Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.

Formation

Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. was formed in 1992 following a merger between two clubs – Dagenham F.C. and Redbridge Forest F.C.. Both clubs had fallen on hard times due to dwindling attendances. The club can trace back its ancestry to 1881 as Redbridge Forest was an amalgamation of three of the amateur game's most famous clubs, Ilford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue. Between the clubs they won the FA Trophy once, FA Amateur Cup seven times, Isthmian League 20 times, Athenian League six times, Essex Senior Cup 26 times and London Senior Cup 23 times.

Non-League

Dagenham & Redbridge spent its inaugural season in the Football Conference, taking the place of Redbridge Forest. The club's first fixture after the merger was on 25 July 1992, which was an 8–0 thrashing of Great Wakering Rovers in a friendly. The first competitive result was a 2–0 win over Merthyr Tydfil in the Conference. Dagenham & Redbridge spent several seasons in the Football Conference but were relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division in 1996, at that point the 6th tier of English football. They remained in that division until winning promotion in the 1999–2000 season, subsequently cementing themselves as one of the strongest clubs in the Conference, finishing third, second and fifth in its first three seasons back following promotion. The club was narrowly beaten to the Conference title by Boston United in 2002 on goal difference. Boston United were subsequently found guilty…

Sources: League

League Two (level 4) Play-off winners: 2010 Conference (level 5) Champions: 2006–07 Isthmian League (level 6) Champions: 1999–2000 Cup

FA Trophy Runners-up: 1996–97 Essex Senior Cup Winners: 1997–98, 2000–01 Runners-up: 2001–02