich next month having scored just 48 goals in 45 matches. With 17 goals, Cherno Samba is the only Dagger to have hit double figures.

 

Last season's top scorer Luke Beckett has sadly endured a rotten run of form and lost his place in the team. Beckett has now requested a transfer, along with several midfielders who have fallen out of favour since Wordsworth's tactical switch. Alan McLean, Steve Sidwell and even Ryan Carter have asked to leave.

 

It's clear now that Wordsworth wants to build his own team at Victoria Road, and who can blame him? I just hope - as someone who served the Daggers as a player, coach and manager for a decade - that he doesn't disenfranchise our fanbase or plunge the club into financial ruin.

 

As for me, it's now time to move on from the Daggers and focus on the next phase of my career. The job market will surely open up again once the final league games have been played, and I'm sure there'll be a great opportunity somewhere. Whether that's in England or elsewhere, that remains to be seen...

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Lazio close in on another Champions League Final after thrashing Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the Semi Final. They could well face a showdown with holders Leeds, who take a 1-0 lead over Porto after their young Italian forward Roberto Bruzzone scores a late winner at Elland Road.
• Barça's continental hopes might be in ashes, but they look set to win La Liga once again after beating Valencia 2-1 to go back to the summit. Meanwhile, Villarreal finally get a league victory on the board - at the 33rd attempt, against Málaga. Suffice to say, the yellow submarine is sinking back into the Segunda División next season.
• After winning seven matches in a row, Chelsea need just one more point from their final three games to take the Premiership title away from Manchester United. The Blues immediately get the jitters and lose 1-0 to Bolton, raising the pressure on their remaining two fixtures against Leeds... and Manchester United.
• United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is named PFA Player of the Year for the sixth time after scoring 19 Premiership goals - and dedicates his latest award to everybody except his manager Hélio dos Anjos. Meanwhile, Celtic regain the Scottish Premier League title after 18-year-old boy wonder Gordon Weir inspires them to an emphatic 4-1 derby win over Rangers.
• The battle for Bundesliga survival heats up, as the last two champions both battle to avoid relegations. Dethroned champs Leverkusen climb out of the bottom three after beating Nürnberg 3-1... but 2006 winners Schalke 04 are in real danger after being spanked 5-1 by 1.FC Köln. Frontrunners Dortmund close in on their first championship in 12 years, thanks partly to the unlikely defensive partnership of Dani Alves and Michael Dawson.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Charlton Heston - the prolific Hollywood actor who was also president of the National Rifle Association of America - passes away aged 84. He rose to prominence in the 1950s, playing Moses in “The Ten Commandments” and the title character in “Ben-Hur”.
• Leona Lewis becomes the first British woman in 20 years to top the Billboard Hot 100, with her international breakthrough single "Bleeding Love". A week later, Lewis' idol Mariah Carey retakes top spot with the subtly-named "Touch My Body" - her 18th US number 1 single.
• Silvio Berlusconi throws his biggest ‘bunga bunga’ party ever after being re-elected Prime Minister of Italy for a third time. Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party win the snap election, which was called after Romano Prodi’s government lost a Senate vote of confidence in January.
• Danica Patrick puts the chauvinistic women drivers stereotype to bed by winning the Indy Japan 300 for Andretti Green Racing. The 27-year-old is the first woman to win a race in the top-level IndyCar Series.

[dtown1414]

Always like the interviewing process. I know at times, the questions are redundant, but it's always been fun for me. And fairly realistic. 

[CFuller]

1 minute ago, dtown1414 said:

Always like the interviewing process. I know at times, the questions are redundant, but it's always been fun for me. And fairly realistic. 

There is no interview process on CM01/02 - when you apply for a job, you either get offered it or you don't. Job interviews were only added to the series a few FMs ago. I've just added them to this story for extra realism. 

[dtown1414]

7 hours ago, CFuller said:

There is no interview process on CM01/02 - when you apply for a job, you either get offered it or you don't. Job interviews were only added to the series a few FMs ago. I've just added them to this story for extra realism. 

Ok. forgot you were using CM01/02

[CFuller]

MAY 2008

After more than five months out of work, I'm delighted - and quite relieved - to tell you that I have finally found a new job!

 

I've been in football for two decades now - and until now, I have never played for or managed a club from outside Greater London. I took a journey into the unknown when I drove north-west from my Dagenham home for three hours... until I found myself in Worcestershire, in the West Midlands.

 

Upon my arrival at the Aggborough stadium, I was warmly greeted by an affable local businessman named Darren Gibson. The 63-year-old had been chairman of Kidderminster Harriers since buying the Division 2 outfit from Lionel Newton last summer.

 

Kidderminster were a club who - just like Dagenham & Redbridge - had enjoyed a meteoric rise from non-league football. Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Mølby led them to the Conference title in 2000, which was followed by two more promotions in 2003 and 2005, taking them into Division 1.

 

After surviving in a respectable 13th place in 2005/2006, however, it all went wrong. As my Daggers team followed Kidderminster into Division 1 for the 2006/2007 season, Mølby's Harriers went into a tailspin that cost the Dane his job in March. The experienced Lennie Lawrence took over the reins but could not save his new side from dropping back into Division 2.

 

The 2006/2007 season was another challenging one for Kidderminster, as they fought to return to Division 1 at the first attempt. They possessed one of the best attacking records in Division 2, but at the other end, they also had one of the leakiest defences. Eventually, a late surge was enough to take them up into the play-offs, finishing in 6th place ahead of Torquay on goal difference.

 

But then, just as Kidderminster were preparing for the play-offs, Lawrence dropped a bombshell. The 60-year-old had agreed a deal to become the next manager of Fulham, who had themselves finished just outside the Division 1 relegation places. Gibson was so dismayed with the disloyalty Lawrence had shown that he dismissed his manager with immediate effect.

 

Assistant coach Shane Westley now had to lead Kidderminster through the play-offs, which turned into an unmitigated disaster. In their Semi Final first leg against 3rd-placed Reading at the Madejski Stadium, the Harriers had THREE players sent off - including two goalkeepers - as they went down to a 3-0 defeat.

 

While Kidderminster's play-off campaign was imploding, Gibson had begun looking for a permanent manager. As an unemployed manager with a proven track record of taking a smaller club into Division 1, I was at the top of his shortlist.

 

After a successful interview, Gibson invited me to join him in the VIP boxes at Aggborough, where we watched the second leg of Kidderminster's Playoff Semi Final. The Harriers battled valiantly but could only manage a 1-1 draw, bringing their season to a disappointing end. Reading celebrated a 4-1 aggregate win and advanced to Wembley, where they would lose to Leicester in the Final.

 

The following afternoon, on Wednesday 14 May, I was formally announced as the new manager of Kidderminster Harriers on a two-year contract. The long-term aim was to lead this team back to Division 1... but a more immediate concern was to repair the club's financial damage.

 

Upon taking the job, I was worried to find that Kidderminster were £1.4million in the red. Yes, that debt would be mitigated when a new season's worth of TV revenue started flowing in, but our wage bill of over £150,000 per week was simply not sustainable for the third division - and I wasn't only talking about our players.

 

When I looked through the staff contracts, seeing Shane Westley's salary almost gave me a heart arrhythmia. He was earning £10,500 per week! That was at least three times what I was getting as manager, and almost as much as our highest-paid player - the Canadian international striker Iain Hume.

 

When I brought this to Gibson's attention, he shrugged, "Well... that was Len’s idea." It appeared that Lawrence had been very liberal with backroom wages during his tenure, and that the chairman had seen no reason to question someone who had been a Football League manager for over 25 years.

 

That recklessness would not be repeated on my watch. My first act as manager was to remove Westley from the payroll and look for a newer, cheaper assistant. I wouldn't have to look very far.

 

Former Scotland and Everton defender David Weir had joined the Kidderminster scouting set-up last summer after hanging up his boots, but he aspired to go into coaching. With his vast tactical knowledge and motivational skills, Weir was just the guy I needed to be my right-hand man.

 

I also brought in another three coaches. Goalkeeping specialist Richard Burke arrived from Leigh RMI, and the disciplinarian technical coach Andy Peake was brought in from Halifax. We would also welcome in an exciting young coach in 35-year-old Paul Tisdale, who signed from Scarborough.

 

Of the club's existing coaching staff, both Gavin Hall and Phil Robinson kept their jobs. Carl Hoddle (aka Glenn's kid brother) did not. Jamie Hewitt and Mike Newell also left, as their contracts had expired and their wage demands were too high.

 

Weir's promotion aside, I retained the entire scouting team - consisting of English quartet Paul Blades, Barry Hand, Kevin Scott and George Talbot, plus Irish duo Michael Conway and Niall Murray. Our physio Jimmy Conway - another Irishman, but not related to Michael - also stayed on.

 

So, that’s the backroom sorted. Time to have a closer look at the playing staff…

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• After five years as champions, Manchester United concede the Premiership title to Chelsea after being held 1-1 at Sheffield Wednesday in their final game. While Jean Tigana's Blues celebrate a first championship in 53 years, arch-rivals Tottenham sink to 16th place and replace manager Paul Bracewell with Norwich's League Cup-winning coach Brian Flynn.
• There will be TWO teams from Division 1 playing in the UEFA Cup next season. West Ham lift their fourth FA Cup after Luke Chadwick's penalty secures a 2-1 win over Leeds in the Final. However, Alex McLeish's Hammers are subsequently relegated from the Premiership alongside Wolves and Crystal Palace - and will play in the second tier alongside Norwich next season.
• After finishing 2nd in the Premiership, Leeds' season ends with a THIRD Cup Final defeat. Goals from Simone Inzaghi and Hernán Jorge Crespo see Lazio snatch the Champions League trophy from a weeping Peter Ridsdale's arms in Lisbon. Juventus also narrowly fail to defend the UEFA Cup in Rome, where they fall to a 79th-minute winner from HSV's Miroslav Baranek.
• It's double delight for Dortmund! BVB are crowned Bundesliga champions on the final day with victory over Leverkusen, and then put four goals past Schalke 04 to win the DFB-Pokal. While previous holders Leverkusen narrowly escape relegation, Schalke aren't so lucky - and drop into the second division just two years after winning the championship!
• It's as you were in the other major European leagues. Lazio finish two points clear of Roma in Serie A, while Barcelona withstand Valencia's challenge in La Liga, and Marseille retain Ligue 1 ahead of Saint-Etienne. The biggest surprise comes in Holland, where PSV regain the Eredivisie by a whopping TWELVE points from Ajax!

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• At the London mayoral election, millions decide they've finally had enough of long-time Labour mayor Ken Livingstone. They instead vote in someone who is more in tune with working-class Londoners - the charismatic but gaffe-prone Eton old boy Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson of the Conservative Party.
• Vladimir Putin is forced to step down as President of Russia at the end of his second term. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is elected as the new President, and subsequently announces that his new PM will be… Vladimir Putin. Huh.
• Russia's Dima Bilan wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade... as "X Factor" reject Andy Abraham finishes dead-last for the United Kingdom. The BBC's usually jovial commentator Terry Wogan is so dismayed by claims of Eastern European 'bloc-voting' that he quits, after more than 30 years in the role.
• Two devastating natural disasters strike east and south-east Asia within nine days. Barely a week after an extremely severe tropical cyclone kills over 138,000 people in Myanmar, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan province claims another 87,000 lives.

[bigmattb28]

Am really enjoying this mate. Keep it up 

[dtown1414]

Glad you're employed again. Now cancel those food stamps.

[CFuller]

JUNE 2008

As I settled into my new office at Kidderminster, the full scale of the rebuild I had to oversee at Aggborough became apparent. The club was around £1.5million in debt, many of our players were on obscene wages for Division 2... and our defence was an embarrassment.

 

The Harriers conceded 82 goals in just 46 league games in the 2007/2008 season - more than both Exeter and Portsmouth, who were relegated to Division 3. They also kept just four clean sheets all season long - in a couple of two-game clumps around New Year's Day and Easter.

 

My top priority was to sign a new goalkeeper, as the four goalies we had weren’t going to cut it. Two were lower-league journeymen who were out of their depth in Division 2, another had already agreed a transfer to Stafford Rangers... and the last one was an 18-year-old who'd been sent off 28 minutes into his league debut.

 

Across the backline, we had plenty of defenders who were rather decent at most things, except defending. Pretty much the only actual defender I had in was vice-captain Barry Miller - a powerful, much-travelled centre-back who at 32 seemed to have finally found his footballing home.

 

The club captain was Finland international Timo Marjamaa, who could play at centre-half or as a defensive midfielder. Though the 31-year-old was no doubt an energetic and consistent performer (average rating 7.31), his technical qualities were perhaps not what we needed in Division 2.

 

Another of our top performers was left-flanker Alex Smith, who was very quick and creative, getting 5 goals and 13 assists. However, he was also 32 years old and technically mediocre. On the right flank, David Cowan was another player who had pace and power but not much else.

 

Unsurprisingly, our biggest strengths were up top, where we had four strikers who'd scored 88 goals between them. Top earner Iain Hume had scored 17 goals, homegrown starlet Alan Scott had bagged 21, cult icon David Collins managed 24... and Indian superstar Baichung Bhutia was top with 26 goals.

 

Guess which of them was surplus to requirements? That's right... Bhutia.

 

When I compared all our forwards' strengths and weaknesses, I couldn't see where Bhutia would fit in. Hume was pacey and could consistently create chances as well as score them. Scott was a tall and hard-working target man, while Collins was an incredibly lethal poacher on his day. As prolific as Bhutia was, there were clear signs that the 31-year-old's physical and technical abilities were on the decline - and with his contract up in 12 months, now was the right time to cash in.

 

So the man who got 26 goals, 11 assists, a 7.95 average rating and was named Kidderminster Player of the Year was somehow the worst striker we had! This is an odd team, I must say!

 

Though we haven't yet found a buyer for Bhutia, we did manage to shift a lot of the dead wood over the first few weeks of the transfer window. Here's a quick rundown of the 12 (TWELVE) players who've already moved on:

 

NAME                        AGE   POSITIONS     TO                  FEE
David Cowan                 26    D/M R         Tranmere            £725K
Alan Mahon                  30    AM LC         Man City            £550K
Michael Haxthausen          28    GK            Crewe               £190K
Alex Smith                  32    D/M LC        Huddersfield        £100K
Martin Bullock              33    AM RC         Millwall            Free
Paul Dennis                 26    GK            Stafford Rangers    Free
Ian Foster                  31    F RC          -                   Free
Billy Mead                  27    D R           Nuneaton Borough    Free
John McGreal                36    D C           Portsmouth          Free
Gary Odlum                  29    D R           Stafford Rangers    Free
Sigurður Örn Jónsson        34    D/DM LC       Niort               Free
Daniel Ryan                 22    AM L          Southend            Free

 

That's £1.6million in sales, with around £50,000 per week being cut from the wage bill. Not too shabby, eh?

 

Meanwhile, we've brought in EIGHT new players - all on free transfers or loans. The first of them was attacking midfielder Scott Simpson from St Mirren. The 25-year-old Scot is a fine playmaker and a determined playmaker who excels at set-pieces.

 

Also arriving from Scotland is Robert Garside - a quick and talented former Rangers striker who was capped by Wales when he was just 17. The now 22-year-old never quite made it at Ibrox, but moving to Kidderminster could well give his career the kick-start it needs.

 

Going further afield, I took holding midfielder Jorge Ormeño on a free transfer from Spanish Segunda División side Elche. The 31-year-old Chilean is a fiery character by most accounts, but his positioning and marking abilities should help protect the backline.

 

I'm not worried about Jorge's inability to speak English. One of our other defensive midfielders - former Manchester City star Jeff Whitley - spent four years at Rayo Vallecano and thus is fluent in Spanish.

 

I then secured another coup, signing 29-year-old centre-back Markus Heikkinen from Wolves. Okay, so we're paying him £10,000 per week, but a defender with his tactical awareness and tackling abilities would surely be one of the best in Division 1, let alone Division 2. He joins Marjamaa and right-back Hannu Haarala as one of three Finland international at Aggborough.

 

To continue the Nordic theme, I brought in a couple of Swedish free agents. Daniel Modigh (19) is a promising defensive stopper who will start his development in the reserves. Meanwhile, Kent Ivarsson (24) is a competent goalkeeper who will be the understudy to our new number 1, who is...

 

...Republic of Ireland Under-21s international John Forde, who joins on a season-long loan from Newcastle. Though he's only 19 and has never played a senior match before, I'm very impressed with his handling skills and agility. He's also quite strong physically, and so won't be intimidated by some of the league's more industrial forwards.

 

Lastly, I went back to Dagenham & Redbridge and took one of my former players on loan. Would you like to guess which one?

 

Okay... I bet you didn't expect me to bring back Leon Osman. As disappointing as Leon was for my Daggers in Division 1, I still believed that the Liverpudlian attacking midfielder's technique and creativity could blossom at a lower level.

 

There are still some areas where I'd like to strengthen over the summer. We still need some more cover in defence, particularly at left-back, where 20-year-old Terry Simpson is attracting strong interest from Guus Hiddink's Southampton. Another high-quality midfielder might also make a huge difference. Don't be too surprised if I sign a few more Dagenham players later down the road.

 

As things stand, we've trimmed our player wage bill from around £150,000 per week to £127,500 per week - with a few more high-earners still waiting to be moved on. Indeed, I reckon our new free signings and loanees have made this team stronger than it was when I arrived!

 

Hmm. We'll see if time proves me right...

Edited March 10, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• Having dropped to 5th in the Premiership, and with Thierry Henry's future in fresh doubt, Arsenal decide to sign another striker. It's a huge shock too, as former Tottenham hotshot Serhiy Rebrov moves to Highbury after two seasons with Wolves! Another surprise move sees Manchester United's Brazilian frontman França join Porto for just £4million.
• Sven-Göran Eriksson's England tenure ends in a disastrous Group Stage exit from Euro 2008. Following a couple of 2-2 draws against hosts Switzerland and rivals Wales, the Three Lions are dumped out by Russia after left-back Ashley Cole gives away a penalty. As The Sun gloats about Eriksson being "COSSACKED", the Daily Mirror decide to blame Cheryl for England's failures.
• Two more of Europe's top nations suffer dramatic early exits from Euro 2008. Defending champions Germany survive the group unbeaten but are pushed into 3rd place by a 90th-minute equaliser from Ukraine midfielder Serhiy Zakarlyuka. Meanwhile, Portugal squander a 4-1 half-time lead against the Czech Republic, who score thrice in the second half to reduce 23-year-old Portuguese keeper Marco Carneiro to a blubbering wreck.
• Italy reach a third successive European Championship Final after ending Ukraine's dream debut run at the Semi Finals. The Azzurri then beat Holland 1-0 in Bern, with a stunning volley from Bologna striker Giacomo Cipriani delivering them the spoils. After the match, 62-year-old Arrigo Sacchi ends his second spell as Italy's allenatore and announces his retirement.
• Former Argentina, Liverpool and Roma defender Roberto Fabián Ayala retires aged 35, while legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn hangs up his gloves. The 39-year-old is subsequently named manager of J-League side Shimizu Pulse, whose arch-rivals Jubilo Iwata are now coached by his ex-Germany colleague Bernd Schneider!

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Four months after Kosovo declares its independence from the former Yugoslavia, the constitution of Europe's newest state comes into effect. Serbian forces retaliate with violence, killing or injuring thousands of Kosovars in the north of the country. Serbia & Montenegro is widely condemned for its actions and face numerous sanctions, including the expulsion of their football team from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. ***
• A huge fire takes place at a media archive at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. A Universal spokesperson claims that nothing significant was lost in the fire. However, online reports indicate that over 40,000 archived video and film backups were indeed destroyed, along with over 100,000 audio master tapes from many great American musicians.
• Tiger Woods wins his 14th major golf title, beating Rocco Mediate in a sudden-death play-off to claim the US Open for the third time. Even more impressively, he does it just two weeks after undergoing knee surgery! It seems that nothing can stop Tiger from dominating professional golf again…
• Two weeks after his country becomes a republic, King Gyanendra leaves the royal palace in Kathmandu for the last time. As he departs, Gyanendra misquotes Coldplay’s latest single and sings, “I used to rule Nepal…”

 

*** AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm using a bit of artistic licence here to explain Yugoslavia's absence from the World Cup qualifiers in my save. While there was indeed significant Serbian resistance to Kosovo's independence around this time, it did not really turn as violent as this.

Unfortunately, there's a bug in CM01/02 where the Yugoslav team sometimes gets excluded from the World Cup qualifiers. In this case, I think it's because no European teams have qualified for the 2010 World Cup automatically as hosts or holders, and the game can't fit all 51 European teams into the qualifiers. I'm not sure why CM could've excluded Liechtenstein or San Marino instead (like it sometimes does for the Euro qualifers), but that's just another of its quirks.

Edited March 10, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

SEASON REVIEW 2007/2008

ENGLAND

NOTE: All goals and assist records relate to league matches only.

 

PREMIERSHIP

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Chelsea                         38   15   3    1    38   11   9    3    7    31   34   78   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd     Leeds                           38   15   1    3    45   18   8    3    8    29   30   73   
3rd     Man Utd                         38   11   4    4    37   17   9    6    4    35   25   70   
4th     Liverpool                       38   10   5    4    26   8    10   2    7    26   19   67   
5th     Arsenal                         38   11   4    4    28   15   6    5    8    24   24   60   
6th     Newcastle                       38   12   2    5    39   15   5    5    9    22   29   58   
7th     Bolton                          38   11   5    3    30   17   6    2    11   20   34   58   
8th     Blackburn                       38   10   4    5    27   18   5    7    7    23   26   56   
9th     Sunderland                      38   10   3    6    32   24   5    4    10   14   29   52   
10th    Southampton                     38   9    5    5    25   19   4    5    10   18   28   49   
11th    Stoke                           38   10   6    3    35   25   4    1    14   16   33   49   
12th    Coventry                        38   10   2    7    27   18   3    7    9    15   26   48   
13th    Burnley                         38   11   3    5    37   26   3    2    14   16   37   47   
14th    Everton                         38   10   6    3    28   11   1    7    11   12   37   46   
15th    Sheff Wed                       38   9    4    6    39   34   3    5    11   27   42   45   
16th    Tottenham                       38   10   1    8    33   29   4    2    13   10   34   45   
17th    Man City                        38   8    3    8    25   25   5    2    12   22   32   44   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18th R  West Ham                        38   6    6    7    20   20   5    3    11   15   35   42   
19th R  Wolves                          38   7    5    7    24   30   3    4    12   16   33   39   
20th R  Crystal Palace                  38   7    6    6    30   25   2    3    14   14   38   36   

 

Top Goalscorer - Robbie Fowler (Liverpool): 20.

Most Assists - Elano (Man Utd): 17.

Highest Average Rating - Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd): 8.19.

 

PFA Player of the Year - Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd).

PFA Young Player of the Year - not awarded.

 

DIVISION 1

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Aston Villa                     46   15   6    2    42   15   10   5    8    35   34   86   
2nd  P  Middlesbrough                   46   14   6    3    47   25   10   4    9    45   39   82   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Ipswich                         46   14   6    3    29   14   9    6    8    37   37   81   
4th  P  Birmingham                      46   12   6    5    38   30   12   1    10   40   33   79   
5th     Norwich                         46   14   4    5    52   27   9    5    9    36   32   78   
6th     Charlton                        46   15   4    4    36   20   7    7    9    31   41   77   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     W.B.A.                          46   11   9    3    53   36   8    6    9    34   34   72   
8th     Sheff Utd                       46   12   10   1    40   18   6    7    10   25   30   71   
9th     Carlisle                        46   13   5    5    40   25   6    6    11   33   42   68   
10th    Notts Co                        46   10   7    6    41   28   6    12   5    32   28   67   
11th    Preston                         46   13   5    5    40   29   5    6    12   29   45   65   
12th    Grimsby                         46   14   4    5    37   27   5    4    14   18   35   65   
13th    Crewe                           46   14   2    7    51   24   4    8    11   27   38   64   
14th    Derby                           46   11   7    5    40   27   5    8    10   31   43   63   
15th    Luton                           46   13   4    6    28   13   4    8    11   11   27   63   
16th    Brentford                       46   10   8    5    43   31   6    5    12   29   42   61   
17th    Bradford                        46   13   1    9    37   34   2    11   10   15   36   57   
18th    Chesterfield                    46   10   9    4    45   34   2    6    15   23   46   51   
19th    Dag & Red                       46   11   5    7    30   23   1    10   12   18   41   51   
20th    Peterborough                    46   9    5    9    33   38   5    3    15   28   47   50   
21st    Fulham                          46   4    12   7    27   32   5    8    10   23   33   47   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22nd R  Millwall                        46   6    7    10   20   28   4    6    13   16   30   43   
23rd R  Q.P.R.                          46   8    5    10   37   45   1    4    18   26   60   36   
24th R  Nottm Forest                    46   5    10   8    33   35   2    1    20   16   46   32   

 

DIVISION 2

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Huddersfield                    46   15   6    2    54   27   11   4    8    44   43   88   
2nd  P  Gillingham                      46   13   7    3    52   39   13   3    7    52   45   88   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Reading                         46   14   6    3    47   21   9    6    8    42   41   81   
4th  P  Leicester                       46   10   10   3    48   34   11   5    7    46   37   78   
5th     Walsall                         46   12   6    5    46   33   9    8    6    37   33   77   
6th     Kidderminster                   46   15   3    5    58   33   9    2    12   40   49   77   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7th     Torquay                         46   12   6    5    46   34   10   5    8    43   43   77   
8th     Wrexham                         46   12   5    6    42   26   10   5    8    39   38   76   
9th     Northampton                     46   12   6    5    45   30   8    4    11   37   48   70   
10th    Bristol City                    46   12   6    5    42   28   7    5    11   35   45   68   
11th    Wycombe                         46   13   2    8    51   46   6    6    11   33   45   65   
12th    Rochdale                        46   11   6    6    47   34   7    4    12   38   50   64   
13th    Doncaster                       46   8    9    6    47   43   8    6    9    36   35   63   
14th    Darlington                      46   8    6    9    32   34   8    6    9    29   28   60   
15th    Cambridge Utd                   46   10   5    8    46   38   7    4    12   34   45   60   
16th    Colchester                      46   10   6    7    40   31   5    8    10   19   28   59   
17th    Swindon                         46   7    6    10   40   38   7    8    8    32   33   56   
18th    Shrewsbury                      46   10   2    11   26   26   5    5    13   27   46   52   
19th    Tranmere                        46   8    8    7    28   25   3    9    11   19   31   50   
20th    Watford                         46   10   4    9    32   30   4    4    15   23   49   50   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21st R  Exeter                          46   8    4    11   30   34   4    8    11   20   30   48   
22nd R  Portsmouth                      46   8    5    10   27   29   3    4    16   19   44   42   
23rd R  Cardiff                         46   7    5    11   33   39   2    6    15   23   55   38   
24th R  Port Vale                       46   7    3    13   30   41   2    7    14   26   48   37   

 

DIVISION 3

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Oldham                          46   14   5    4    49   27   12   3    8    43   33   86   
2nd  P  Hull                            46   14   3    6    38   24   10   6    7    46   34   81   
3rd  P  Hartlepool                      46   14   6    3    43   27   7    12   4    38   34   81   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th  P  Oxford                          46   11   5    7    43   37   13   2    8    38   35   79   
5th     Bournemouth                     46   13   5    5    28   14   9    6    8    27   27   77   
6th     Barnsley                        46   12   7    4    33   14   8    8    7    38   31   75   
7th     Wigan                           46   15   3    5    52   33   7    6    10   37   41   75   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8th     Bristol Rovers                  46   12   5    6    47   32   7    11   5    49   42   73   
9th     Blackpool                       46   13   6    4    49   31   8    3    12   29   39   72   
10th    Scarborough                     46   8    8    7    33   33   9    7    7    38   31   66   
11th    Lincoln                         46   9    5    9    34   32   10   3    10   51   49   65   
12th    Plymouth                        46   9    10   4    38   25   8    3    12   28   36   64   
13th    Macclesfield                    46   10   5    8    44   35   7    7    9    39   45   63   
14th    Rotherham                       46   9    4    10   39   43   9    4    10   33   45   62   
15th    Leyton Orient                   46   11   6    6    45   37   4    7    12   31   41   58   
16th    Mansfield                       46   13   4    6    57   39   4    3    16   33   54   58   
17th    Rushden                         46   11   5    7    38   33   3    7    13   18   39   54   
18th    Wimbledon                       46   7    9    7    41   41   6    5    12   34   46   53   
19th    Scunthorpe                      46   10   4    9    45   47   5    4    14   35   51   53   
20th    Brighton                        46   7    7    9    29   34   6    6    11   25   33   52   
21st    Bury                            46   6    9    8    29   33   6    5    12   32   39   50   
22nd    Telford                         46   8    6    9    26   25   3    10   10   21   33   49   
23rd    Stockport                       46   7    4    12   35   49   4    6    13   28   48   43   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24th R  Nuneaton Borough                46   5    6    12   38   54   2    3    18   8    47   30   

 

CONFERENCE

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  C  Swansea                         42   14   6    1    48   24   10   4    7    39   28   82   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd     Northwich Vics                  42   12   8    1    45   19   9    9    3    36   21   80   
3rd     Morecambe                       42   14   6    1    41   20   9    4    8    30   24   79   
4th     Cheltenham                      42   12   6    3    41   28   10   5    6    44   36   77   
5th     Stevenage                       42   13   3    5    36   20   10   5    6    29   27   77   
6th     Margate                         42   11   6    4    33   21   9    5    7    28   33   71   
7th     Stalybridge                     42   10   5    6    42   28   10   5    6    40   35   70   
8th     Barnet                          42   10   7    4    33   22   10   3    8    36   34   70   
9th     Southend                        42   10   3    8    34   33   9    4    8    43   39   64   
10th    Yeovil                          42   13   1    7    39   32   7    0    14   30   44   61   
11th    Hereford                        42   9    8    4    33   25   6    6    9    27   30   59   
12th    Bath City                       42   9    4    8    37   29   7    6    8    28   34   58   
13th    Salisbury                       42   8    7    6    28   24   5    9    7    22   28   55   
14th    Farnborough                     42   8    6    7    33   33   6    4    11   27   34   52   
15th    Boston Utd                      42   7    3    11   39   42   5    7    9    31   33   46   
16th    York                            42   8    7    6    31   27   2    9    10   22   34   46   
17th    Clevedon                        42   6    5    10   25   31   5    5    11   25   39   43   
18th    Hucknall                        42   6    6    9    29   35   3    6    12   15   33   39   
19th    Slough                          42   5    6    10   18   31   3    7    11   18   41   37   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20th R  Sutton Utd                      42   7    3    11   31   34   1    8    12   14   34   35   
21st R  Enfield                         42   4    9    8    25   34   1    7    13   18   37   31   
22nd R  Stafford R                      42   4    9    8    26   32   1    6    14   22   49   30   

 

Promoted to Conference: Aldershot, Kettering, Lancaster.

 

FA Cup: West Ham 2-1 Leeds.

League Cup: Norwich 4-0 Leeds.

Community Shield: Man Utd 4-2 Chelsea.

Football League Trophy: Wrexham 2-1 Gillingham.

[CFuller]

OTHER LEAGUES

 

FRANCE

Ligue 1

Top Three: Marseille (1st), St-Etienne (2nd), Lille (3rd).

Relegated: Ajaccio AC (18th), Troyes (19th), Caen (20th).

Promoted from Ligue 2: Lens (1st), Nancy (2nd), Nice (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Didier Drogba (Marseille), Alexandr Shirko (Nantes): 20.

Most Assists - Julien Sablé (St-Etienne): 13.

Highest Average Rating - Didier Drogba (Marseille): 8.17.

 

Coupe de France: Lille 1-0 Bordeaux.

Coupe de la Ligue: Paris SG 2-1 Monaco.

 

GERMANY

1. Bundesliga

Top Three: Dortmund (1st), VfB Stuttgart (2nd), Werder Bremen (3rd).

Relegated: Schalke 04 (16th), 1860 München (17th), Oberhausen (18th).

Promoted from 2. Bundesliga: Bielefeld (1st), Bochum (2nd), Mainz (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Dirk Kuijt (VfB Stuttgart): 19.

Most Assists - Marko Babic (Wolfsburg): 13.

Highest Average Rating - Luizão (Hertha BSC): 7.90.

 

DFB-Pokal: Dortmund 4-1 Schalke 04.

DFB-Liga Pokal: Leverkusen 2-1 VfB Stuttgart.

 

HOLLAND

Eredivisie

Top Three: PSV (1st), Ajax (2nd), Feyenoord (3rd).

Relegated: Groningen (16th, lost play-off), Emmen (18th).

Promoted from Eerste Divisie: AZ (1st), Eindhoven (10th, won play-off).

 

Top Goalscorer - Zico Tumba (NEC): 32.

Most Assists - Yury Zhirkov (Ajax): 16.

Highest Average Rating - Theo Lucius (Ajax): 8.19.

 

KNVB Beker: Ajax 2-1 Fortuna.

 

ITALY

Serie A

Top Three: Lazio (1st), Roma (2nd), Inter (3rd).

Relegated: Chievo (15th, lost play-off), Napoli (16th), Genoa (17th), Ternana (18th).

Promoted from Serie B: Lumezzane (1st), Sampdoria (2nd), Empoli (3rd), Perugia (4th).

 

Top Goalscorer - Hernán Jorge Crespo (Lazio): 25.

Most Assists - Mauro Camoranesi (Parma), Vinicio Espinal (Atalanta), Darijo Srna (Bologna) Dejan Stankovic (Lazio): 11.

Highest Average Rating - Hernán Jorge Crespo (Lazio), Francesco Totti (Roma): 8.00.

 

Coppa Italia: Bologna 4-4 Milan (aggregate, Bologna win on away goals).

 

PORTUGAL

Primeira Liga

Top Three: Sporting (1st), Porto (2nd), Benfica (3rd).

Relegated: Salgueiros (16th), Farense (17th), Belenenses (18th).

Promoted from Segunda Liga: Marítimo (1st), Ovarense (2nd), Vitória Guimarães (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Romeu (Maia): 39.

Most Assists - Hugo Viana (Sporting): 17.

Highest Average Rating - Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting): 8.65.

 

Taça de Portugal: Porto 3-1 Vitória Setúbal (aet).

 

SCOTLAND

Premier League

Top Three: Celtic (1st), Rangers (2nd), Motherwell (3rd).

Relegated: Stranraer (12th).

Promoted from Division 1: Dunfermline (1st).

 

Top Goalscorer - John Hartson (Aberdeen): 21.

Most Assists - Alex (Rangers), Kevin Clark (Aberdeen), Jamie McCunnie (Dundee Utd), Hicham Zerouali (Kilmarnock): 10.

Highest Average Rating - Gordon Weir (Celtic): 8.27.

 

Scottish Cup: Rangers 3-0 Livingston.

League Cup: Rangers 1-0 Livingston.

 

SPAIN

La Liga

Top Three: Barcelona (1st), Valencia (2nd), Real Madrid (3rd).

Relegated: Málaga (18th), Osasuna (19th), Villarreal (20th).

Promoted from Segunda División: Numancia (1st), Valladolid (2nd), Extremadura (3rd).

 

Top Goalscorer - Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 29.

Most Assists - Zé Roberto (Valencia): 18.

Highest Average Rating - Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona): 8.29.

 

Copa del Rey: Atlético Madrid 2-1 Sevilla.

 

CONTINENTAL & INTERNATIONAL

 

CLUB

Champions League: Lazio 2-0 Leeds - in Lisbon.

UEFA Cup: HSV 1-0 Juventus - in Roma.

Super Cup: Leeds 4-0 Juventus.

 

Intercontinental Cup: River 2-0 Leeds.

Club World Championship: Leeds 1-0 Roma (aet).

 

FIFA World Player of the Year - Adriano (Inter & Brazil).

World Footballer of the Year - Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina).

African Player of the Year - Samuel Eto'o (Mallorca & Cameroon).

European Player of the Year - Michael Bridges (Leeds & England).

South American Player of the Year - Falcao (River & Colombia).

Oceania Player of the Year - Harry Kewell (Leeds & Australia).

 

LEADING TRANSFERS (Premiership)

DATE       NAME                        POSITIONS     FROM                TO                  FEE
05/07/07   Albert Riera                D/AM L        Monaco              Southampton         £9.5M
04/07/07   Roque Júnior                D C           Celtic              Arsenal             £8.75M
01/10/07   Luís Boa Morte              AM/F LC       Newcastle           West Ham            £7.75M
16/10/07   Tim Cahill                  AM C          Ipswich             Sunderland          £7.5M
07/08/07   Scott Parker                M C           Middlesbrough       Wolves              £6.25M
15/12/07   Ricardo Gardner             D/AM L        Bolton              Chelsea             £5.75M
05/11/07   Danny Murphy                M RLC         Blackburn           Stoke               £5.5M
17/06/07   Tony O'Connor               D/DM LC       Coventry            Blackburn           £4.9M
29/09/07   Matthew Hamshaw             AM R          Crystal Palace      Sheff Wed           £4.8M
16/07/07   Kevin Foley                 D R           Newcastle           Man City            £4.6M

 

LEADING TRANSFERS (not including Premiership)

DATE       NAME                        POSITIONS     FROM                TO                  FEE
17/07/07   Denílson                    AM/F LC       Betis               Porto               £13M
23/09/07   Andriy Shevchenko           F C           Ajax                Inter               £12M
11/08/07   Aimo Diana                  D/M R         Torino              Lazio               £11M
20/01/08   Julio Arca                  D/AM L        Liverpool           Inter               £11M
23/09/07   Alex                        AM/F LC       Benfica             Rangers             £10.75M
02/07/07   Alejandro Domínguez         AM RLC        River               VfB Stuttgart       £10.5M
28/07/07   Tinga                       AM C          Grêmio              Nürnberg            £10.25M
05/08/07   Andrew Nixon                AM RC         Tottenham           Celtic              £9.75M
01/07/07   Tomas Ujfalusi              D RC          Frankfurt           VfB Stuttgart       £9.25M
19/07/07   Gil                         AM/F LC       Internacional       Benfica             £9.25M

[CFuller]

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW: SWITZERLAND 2008

GROUP 1

7 June (Bern)

Switzerland - 2 (Daniel Gygax 80, Patrick Müller 86)

England - 2 (Joe Cole 15, Wayne Rooney 22)

 

9 June (Zürich)

Wales - 1 (David Hughes 8)

Russia - 1 (Alexandr Kerzhakov 90)

 

11 June (Bern)

Russia - 0

Switzerland - 1 (Léonard Thurre 15)

 

12 June (Bern)

England - 2 (Michael Bridges 9,42)

Wales - 2 (Craig Bellamy 30, Jason Koumas 38)

 

17 June (Zürich)

England - 0

Russia - 1 (Alexandr Shirko pen76)

 

17 June (Bern)

Switzerland - 1 (Léonard Thurre 85)

Wales - 0

 

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  Q  Switzerland                     3    2    1    0    4    2    7
2nd  Q  Russia                          3    1    1    1    2    2    4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     England                         3    0    2    1    4    5    2
4th     Wales                           3    0    2    1    3    4    2

 

GROUP 2

8 June (Geneva)

Portugal - 1 (Cristiano Ronaldo 58)

Italy - 2 (Francesco Totti 45, Aimo Diana 49)

 

9 June (Sion)

Czech Republic - 1 (Jan Koller 86)

Finland - 0

 

12 June (Geneva)

Italy - 3 (Marco Di Vaio 22, Fabio Liverani 35, Fausto Rossini 73)

Czech Republic - 1 (Vratislav Lokvenc 69)

 

14 June (Sion)

Finland - 2 (Aki Riihilahti 11, Henri Scheweleff 56)

Portugal - 2 (Nuno Gomes 51,73)

 

17 June (Sion)

Czech Republic - 4 (Jan Koller 39, Jiri Jarosik 61, Milan Baros 78,89)

Portugal - 4 (Romeu 3,7, Ricardo Quaresma 40, Simão 45)

 

17 June (Geneva)

Finland - 1 (Hannu Tihinen pen39, Aki Riihilahti s/off74)

Italy - 2 (Mancini 42, Francesco Totti 77)

 

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  Q  Italy                           3    3    0    0    7    3    9
2nd  Q  Czech Republic                  3    1    1    1    6    7    4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Portugal                        3    0    2    1    7    8    2
4th     Finland                         3    0    1    2    3    5    1

 

GROUP 3

8 June (Basel)

France - 0

Holland - 0 (Wilfred Bouma s/off58)

 

10 June (St Gallen)

Greece - 2 (Dimitris Papadopoulos 21, Giorgos Karagounis s/off44, Zissis Vryzas 46)

Serbia & Montenegro - 2 (Mateja Kezman 13, Juan Pablo Vojvoda 78)

 

13 June (Basel)

Serbia & Montenegro - 0

France - 2 (Franck Ribéry 7, David Trezeguet 45)

 

15 June (St Gallen)

Holland - 2 (Robin van Persie 59, Ruud van Nistelrooy 77)

Greece - 1 (Dimitris Papadopoulos 31)

 

18 June (Basel)

France - 0

Greece - 0

 

18 June (St Gallen)

Holland - 1 (Theo Lucius 5)

Serbia & Montenegro - 1 (Mateja Kezman 40)

 

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  Q  France                          3    1    2    0    2    0    5
2nd  Q  Holland                         3    1    2    0    3    2    5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Greece                          3    0    2    1    3    4    2
4th     Serbia & Montenegro             3    0    2    1    3    5    2

 

GROUP 4

8 June (Zürich)

Croatia - 1 (Ivica Olic 32)

Germany - 1 (Bastian Schweinsteiger 8)

 

10 June (Neuchâtel)

Sweden - 1 (Zlatan Ibrahimovic 61)

Ukraine - 0

 

13 June (Zürich)

Germany - 0

Sweden - 0

 

15 June (Neuchâtel)

Ukraine - 3 (Serhiy Rebrov 23, Volodymyr Yaxmanitskyi 32, Andriy Shevchenko pen81)

Croatia - 0

 

18 June (Neuchâtel)

Sweden - 2 (Zlatan Ibrahimovic 4, Kim Källström 19)

Croatia - 0

 

18 June (Zürich)

Ukraine - 3 (Yaroslav Karabkin 7, Andriy Shevchenko 20, Serhiy Zakarlyuka 90)

Germany - 3 (Kevin Kurányi 14,81, Michael Ballack 23)

 

Pos     Team                            Pld  Won  Drn  Lst  For  Ag   Pts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st  Q  Sweden                          3    2    1    0    3    0    7
2nd  Q  Ukraine                         3    1    1    1    6    4    4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd     Germany                         3    0    3    0    4    4    3
4th     Croatia                         3    0    1    2    1    6    1

 

QUARTER FINALS

21 June (Geneva)

Italy - 2 (Marco Di Vaio 3, Fabio Liverani 52)

Russia - 1 (Alexandr Shirko 82)

 

21 June (Bern)

France - 2 (Jean-Alain Boumsong 54, Mickaël Silvestre s/off62, David Trezeguet 67)

Ukraine - 3 (Anatoliy Tymoschuk 22, Andriy Shevchenko 34,69)

 

22 June (Basel)

Sweden - 0

Holland - 1 (Ruud van Nistelrooy 49)

 

22 June (Zürich)

Switzerland - 0 (Alexander Frei m/pen105)

Czech Republic - 0

[after extra-time, Czech Republic win 4-3 on pens]

 

SEMI FINALS

25 June (Zürich)

Czech Republic - 0

Holland - 2 (Ruud van Nistelrooy 35,39)

 

25 June (Geneva)

Italy - 3 (Fausto Rossini 50, Christian Maggio 85, Massimo Donati 98)

Ukraine - 2 (Andrej Woronin 40, Andriy Shevchenko 79)

[after extra-time]

 

FINAL

29 June (Bern)

Italy - 1 (Giacomo Cipriani 31)

Holland - 0

ITALY (4-4-2): Christian Abbiati; Christian Maggio, Dario Dainelli, Alessandro Nesta, Alessandro Dal Canto; Jonatan Binotto (Fabio Liverani), Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti [C], Mancini; Fausto Rossini, Giacomo Cipriani. BOOKED: Nesta, Liverani.

HOLLAND (4-1-4-1): Sander Westerveld; John Heitinga, Jaap Stam [C] (Niels Oude Kamphuis), Kevin Hofland, Mike Zonneveld; George Boateng; Dirk Kuijt, Wesley Sneijder (Robin van Persie), Rafael van der Vaart (Theo Lucius), Wilfred Bouma; Patrick Kluivert. BOOKED: Kluivert, Bouma.

 

Top Goalscorer - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine): 5.

Most Assists - Vasilis Lakis (Greece), Fabio Liverani (Italy): 3.

Highest Average Rating (at least 4 matches) - Tomas Repka (Czech Republic): 8.75.

Edited March 12, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

Kidderminster Harriers squad - Start of 2008/2009 season

 

GOALKEEPERS

1. John Forde - GK, age 19, Irish [capped at Under-21s level]

On-loan Newcastle prospect Forde lacks experience but not talent. He is incredibly agile, a very competent handler, and reads the game quite well for such a young man.

 

13. Kent Ivarsson - GK, age 24, Swedish

Free signing Ivarsson also has limited experience of senior football. However, with his impressive aerial abilities and excellent anticipation, he looks a decent backup.

 

14. Colin Hunwick - GK, age 29, English

Hunwick was signed from Halifax last summer and was well out of his depth. 63 goals conceded in 35 games says it all about someone who's a non-league keeper at best.

 

DEFENDERS

2. Stuart McCluskey - D RC, age 30, Scottish

McCluskey is a solid and mature right-back who can also cover at centre-half if needed. The former Portsmouth ace is quick, agile, and a firm but fair tackler.

 

5. Haraldur Guðmundsson - D C, age 26, Icelandic [1 cap]

Guðmundsson arrived at Aggborough last season after many years at Sheffield Wednesday. Nicknamed the 'Iceman' by Kiddy fans, he's an intelligent and unflappable centre-half.

 

6. Markus Heikkinen - D/DM C, age 29, Finnish [15 caps, 2 goals]

If he justifies his £10,000-per-week wages, Heikkinen could be an incredible signing. I'm a big admirer of the ball-playing centre-half and his incredible work ethic.

 

14. Terry Simpson - D L, age 20, English

Simpson has excelled at left-back since joining from hometown club Wycombe last year. He has the athleticism and the tactical awareness to be a top-flight defender one day.

 

21. Barry Miller - SW/D C, age 32, English

Miller is a selfless sweeper in the prime of his journeyman career. The Harriers vice-captain was incredibly reliable last season, especially when it came to aerial battles.

 

29. Hannu Haarala - D/M R, age 26, Finnish [2 caps]

Flying Finn Haarala can play on the right flank as a full-back or winger. His impressive crossing ability produced 10 assists last term, but he needs to concentrate more on defending.

 

32. Timo Marjamaa - D/DM C, age 32, Finnish [7 caps, 1 goal]

Marjamaa captained the Harriers last season, playing either as a centre-back or anchor man. However, I have serious questions about his technical abilities.

 

MIDFIELDERS

4. Mark Kerr - M C, age 26, Scottish [capped at Under-21s level]

Kerr has sadly not fulfilled the potential once expected of him as a Falkirk youngster. The hard-working playmaker has been rather wasteful with his passing while at Aggborough.

 

11. Baldur Aðalsteinsson - AM/F L, age 28, Icelandic [capped at B level]

Aðalsteinsson is relatively new to Kidderminster, only arriving in January. Though most effective as a speedy winger, I think I can retrain him to play at left-back.

 

12. Jorge Ormeño - DM C, age 31, Chilean [1 cap]

Ormeño is a tenacious and experienced holding midfielder, but his signing is a gamble. A lot will depend on his attitude and how long he takes to settle in England.

 

15. Kevin Nicholls - DM C, age 29, English

Nicholls has been a largely dependable anchor since signing from Blackpool in 2004. His passing and tackling skills aren't the best, but they're enough for this level.

 

16. Scott Simpson - AM C, age 25, Scottish

Simpson is a talented attacking midfielder who recently joined from St Mirren. His creative vision and set-piece prowess should produce a lot of high-quality chances.

 

17. Leon Osman - AM C, age 27, English

I have a love-hate relationship with Osman, who is on loan from Dagenham until November. Though he struggled in Division 1, the playmaker should fare a bit better here.

 

26. Danny Gould - M RLC, age 19, English

Gould broke into the Kiddy team late last year and is rated very highly by club coaches. The local lad's technical ability and versatility have impressed a number of Division 1 clubs.

 

27. Lee Watson - M C, age 21, English

Watson is another exciting prospect, with excellent passing skills and a high work rate. After spending last season in the reserves, he may need to build up his experience out on loan.

 

33. Jeff Whitley - DM C, age 29, Northern Irish [6 caps, 1 goal]

After four years in Spain, Whitley shacked up at Aggborough last summer. The Zambian-born ball-winning midfielder is a serious contender to be my new captain at Kidderminster.

 

FORWARDS

8. Baichung Bhutia - F C, age 32, Indian [47 caps, 27 goals]

26 goals, 11 assists, 7.95 average rating - it's fair to say Bhutia was brilliant last season. Unfortunately, even that record might not keep India's record scorer in my plans.

 

10. Robert Garside - F C, age 22, Welsh [1 cap]

Once Wales' youngest ever international, Garside's career with Rangers sadly stalled. I hope he can realise his potential as a pacey goal-hanging poacher at Kidderminster.

 

20. Iain Hume - F RC, age 24, Canadian [7 caps, 1 goal]

Hume's 33 goal contributions last season showed why he's so feared at this level. Born in Edinburgh but raised in Canada, he is a loyal and consistent marksman.

 

23. Alan Scott - S C, age 21, English

Homegrown talent Scott is fresh off his breakthrough season, where he netted 21 times in 39 games. A tall and powerful centre-forward, he has been tipped for great things.

 

31. David Collins - F C, age 27, English

Collins is a rapid and flamboyant Lancastrian regarded as one of the Football League's most talented strikers. With 148 goals in the last eight seasons, it's easy to see why.

 

RESERVES

GOALKEEPER: Richard Phillips (18)

DEFENDERS: Stephen Kavanagh (17), Daniel Modigh (19), Nick Roberts (26), Tom Spearritt (25)

MIDFIELDERS: Richard Norris (30), René Schrøder (31)

FORWARD: Drewe Broughton (29)

[CFuller]

JULY 2008

Another new season was on the horizon - and after starting the previous seven campaigns as Dagenham & Redbridge manager, I now found myself in unfamiliar surroundings. My tenure as the new boss of Kidderminster Harriers was about to get underway.

 

After meeting my new players for the first time, I sensed that this was a determined team with a lot to prove. After losing out in the Division 2 play-offs last season, expectations at Aggborough were high - and the players wanted nothing less than a quick return to Division 1.

 

While most of last season's squad remained, I'd freshened the team up with eight new signings - including Leon Osman, on loan from my former club. The arrival of the experienced Finland centre-half Markus Heikkinen seemed to have a particularly positive effect on his fellow defenders, who had conceded 173 league goals in the previous two seasons.

 

In terms of outgoings, I'd sold £1.6million worth of players, and the summer influx of TV money had put the club's bank balance back in the black. However, our financial future was still far from secure, and two more players were expected to leave over the coming weeks.

 

Despite finishing as the Harriers' top scorer last season, Baichung Bhutia had at least four strikers ahead of him in my pecking order and was up for sale. Divisional rivals Bristol City had offered us £120,000 to sign the Indian superstar, who headed to the south-west to discuss terms.

 

Meanwhile, West Brom had taken an interest in 19-year-old midfielder Danny Gould, who'd made three league appearances last season and was one of our most exciting prospects. The Baggies' initial offer of £300,000 was pretty low, but I did see some scope for negotiation. If I could get them to bump up the fee or add a sell-on clause, that would probably be enough to do a deal.

 

On the staff front, we had recently lost goalkeeping coach Phil Robinson and scout Barry Hand, who were both poached by Crystal Palace. To take their places, I brought in a new keeper coach - John Hutchison from Scottish amateur side Jeanfield Swifts - alongside a couple of scouts from Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

 

It was soon time for me to put my new team to the test. Because of our ongoing financial problems, there would be no pre-season jaunt to Scotland or Ireland for the Harriers - not even a hop across the Welsh border. In fact, Kidderminster wouldn't leave the Midlands at all until our opening league game at Watford on 9 August!

 

For my first match as Harriers manager, we made a 20-minute journey north-east to the Black Country village of Amblecote. Our hosts were part-timers Stourbridge, who played three tiers below us in the Southern League.

 

19 JULY 2008: Stourbridge vs Kidderminster Harriers

After a slow start, our top earner Iain Hume got us going with a couple of stunning volleys in the 16th and 35th minutes. Stourbridge had no answer to Hume's brace, and they conceded again three minutes into the second half, when sweeper Rob Hayward flicked Leon Osman's corner into his own goal. A late strike from Danish utility man René Schrøder completed a resounding 4-0 win for the Harriers - and believe me, it could have been even more!

 

Stourbridge - 0

Kidderminster Harriers - 4 (Hume 16,35, Hayward og48, Schrøder 90)

Friendly, Attendance 1,374

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde (Ivarsson); Haarala (McCluskey), Guðmundsson, Heikkinen (Miller), T Simpson (Schrøder); Nicholls (Ormeño); Kerr (S Simpson), Whitley; Osman (Aðalsteinsson); Scott (Garside), Hume (Collins). BOOKED: Kerr, T Simpson.

 

After a strong start to my Kidderminster reign, we announced three more sales. Bhutia had agreed terms with Bristol City and officially joined Graham Rix's Robins for £120,000. Some Harriers fans were quite upset to see our Player of the Year leave, but let me reassure them that it was for the greater good.

 

We also struck a deal with West Brom to sell Danny Gould for £300,000, plus 15% of the next transfer fee. If the young and versatile midfielder can realise his potential, this could be quite a lucrative deal for us in the long run.

 

Lastly, we got £10,000 from Gillingham for Colin Hunwick. I'm not quite sure what the Gills saw in a goalkeeper who conceded 56 goals in 31 league games last season, but that's another waste of money off the wage bill.

 

Next up for us was a midweek trip to Kettering, who won the Southern League last season and were now in the Conference. Iain Hume missed this game to play in a World Cup qualifier for Canada, but his absence gave our other strikers a chance to shine.

 

23 JULY 2008: Kettering Town vs Kidderminster Harriers

And boy did they shine. Hardly anything happened for the first half-hour, but once David Collins broke the deadlock from Scott Simpson's 33rd-minute through-ball, there was only going to be one winner. Collins' young strike partner Alan Scott also got on the scoresheet early in the first half, as Kettering went down with hardly a fight. Indeed, our only real cause for concern came in the 67th minute, when left-back Terry Simpson rolled his ankle and had to be stretchered off.

 

Kettering Town - 0

Kidderminster Harriers - 2 (Collins 33, Scott 56)

Friendly, Attendance 1,038

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde (Ivarsson); Haarala (McCluskey), Guðmundsson, Miller (Heikkinen), T Simpson (Roberts); Nicholls (Marjamaa); Kerr, Watson (Norris); S Simpson (Osman); Scott (Broughton), Collins (Garside). BOOKED: Roberts, Heikkinen.

 

Another comfortable win was all well and good... but with Terry Simpson's injury ruling him out for three weeks, it became clear we needed another left-back to provide cover.

 

While I weighed up my options in the transfer market, I brought out the chequebook to sign a player - for actual money. It wasn't just any player either - it was one of my most loyal servants at Dagenham.

 

Ryan Carter broke into my Dagenham team when he was just 17, and he was now regarded as one of the most talented young midfielders in the Football League. Sadly, Ryan had been frozen out by new Daggers boss Willy Wordsworth, who was happy to sell him to me for just £120,000. I have a feeling Willy will regret that...

 

It'd be fair to say that we hadn't been seriously tested so far this pre-season, with neither Stourbridge nor Kettering managing a shot on target against us. Things were likely to be A LOT tougher on my Harriers home debut, as we welcomed Premiership newcomers Birmingham to Aggborough.

 

27 JULY 2008: Kidderminster Harriers vs Birmingham City

We rocked our top-flight visitors after just 10 minutes, when David Collins headed home from Robert Garside's cross. The lead lasted just seven minutes before Birmingham hit back, with midfielder Nabil Abidallah firing in the rebound after right-back Christoffer Andersson hit the bar. That was followed by a blitz of Blues attacks, which our teenage goalkeeper John Forde heroically withstood...

 

...until the 54th minute. When 20-year-old defender Danny Bruce unleashed an unstoppable shot, it appeared that our resistance had been broken. But there would be one more twist to come in the 67th minute, when Leon Osman equalised after René Schrøder's shot was parried by Birmingham keeper Mark Brown.

 

Kidderminster Harriers - 2 (Collins 10, Osman 67)

Birmingham City - 2 (Abidallah 17, Bruce 54)

Friendly, Attendance 1,589

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde; Haarala (McCluskey), Heikkinen (Guðmundsson), Miller, Roberts (Aðalsteinsson); Ormeño (Marjamaa); Whitley (Carter), Watson; S Simpson (Schrøder); Garside (Osman), Collins (Scott). BOOKED: Marjamaa.

 

A fantastic game - and an even better result. If we could hold our own against a side like Birmingham, we would surely be one of the teams to beat in Division 2 this season!

 

A couple of days later, we signed Leyton Orient left-back Kevin Hyde for £50,000. The former Wolves trainee is 22 years old and has lots of stamina.

 

Next up, we faced Rushden & Diamonds at Nene Park. Our hosts were now firmly established in Division 3, though the Dr Martens money had dried up and they were perhaps struggling to kick on to the next level.

 

30 JULY 2008: Rushden & Diamonds vs Kidderminster Harriers

Rushden attacked us right from the start, completely knocking us off our stride. Midfielder Jamie Walsh's diamond volley midway through the first half was enough to give them the lead at the interval.

 

A half-time dressing-down fired the Harriers up for the second half, and a comeback looked on when David Collins scored his third goal in as many games just 11 minutes after the restart. Barely a couple of minutes later, though, Reon Juskowiak restored Rushden's advantage, which former Wales Under-21s defender Ashley Williams later doubled. 3-1 - game over.

 

Rushden & Diamonds - 3 (Walsh 25, Juskowiak 58, A Williams 69)

Kidderminster Harriers - 1 (Collins 56)

Friendly, Attendance 2,230

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Ivarsson (Forde); McCluskey, Heikkinen (Modigh), Miller, Hyde (Roberts); Marjamaa (Ormeño); Carter (Hume), Kerr (Aðalsteinsson); S Simpson (Watson); Garside (Scott), Collins.

 

Well... I guess the honeymoon couldn't last forever, but that was still a shocking performance. It's given me plenty of food for thought as the new season draws closer.

[CFuller]

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL...

• After their Euro 2008 humiliation, England replace the departing Sven-Göran Eriksson with a popular, genial Yorkshireman - ex-Rangers boss David Seaman. Meanwhile, Giuseppe Pancaro quits Marseille after barely four months to succeed Arrigo Sacchi as Italy's head coach... and Sylvain Legwinski is appointed France manager, just two months after taking over at Monaco!
• There are huge riots across Italy's capital city when the world's best left-back - Holland's Wilfred Bouma - moves to Roma from Lazio for £19.25million. Following Bouma's arrival, Ashley Cole wonders if he should've made more of an effort to fit in with his Giallorossi team-mates.
• Premiership champions Chelsea make an £11million swoop for Manchester City winger Damien Duff, who replaces the Bayern München-bound José Antonio Reyes. Leeds fork out £9million for PSV's anchor man Mark van Bommel, while Liverpool recruit Bordeaux playmaker Kieron Dyer for £8.25million, and Manchester United give Hertha BSC £7.25million for Brazil striker Luizão. Meanwhile, Arsenal sign Claus Jensen and Lucas Neill from Stoke.
• Lazio try to appease their furious supporters with a new superstar midfielder, spending £13.5million on Porto playmaker Denílson. Another big-name Brazilian international makes a big move across Germany, as centre-back Lúcio leaves Leverkusen after eight seasons to join Schalke 04 for £12.25million. That's the same Schalke who’ve been relegated to the second tier, Lúcio…
• Argentine nomad Ariel Ortega signs a four-year contract at Valencia... but tears it up four weeks later after Claudio Ranieri has the audacity to sub him in a training match. The 34-year-old soon returns to Italy and joins Parma - his EIGHTH club since 2002.

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

• Bosnian Serb politician Radovan Karadžić is arrested in Belgrade after a 12-year manhunt. He is set to be extradited to the Netherlands, where he faces 11 charges of war crimes relating to the genocides of Bosniaks and Croats during the Yugoslav wars of the mid-1990s.
• Six-and-a-half years after being kidnapped by a Marxist guerrilla group, Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages are rescued from captivity. Colombia’s government conducts Operation Jaque without a single shot being fired, and President Álvaro Uribe’s popularity skyrockets.
• Roger Federer's five-year reign as Wimbledon men's singles champion is ended by his young Spanish rival Rafael Nadal. Nadal wins the first two sets, and Federer the next two sets, before the 22-year-old Majorcan prevails 9-7 in the decider - after 4 hours and 48 minutes of play. It will go down as one of the greatest tennis matches in history.
• Spanish cyclist Carlos Sastre wins the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. The 33-year-old from Madrid is nicknamed ‘Mr Clean’, because he has never tested positive for (or been accused of taking) performance-enhancing drugs, even in a sport where doping is widespread.

Edited March 27, 2023 by CFuller

[CFuller]

AUGUST 2008

With the new Division 2 season just days away, the great Kidderminster clearout of 2008 was about to end. The next player out of the door was Scottish midfielder Mark Kerr, who was sold to Norwich for £425,000.

 

Okay, you're probably thinking that selling Mark Kerr is a sign of madness, but here's the thing - he was earning £9,000 per week. If you're on such a high salary at this level, you have to be a massive game-changer... and from what I've seen of Mark so far, he's not at that level.

 

For our final friendly, we played host to Leicester, who defeated our play-off nemeses Reading to earn promotion to Division 1 last season. The Foxes had been managed by the wily Scouse hardman Peter Reid since 2005, so I expected a gruelling battle.

 

2 AUGUST 2008: Kidderminster Harriers vs Leicester City

After a close start to proceedings, the game swung Leicester's way in the 31st minute. Leicester striker Craig Dudley was brought down in the area by a clumsy foul from Markus Heikkinen, whose Finnish compatriot Tomi Sauso then converted the penalty. To make matters worse for us, our young midfielder Lee Watson had strained his knee ligaments in the build-up and was forced off.

 

Leicester took a commanding 2-0 lead through veteran forward Noel Whelan early in the second half. Thankfully, we responded brightly to that, and Scott Simpson's skilful agility won us a penalty of our own in the 68th minute. That was clinically converted by our new left-back Kevin Hyde, who pulled the final deficit back to a more respectable 2-1.

 

Kidderminster Harriers - 1 (Hyde pen68)

Leicester City - 2 (Sauso pen31, Whelan 52)

Friendly, Attendance 1,307

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde; Haarala, Heikkinen (Roberts), Guðmundsson (McCluskey), Aðalsteinsson (Hyde); Nicholls (Ormeño); Carter, Watson (Whitley); Osman (S Simpson); Garside (Scott), Hume (Collins). BOOKED: Heikkinen, Carter.

 

Another brave display against a higher-level team, but there were still some defensive issues that needed to be addressed. Markus Heikkinen seemed to be particularly guilty of complacency, and I warned him that his place in the team wasn't assured just because he was one of our top earners.

 

Heikkinen would need to up his game - and quickly. When Barry Miller pulled up in training with a thigh injury, our vice-captain was sidelined for the first month of the season. If neither Markus not Haraldur Guðmundsson could shore up the centre of our defence in Barry's absence, we would be in big trouble.

 

Our campaign kicked off in earnest on 9 August, when we travelled to Vicarage Road to take on a youthful Watford team. Peter Taylor's Hornets finished in 20th place last season, narrowly avoiding what would have been a shock relegation to Division 3.

 

9 AUGUST 2008: Watford vs Kidderminster Harriers

I got a rude awakening 25 minutes into the new season, as the form book was turned on its head. A handball from debutant midfielder Jorge Ormeño gave Watford a free-kick, which left-back Adam Lang fired on target. Though John Forde managed to get to Lang's strike, he was unable to keep out the rebound shot from winger Simon Thomson.

 

Despite losing centre-back and captain John Plant to an ankle injury in the 42nd minute, the Hornets didn't lose their sting. Indeed, they took a two-goal lead into the break, thanks to Markus Kvarneå's header on the stroke of half-time. Even with a new manager at the helm, it was the same old problems for the Kidderminster defence.

 

Those problems were only exacerbated early in the second period. Teenage winger Andy Griffiths came off the Watford bench to head in Robin Hulbert's 53rd minute and give the hosts a 3-0 lead.

 

Eight minutes later, the man who started the Hornets' surge finished it. Thomson pounced on another Forde parry to put the result beyond any reasonable doubt at 4-0.

 

By this point, though, Watford's backline was having major issues, as a leg injury to Steven Murphy deprived them of another central defender. Scott Simpson and Iain Hume would take advantage of their vulnerabilities with a couple of consolation strikes late on, which at least halved our four-goal humiliation to a mere two-goal embarrassment.

 

Watford - 4 (Thomson 25,61, Kvarneå 45, Griffiths 53)

Kidderminster Harriers - 2 (S Simpson 78, Hume 88)

Division 2, Attendance 19,838 - POSITIONS: Watford 3rd, Kidderminster 20th

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde; Haarala (Roberts), Guðmundsson, Heikkinen, Hyde; Ormeño; Marjamaa (Carter), Whitley (Osman); S Simpson; Scott, Hume.

 

Christ, that was shocking. Defensive issues, much?

 

Once again, I was asking questions about Heikkinen's attitude - and I was also disappointed with right-back Hannu Haarala's inability to contain Thomson, and Timo Marjamaa's wasteful passing. All three Finns were dropped for our next game.

 

On the plus side, we did sign a couple of youngsters for the reserve team. 18-year-old Kevin Fitzgerald is an Irish left-flanker, while 21-year-old former Racing Santander reserve César Gallego can play as an attacking midfielder or a right-winger.

 

A week after being stung by the Hornets, we looked to get our first points on the board when Hartlepool came to Aggborough. The Pools had also suffered a heavy defeat on the opening day, going down 3-1 to newly-relegated Nottingham Forest.

 

16 AUGUST 2008: Kidderminster Harriers vs Hartlepool United

We had a wonderful chance to go ahead after just three minutes, when Hartlepool goalkeeper Martin Hollund brought down Scott Simpson in the penalty area. Left-back Kevin Hyde converted his first Harriers penalty in pre-season and was in a confident move ahead of this one... but Hollund made a superb save, and then kept out Kev's rebound as well!

 

Fortunately, another Kidderminster defender would give us the lead half an hour later. Nick Roberts had come into the side at Markus Heikkinen's expense, and a clinical finish from Simpson's free-kick showed that I was right to pick him!

 

Hartlepool had not really troubled our defence prior to Roberts' opener, but that would change just before half-time. A vicious effort from midfielder Chris Rose was met by a strong save from John Forde, who was unfortunately beaten by a rebound from the Pools' star striker. Music might have been John Miles' first love, but a kiss on the badge on his shirt showed that Hartlepool was his second.

 

Miles was inches away from scoring another Pools goal midway through the second half. His afternoon then took a turn for the worse, as a knee injury cut an impressive performance short. He was the second player that Steve Bull had lost to injury, having been forced to take off winger Andrew Cameron very early on, but a strong rearguard display from his remaining players kept us from regaining our lead.

 

Kidderminster Harriers - 1 (Roberts 33)

Hartlepool United - 1 (Miles 45)

Division 2, Attendance 3,907 - POSITIONS: Kidderminster 19th, Hartlepool 20th

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde; McCluskey (Haarala), Guðmundsson, Roberts, Hyde (Heikkinen); Ormeño; Carter, Nicholls; S Simpson; Scott, Hume (Collins). BOOKED: McCluskey.

 

If these two matches were a sign of things to come, promotion would be well and truly off the table. There was a lot of work to be done over the next 44 fixtures.

 

We were still having teething problems with the diamond, so I switched to a standard 4-4-2 and gave young Gallego his debut in our League Cup opener. The Round 1 draw had given us a tricky home tie against Chesterfield from Division 1.

 

19 AUGUST 2008: Kidderminster Harriers vs Chesterfield

After Chesterfield wasted a couple of chances midway through the first half, we punished them from our first attack late on. A promising run from Alan Scott was halted by Spireites hardman Chris Morgan, but the loose ball was blasted home by... yes, César Gallego! Less than a fortnight before his 21st birthday, the Spanish starlet had scored on his first game in English football!

 

We then spent most of the second half battening down the hatches to withstand the inevitable Chesterfield onslaught. John Forde was having a superb game in the Harriers goal, making five saves to frustrate the visitors.

 

Those saves included a massive one from Chris Carruthers in the 90th minute. Sadly, he gave the midfielder another go straight away, and the Irish youngster's reflexes couldn't quite get him to the follow-up. Bryan Robson's side had equalised.

 

After extra-time passed by with no further goals, Forde got the opportunity to redeem himself in the penalty shoot-out. And boy did he, saving Chesterfield's first penalty from right-back Chong-Goog Song, and then their second from ex-Dagenham midfielder Simon Rusk! The Harriers players then hammered our advantage home by scoring all their penalties, with captain Jeff Whitley in particular showing nerves of steel to complete a 4-2 win!

 

Kidderminster Harriers - 1 (Gallego 40)

Chesterfield - 1 (Carruthers 90)

[after extra-time, Kidderminster Harriers win 4-2 on penalties]

League Cup Round 1, Attendance 2,672

PENALTY SHOOT-OUT (Kidderminster, Chesterfield): Song saved, Hume 1-0, Rusk saved, Aðalsteinsson 2-0, Warren 2-1, Osman 3-1, Carruthers 3-2, Whitley 4-2.

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2): Forde; Haarala, Guðmundsson (McCluskey), Roberts, T Simpson; Gallego, Whitley, Ormeño (Watson), Aðalsteinsson; Scott (Osman), Hume. BOOKED: Ormeño.

 

After claiming a minor scalp, our reward was to have a go at an even bigger one in Round 2. We will be welcoming Steve McClaren and his Sunderland team to Aggborough next month!

 

We then moved on to Bristol City, where we hoped to kick-start our league campaign against a team who'd lost their opening two matches. Of course, Bristol City are Baichung Bhutia's new club... so what were the odds on Kidderminster's top scorer from last season coming back to haunt us?

 

23 AUGUST 2008: Bristol City vs Kidderminster Harriers

"Bristol City are a tough team who'll press you relentlessly, so it's important that you keep your cool," I told my players in the dressing room before kick-off. Scott Simpson must have been in the toilet when I was giving that talk. Two minutes into the game, Simpson pushed City captain Daði Guðmundsson to the turf, for which he was sent straight back to the bathroom!

 

Having gone a man down, it seemed inevitable that we would go a goal down early on. Sure enough, in the 11th minute, Bristol City left-back Aaron Brown delivered a killer cross for a Robins striker to confidently fire home. It might have been David Freeman who scored it rather than former Harriers hero Baichung Bhutia, but it didn't make me feel any better.

 

But while one Scott had let Kidderminster down, another Scott would restore his pride's name just ten minutes later. Alan Scott equalised with a stunning direct free-kick after being held back by City's 18-year-old defender Barry McCreadie. Alan then turned provider for his strike partner David Collins, who gave us an improbable 2-1 lead just before half-time!

 

It had been a day to forget for Bristol City's veteran keeper Mart Poom, who was replaced with teenager Keith Atkinson early in the second half. However, we didn't give Atkinson much to do, as our man deficit would eventually take its toll. McCreadie was fouled in the Harriers box by a panicking Stuart McCluskey, who gave away a penalty which Brian Power equalised from. Another draw.

 

Bristol City - 2 (Freeman 11, Power pen76)

Kidderminster Harriers - 2 (Scott 21, Collins 41)

Division 2, Attendance 9,577 - POSITIONS: Bristol City 19th, Kidderminster 18th

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde; Haarala, Guðmundsson, McCluskey (Roberts), T Simpson; Ormeño; Carter (Gallego), Whitley; S Simpson; Scott (Garside), Collins. BOOKED: Carter, McCluskey. SENT OFF: S Simpson.

 

We did well to save a point there... but we're not gonna pick up many wins if we keep shooting ourselves in the feet!

 

I'd been very impressed with John Forde in goal, but there was only so much he could do when the rest of our defence had more leaks than the vegetable aisle at Tesco! More reinforcements were needed.

 

So, once again, I called upon one of my former charges at Dagenham & Redbridge, and gave them £250,000 for Simon Bell. The 23-year-old had struggled to nail down a starting place at Victoria Road, but a centre-back with his aerial qualities would certainly be a regular part of my plans at Kidderminster.

 

Bell was my 13th signing for the Harriers, and I hoped he would be the last I needed to make for a while. He made his debut alongside a reinstated Heikkinen for our home game against 8th-placed Tranmere.

 

25 AUGUST 2008: Kidderminster Harriers vs Tranmere Rovers

After his impressive display at Bristol City just two days earlier, Alan Scott was quickly on target again. The local hero rose high above Tranmere captain Leslie Hughes to head in Hannu Haarala's right-wing cross after just seven minutes.

 

Scott then ravaged the Rovers again late in the first half, playing a pivotal role in two more goals. His 42nd-minute pass to Leon Osman was then powered into the area for Iain Hume to head home. Three minutes after that, Scott provided a more direct assist for Hume, whose late brace sent us into the interval with a commanding 3-0 lead!

 

Unfortunately, Alan's tireless performance had taken a toll on his right knee, which was in such a bad state that he didn't return for the second half. There would be no more Kidderminster goals after the break, but some impressive goalkeeping from John Forde at least meant that he finally got the clean sheet his recent performances deserved.

 

Kidderminster Harriers - 3 (Scott 7, Hume 42,45)

Tranmere Rovers - 0

Division 2, Attendance 3,287 - POSITIONS: Kidderminster 12th, Tranmere 11th

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Forde; Haarala, Bell, Heikkinen, Hyde (Aðalsteinsson); Ormeño; Carter, Whitley; Osman (Gallego); Scott (Collins), Hume.

 

A victory after 90 minutes at last, but it wasn't all good news. After delivering an impressive five goal contributions in as many matches, our young forward Alan Scott would miss the next three weeks with a twisted knee. Iain Hume would also miss our next game, because CONCACAF's international schedule is a total mess.

 

I would experiment with my tactics again at Wrexham, adopting a wide 4-4-1-1. David Collins would play in the attacking midfield hole behind lone striker Robert Garside, who was still looking for his first Kidderminster goal. Could the young Welshman find it in his home country?

 

30 AUGUST 2008: Wrexham vs Kidderminster Harriers

David Collins was denied a great goal by Wrexham goalkeeper Mark Tyler in the 11th minute, but the Lancastrian wouldn't be kept out for long. After 25 minutes, Robert Garside lobbed a fantastic ball to his more experienced partner, whose header silenced the Racecourse Ground.

 

The post denied us a second goal through left-winger Baldur Aðalsteinsson in the 47th minute. When Wrexham's left wing-back Gareth Roberts equalised just four minutes later, it looked like another match would get away from us...

 

...but then Markus Heikkinen unexpectedly came to the rescue in the 54th minute. After Tyler had pushed a Collins shot behind his goal, César Gallego lifted a corner into Wrexham's penalty area, where Heikkinen powered home his first Kiddy goal! But while there was delight for one of our Finnish defenders, there was agony for another just nine minutes later, when Hannu Haarala strained his knee ligaments and was forced to come off.

 

The rest of our defence stepped up in Haarala's absence, with Heikkinen winning several key headers to keep Wrexham at bay. The Dragons were then slayed in stoppage time, when Aðalsteinsson's assist for substitute Leon Osman secured our first away victory this season!

 

Wrexham - 1 (Roberts 51)

Kidderminster Harriers - 3 (Collins 25, Heikkinen 54, Osman 90)

Division 2, Attendance 8,826 - POSITIONS: Wrexham 22nd, Kidderminster 7th

KIDDERMINSTER LINE-UP (4-4-1-1): Forde; Haarala (McCluskey), Bell, Heikkinen, T Simpson; Gallego, Whitley (Nicholls), Ormeño, Aðalsteinsson; Collins (Osman); Garside.

 

After a mixed bag of results, my tenure as Kidderminster manager is off to a decent start. We certainly don't have many problems finding the net. It's just a case of gelling this defence together, and then things are looking good.

Edited March 26 by CFuller