The Journey Is Nearly Over

[davei]

As with most on here, I think your initial post Dashers covers a lot of areas.

However, I think one thing that lends itself as to why we are where we are today is, to put it simply as someone wrote, we have continued to identify ourselves as a small (pub) team from Essex the minute we gained promotion. After we had maintained our position and even further gained an additional promotion, we continued to use the small is us tag even at that stage, when in fact, the board should have identified, and worked diligently to identify ourselves, as a growing team in a professional football league that is considered by many to be the best in the world. They didn't. How will we attract talent by identifying ourselves as a lessor team than the others in the leagues.

And sadly, to the other reality, the fact is when we achieved our second promotion, the people at the helm of this club should have handed it over to others that knew the nuts and bolts of operating a professional sports franchise at a higher level than the Conference. And they are out there.

When you operate any business, you have to have a time to get out plan. As a business grows, sadly, it usually leaves those who started it behind and soon it becomes evident that particular skill sets can only take that business so far. And if it is not acknowledged and acted upon, the shit begins to hit the fan as it dawns on those in charge just how out of their depth they are. Even Bill Gates knew when it was time to get out and acknowledged things were beyond him, but I guess having one or 2 billion dollars in the bank helped, but I digress.

Aside from the branding issue of being a small (pub) team from Essex, as much of a supporter of JS as I am, when he first started to flounder, he should have been gone. JS skill set is by far the best for Conference/Division Two world, but beyond that is up for debate. When it became obvious there were issues, the fact it took the board so long to realize that is an indication of their thought process' at the time which clearly was not conducive to the position the club held in professional football.

Sadly, their thinking was still at the Conference level, not Division One level, and frankly it's not changed.

The rest as they say, is, or will be history

[mickeyblue]

Looks like only 4 teams in the current conference that would comfortably bring over 200 (Barking College Stand capacity) none of those will bring over 500. Massive drop in revenue and with home crowds around the 900 mark we may need to go part time.

This will help - http://www.football-league.co.uk/news/a ... 86363.aspx

awesome that means our budget be more or less the same so we can keep these players

[RampantDuke]

So unless there is now a sudden and totally unexpected upturn in form, our 9th season in the Football League will be our last for now.

People will no doubt be debating how it has ended like this, and how we go about trying to move forward again, but I think people should take a moment to look at what has been, in footballing terms, a miracle for the last 9 Years or so.

Based on size and finances we are a mid table Conference Club. But through the combined efforts of players, management, board and supporters, this Club has had 9 seasons in the Football League. 9 seasons as part of the magical 92. This has been done on crowds of less than 2,000 (on average), with no sugar daddy funding the Club but risking it's future, with no major debt to take with us to the Conference, and with a stadium that while not huge or spectacular is built to the standards and requirements needed for a Club in the lower echelons of the Football League (or the Conference).

In a footballing world where money dictates most things, this is nothing short of a modern day footballing miracle. Wimbledon's run to the top division, Wigan's foray to the Premier League, Leicester's title bid this season. I would put much of our last 9 year's up there with that.

So there have been some lows but there has been some highs as well. A near miss in 08/09, a promotion in 09/10, a 9th place finish in 13/14 as well as that one season in League One where we saw our little Club go out and complete on an even keel with Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Brighton.

So while everyone is blaming John Still or Wayne Burnett or Steve Thompson or Dave the Plumber, I would ask people to just stand back and reflect for a minute. All these people, and many many more, played a part in what has been an amazing journey over the last 9 or 10 years. People are saying this is the worst team we have had since this that and the other, but for those who saw games in the Ryman League and the lower end of the Conference for many Years, they will know that really we have had it amazingly good for 9 years.

And so while the four men I have listed above, and many others, have made mistakes, are not perfect and have done things we all don't agree with, they have all done an awful lot, in different ways to make the last 9 years generally enjoyable.

Our Club will still exist next Year and will still exist for many Years to come. Going down is not good. People will lose their jobs, the Club will need to re-adjust, but unless there are a lot of things we are not aware of, it will continue as a Conference Club. The people involved again now, on and off the pitch, know the Conference, they know what they need to do, and they know the Club. Yes they have made mistakes, but in my view they all deserve the chance to have another go at making it all happen again. I also know that they all care very very deeply about the Club.

So enjoy the next 16 games for what they are. Take in the goals on the Football League show as you won't have it next Year!!! Read the reports and scores in the Times on a Monday, as you won't have it next Year!!! Maybe go to an away game even if you don't normally go, and support the boys and say you went to watch little Dagenham and Redbridge play away in the Football League.

In Years to come people may talk of this little Club who on crowds of 2,000 played in the Football League for 9 years!!! Or they may not do as we may well come back one day soon and do it all again. Just enjoy it while it lasts!!!

Sorry for joining the party a bit late but is it OK if I blame Thompson? - for everything. ;-)

[ARNU]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

[Auntie Merge]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

The years he did it right he had stronger people around him who knew better and had more experience than him.

It hasn't escaped my notice that since Dave Andrews stood down the club seems to have lost its way. logo gate is a good example of that.
There were a couple of other changes on the committee too.

So you can't give Thommo all the credit, but he does have to take the blame.

[ARNU]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

The years he did it right he had stronger people around him who knew better and had more experience than him.

It hasn't escaped my notice that since Dave Andrews stood down the club seems to have lost its way. logo gate is a good example of that.
There were a couple of other changes on the committee too.

So you can't give Thommo all the credit, but he does have to take the blame.

You will understand I cant really take your post too seriously.Just a short while back you were great mates with him and acting as a sort of go between encouraging me to meet with thommo re ideas about improvement.Then you played up at a home match demanding Burnett out and were removed rather unceremoniously from the ground.(Im not saying that's wrong or right or who was wrong or right)But that incident has left you rather bitter with a rather biased opinion against Mr Thompson,despite an apology. In a nutshell you are not a neutral voice here.

[ARNU]

oh and......

I like the new badge with the big Daggers on it.

Really cannot see what the fuss is about...its a badge

[Richie]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

The years he did it right he had stronger people around him who knew better and had more experience than him.

It hasn't escaped my notice that since Dave Andrews stood down the club seems to have lost its way. logo gate is a good example of that.
There were a couple of other changes on the committee too.

So you can't give Thommo all the credit, but he does have to take the blame.

Possibly the most ridiculous opinion I've read on here.

[Phippo]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

The years he did it right he had stronger people around him who knew better and had more experience than him.

It hasn't escaped my notice that since Dave Andrews stood down the club seems to have lost its way. logo gate is a good example of that.
There were a couple of other changes on the committee too.

So you can't give Thommo all the credit, but he does have to take the blame.

Possibly the most ridiculous opinion I've read on here.

You sure you haven't read some of my opinions (or Arnu's )!!? :D :D

[RampantDuke]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

Yep - sorry I was just being mischievous, hence the winking face. Whatever flaws Thompson has as a person (and they have been well documented on this site recently) he has done some incredible work over the years and I have no doubts that he would die for the club. He has made some mistakes but haven't we all during our working life?

[NBDag]

If you are going to blame Thommo for everything you also have to praise him for the years he did it right.

Yep - sorry I was just being mischievous, hence the winking face. Whatever flaws Thompson has as a person (and they have been well documented on this site recently) he has done some incredible work over the years and I have no doubts that he would die for the club. He has made some mistakes but haven't we all during our working life?

He has been fantastic for the club over the past few years, and no one should ever forget that. The only thing is that when we make mistakes or we see other people make mistakes, we learn from them and make sure they're not repeated. We also realise when we have made a mistake and act as quickly as we can to rectify it.

Thommo doesn't do this and this is why I want him as far away from this club as possible. The only thing worse than a clueless leader, is a clueless leader who doesn't realise that they're clueless.

[ARNU]

These mistakes that can you attribute purely to Thommo are what exactly ?

Please list them and then we can surgically analyse each one.

I only ask as I thought we had a board that made collective choices and the chairman has a final say or deciding vote.

[NBDag]

Well yeah the board are involved. But who is the one that is most heavily involved in the off-field decision making at the club?

[Diggerthedog]

Well yeah the board are involved. But who is the one that is most heavily involved in the off-field decision making at the club?

Who's the only board member on the pay roll?

[ARNU]

Conspiracy theories that will all go away when we win again.As Adrian always says.....join the board yourself and make a difference.

Day one you could have a little moan up,day 2 realise theres no money and things aint quite so easy Day 3 come on here and listen to us lot calling you a wanker LOL!!!