The Positivity Thread

[Auntie Merge]

With the prospect of new owners, I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread for all the great things about the club.

So, why are you a dagger?
What makes you stick around?
What do you love about the club?


and please, keep the past in the past. Posts dredging up past negativity might be moderated.

[Auntie Merge]

I have a history with both pre-merger clubs. Even though I didn’t want the merger to go through I have stuck around. There were about 3 years in the 1990s when work kept me away (I was travelling 50,000 miles a year in the UK, all I wanted to do when I got home was stay in). But when my dad died I craved normality and the most normal thing for me to do was to go to football, even though he hated me going to football. I still remember driving into the car park for the first time in ages and thinking ‘i’ve missed this place’.

I stick around because it is my club. It is a part of me.

I love most of the people and the family atmosphere that is still an integral part of the club - i’ve been sitting/standing with the same people for years, they feel like family to me.

I love the fact that even when we were in league 1 you felt close to the team and what was going on in the club.

I think the club still has huge untapped potential to make it one of the most central focuses in the area. There are so many commercial
opportunities that could actually make the club some money. (The ideas for Save the Daggers thread gives some good examples). I really hope whoever buys us sees that too and takes us forward.

[Daggerman]

I have a history with both pre-merger clubs. Even though I didn’t want the merger to go through I have stuck around. There were about 3 years in the 1990s when work kept me away (I was travelling 50,000 miles a year in the UK, all I wanted to do when I got home was stay in). But when my dad died I craved normality and the most normal thing for me to do was to go to football, even though he hated me going to football. I still remember driving into the car park for the first time in ages and thinking ‘i’ve missed this place’.

I stick around because it is my club. It is a part of me.

I love most of the people and the family atmosphere that is still an integral part of the club - i’ve been sitting/standing with the same people for years, they feel like family to me.

I love the fact that even when we were in league 1 you felt close to the team and what was going on in the club.

I think the club still has huge untapped potential to make it one of the most central focuses in the area. There are so many commercial
opportunities that could actually make the club some money. (The ideas for Save the Daggers thread gives some good examples). I really hope whoever buys us sees that too and takes us forward.

Merge, is this a pre suck up to whoever may be purchasing / investing in the club?

[Dagger42]

As per usual on this forum did not take long to become negative thread.

[rebeldagger]

As per usual on this forum did not take long to become negative thread.

The finest statisticians are now working out a formula to express this unique factor of this forum.

[Dagdale]

a) a good question? maybe as I'm getting on a bit losing a few marbles.

b) Waiting for the unexpected! that we become a real force on the field, and off the field more fans walk through the turnstiles.

c) Big answer to what drives me on and really over rides the two before, returning to what I grew up on, a good working class London (o.k Essex too) football club with some real salt of the earth characters. many (believe it or not) laughs on the way and fans that are passionate on English football.

[ARNU]

I don't care who runs the club as long as they put the club first and don't take the piss out of the loyal season ticket holders by putting the price up £50 for what will be/ is very disappointing relegation bound football. Think of us as consumers not brainwashed worshippers who you can take liberties with and you'll be on the right track.

[Phippo]

I don't care who runs the club as long as they put the club first and don't take the piss out of the loyal season ticket holders by putting the price up £50 for what will be/ is very disappointing relegation bound football. Think of us as consumers not brainwashed worshippers who you can take liberties with and you'll be on the right track.

Cannot disagree with this sentiment!

[lupins]

I don't care who runs the club as long as they put the club first and don't take the piss out of the loyal season ticket holders by putting the price up £50 for what will be/ is very disappointing relegation bound football. Think of us as consumers not brainwashed worshippers who you can take liberties with and you'll be on the right track.

I couldn't agree less with that sentiment

More than happy to renew my season ticket at the advertised price and for what it is worth in the circumstances I have quite enjoyed the games so far even without same level of quality that better players bring

Taking a backward step has actually got something of the Daggers back

[Mike the Dagger]

I couldn't agree less with that sentiment

More than happy to renew my season ticket at the advertised price and for what it is worth in the circumstances I have quite enjoyed the games so far even without same level of quality that better players bring

Taking a backward step has actually got something of the Daggers back

^^^^ This ^^^^

I have been going to Victoria Road to watch football on and off since 1973, and am much more committed than just being a "consumer" of D&RFC. This year they needed my help and as I can afford it, I was happy to pay more this time around.

And actually the atmosphere has been better, despite the results.

[ARNU]

Atmosphere I gotta say is the same ( apart from a few less flag wavers and people angry about Burnett) The level of expectation has dropped and were reasonable people largely so we aren't jumping up and down as we realise what we've got. I stand by the fact clubs when able to do take liberties with your sentimentality.

[DagenhamDan]

Firstly my dad and his brother are big.fans have been since I was young, I started coming when I was 5ish and it so.happened that Lee Matthews was playing who is also a relative.

The reason I stick about is because I have only ever felt like a Dagenham fan regardless of other family members supporting West ham or man united Dagenham was the only team!
I love how welcome everyone is for example I bought a friend to Barnet he loved it so much he's coming today!

COYD

[Mark]

I'm a dagger as my old man brought me over in 1996 when Runcorn beat us and we got relegated, but for some reason I loved it. He's been a dagger since the 50s and his dad was before that.

I just loved how close you were, the humour of the support particularly the HWLP around that time, the fact that the players were all normal lads who played for fun rather than a wage, and mostly local lads once Ted rebuilt. As a kid I always felt the players appreciated the support and there was a rapport that doesn't exist at higher levels. I also loved that the whole place smelt of burgers and deep heat on a Tuesday night game!

I keep coming back because it's my team. I make the 140ish mile round trip for every home game. Sometimes it is harder than others but this season has felt good so far, a bit more like the real daggers, trying hard with honest lads and not expecting a result. I admit to skipping a couple of games the last 2 seasons, mainly because I felt despite doing ok in the league we didn't have everyone pulling in the same direction. I felt the division was pretty weak and we should have done better. It seemed it was a mental thing more than an ability thing and it was incredibly frustrating at times.

[DagenHammer87]

So, why are you a dagger? 

I first started coming over to Victoria Road as me and my dad were priced out of going to see the Premier League. My first game was at home to Hendon. I was instantly hooked and coming over to the club became something I was very passionate about and in our first season back in the conference I bought my first season ticket.

You can keep the heady heights of the football league - to a club like us this is just purely about finances. I enjoyed those early conference days where it was always just about punching above your weight and having a crack at teams every week.

What makes you stick around?

My 6 year old daughter is a proud Dagger these days. Sadly work doesn't always allow me to get her over these days, but she is proud as punch to be a fan and enjoys the whole experience of going to the football - regardless of the result.

Supporting this club has been a big part of my life and a lot of the iconic moments of the last 20 years have coincided with big moments in my life. Lots of friends and family have come with us to games at Victoria Road over the years and the club is always somewhere I try to recommend to friends and family. The results are shite at the moment, but with any luck we'll restore a united front and become the family oriented club I fell in love with.

What do you love about the club?

They say you like the things you like about something, but you have to love the things you don't like about something. Football clubs will always let you down... Players, managers, board members, second hand car salesmen etc. will come and go... but what's left is the core of fans.

I used to love how down to earth and relatable the club was - right up until pondfield road end got redeveloped and suddenly we lost our plucky charms.

Hopefully, we can come back from that. Yes, the world has changed and yes, modern football is rubbish. The post 96ers, sky sports generation of knee jerk "That's great, no it's shit" in the same breath mob who need to be spoon fed footballing opinions by condescending pundits. I love the fact that every now and then I can see a little bit of what football used to be.*

*Dons tin hat and prepares to be ****** in the *******

[HGDagger]

Well you can't get much more positive than that