Tony Roberts
Squad Number: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 32 Height: 6ft Weight: 12st
Born: Holyhead
Career (264 Appearances/ 0 Goals): Queens Park Rangers (164/0), Millwall (8/0), St. Albans City (no figures available), Dagenham & Redbridge (111/0)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 27/0
Details: Experienced goalkeeper who has had a long career in both the Football League and the Conference. Having started his career at Loftus Road with QPR, he went on to play with the West London club for nine series, appearing in over 150 games for them in all competitions. Having spent three months at Millwall on a non-contract basis, Roberts was forced out of the professional game with a finger injury, for which later received hefty compensation, and this meant that a return to the League fold was unacceptable, even if Daggers had won a place in Division Three last season. Just prior to the 2000/1 season, the Welshman, who has two full International caps to his name against the Republic of Ireland and San Marino, signed for the Victoria Road club, where he has nailed down a first eleven spot for the past three years.
Tim Cole
Squad Number: 2
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Age: n/a Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: London
Career (204 Appearances/ 21 Goals): Dagenham & Redbridge (199/20), Gravesend [loan] (5/1)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 7[2]/1 (2[2]/0 for Dagenham & Redbridge)
Details: Signed for a figure in the region of £5,000 in March 1997 from nearby Leyton Pennant, Cole is currently Dagenham’s longest serving player, racking up nearly 200 appearances in the non-League game, the F.A .Cup, the LDV Vans Trophy and the F.A. Trophy, although he missed the final competitions final due to being cup-tied. Despite this, he spent a month on loan to Gravesend in October due to a lack of opportunities for Daggers. The club’s Player of the Year in his first full season, 1997/8.
Ashley Vickers
Squad Number: 3
Position: Defender
Age: 30 Height: 6ft 3ins Weight: 13st 10lbs
Born: Sheffield
*Career (92 Appearances/ 3 Goals): *Heybridge Swifts (1/0), Peterborough United (1/0), *St. Albans City (1/0), Dagenham & Redbridge (89/3)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 20[6]/0
Details: Born in Sheffield, Vickers joined his local side United as a youngster to try out as a trainee, but he was released without breaking into first team contention. He toured the country attempting to find a club, and eventually settled upon Essex side Heybridge Swifts, where he linked up with current gaffer Garry Hill. Having performed well in his four months with the Scraley Road club, he was snapped up by ex-Southend boss Barry Fry at Peterborough United, but the transition to League football was tough, and he moved back into the non-League, and into Hill’s St. Albans City team. After a couple of seasons there, and after Hill’s move to Dagenham & Redbridge, Vickers joined him again at Victoria Road. A commanding central defender, Vickers is both tall and strong, and has been unfortunate not to have played more consistently in the Football League.
Mark Smith
Squad Number: 5
Position: Defender
Age: n/a Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: Luton
Career (62 Appearances/ 1 Goal): Woking (no figures available), Stevenage Borough (no figures available), Dagenham & Redbridge (62/1)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 16[2]/0
Details: England semi-professional defender, who joined from Stevenage on the eve of last season. Smith had been the Player of the Year at Boro in the 2000/1 campaign, and many were disappointed to see him leave. His signature was a real catch for Garry Hill, and he has strengthened the centre of defence with a number of influential displays. Having started his career at Woking as a centre-forward, Smith was transformed into a defender whilst at Stevenage, although his debut did see four goals.
Steve Heffer
Squad Number: 6
Position: Midfielder
Age: n/a Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: London
*Career (110 Appearances/ 6 Goals): *Boreham Wood (9/2), Dagenham & Redbridge (101/4)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 19[1]/0
Details: Heffer is a former trialist at Roots Hall, signing for Dagenham from Boreham Wood for £5,000 back in May 1999. Having tried to join his father Paul’s old side, West Ham as a youngster, the midfielder went on to attempt to join the Shrimpers, as well as Swindon Town and Grays Athletic. Having settled upon Boreham Wood, he continued there for thee seasons until Garry Hill made him his fourth signing nearly four years ago. Has now racked up a century of Daggers performances.
Mark Janney
Squad Number: 7
Position: Midfielder
Age: n/a Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: n/a
Career (101 Appearances/ 9 Goals): Tottenham & Hotspur (0/0), Brentford [loan] (2/1), Dagenham & Redbridge (99/8)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 18[5]/4
Details: Born up the road in Romford, Janney first attempted to break into League football with North London side Tottenham Hotspur, but to no avail. During his time at White Hart Lane, he spent a month on loan at Brentford during March 1999. His spell at Griffin Park was successful, scoring one in two games, but the Bees chose not to retain his services. Five months later, he was contracted to Dagenham, and after spending a considerable period of time in the Reserves, he has now broken well and truly into the first team, scoring against Lincoln City and Exeter City in the last two years of F.A. Cup competition to maintain Daggers’ record of reaching the Third Round in each of the last three seasons.
Paul Terry
Squad Number: 8
Position: Midfielder
Age: n/a Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: London
Career (111 Appearances/ 11 Goals): Dagenham & Redbridge (111/11)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 26/4
Details: An ex-Charlton Athletic trainee, Terry is the brother of Chelsea’s more illustrious, and infamous, central defender John. An attacking midfielder, he was integral in the Daggers Ryman League success a couple of seasons ago, and has continued in the same vein in the Conference, almost propelling his side to the title last year. Influential to the side, his impression has been huge at Victoria Road, and he has been almost ever-present in the last couple of seasons and he scored the first goal in Daggers 2-2 with Plymouth at the weekend.
Danny Shipp
Squad Number: 9
Position: Forward
Age: 26 Height: 5ft 11ins Weight: 11st 13lbs
Born: Romford
Career (118 Appearances/ 27 Goals): West Ham United (0/0), Glenavon [loan] (9/6), Dagenham & Redbridge (109/21)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 22[8]/5
Details: Shipp’s career was started, as with many of the Daggers squad, at Upton Park, but, in the tough regime that has produced such skilful talent as Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, he was unable to prove himself, and was loaned out to Dagenham twice during the time whilst they were below Conference level. In the end he was signed by Glenavon in Ireland for £150,000. During Dagenham’s time in the Conference he has netted 21 times, although overall he has nearer to 70 strikes for the East London side.
Mark Stein
Squad Number: 10
Position: Forward
Age: 36 Height: 5ft 6ins Weight: 11st 2lbs
Born: Cape Town, South Africa
Career (625 Appearances/ 230 Goals): Luton Town (71/23), Aldershot Town [loan] (2/1), Queens Park Rangers (44/7), Oxford United (92/18), Stoke City [loan] 5/0), Stoke City (118/68), Chelsea (64/25), Stoke City [loan] (11/4), Ipswich Town [loan] (11/3), AFC Bournemouth [loan] (17/4), AFC Bournemouth (99/40), Luton Town (36/4), Dagenham & Redbridge (55/33)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 15[4]/9
Details: The most well-known of the opposition squad, Mark Stein was born in South Africa, but his first club was Luton Town. An England Youth International during his first four-year spell with the Hatters, Stein has an envious record of a goal every two-and-a-half matches throughout his career. Periods at Aldershot, QPR and Oxford were a learning curve, and a steep one at that, but after a goalless five-match loan spell at Stoke, he joined the Potteries side for £100,000 in November 1991. He netted 68 goals at a goal every two games, and moved to Chelsea in October 1993 for £1.5 million. Despite being farmed out to Stoke (again), Ipswich and Bournemouth, Stein’s record at Stamford Bridge was decent enough, with 25 goals in 64 matches at Premiership standard. Another spell with Bournemouth of almost a century of games, and a short return to Luton preceded the strikers signing for Dagenham in the 2001 close season. Now, though, and despite scoring nine goals already this time around, Stein is no longer the first name on the teamsheet at Victoria Road.
Junior McDougald 
Squad Number: 13
Position: Forward
Age: 27 Height: 5ft 11ins Weight: 12st 6lbs
Born: Big Spring, Texas, United States of America
Career (236 Appearances/ 51 Goals): Tottenham Hotspur (0/0), Brighton & Hove Albion (95/22), Chesterfield [loan] (9/3), Rotherham United (20/2), Millwall (1/0), Leyton Orient (10/0), Dagenham & Redbridge (101/24)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 21[7]/10
Details: McDougald is another experienced striker, having performed around a number of League clubs. Starting as a trainee with Spurs, by far the longest spell for the American-born forward was with his first real club Brighton & Hove Albion. In two years at the Goldstone Ground he scored 22 times, and netted thrice in nine matches on loan at Chesterfield. Short moves to Rotherham, Millwall and Orient were not very fruitful, and he moved to Dagenham prior to the 1999/2000 season. Since then he has played in over a hundred matches, scoring in one out of every four of them. Got the all-important equaliser at Home Park in the F.A. Cup Third Round tie on Saturday, maintaining his record of a goal in every round.
Danny Hill
Squad Number: 14
Position: Midfielder
Age: 28 Height: 5ft 9ins Weight: 11st 3lbs
Born: Enfield
Career (152 Appearances/ 8 Goals): Tottenham Hotspur (13/0), Birmingham City [loan] (7/0), Watford [loan] (1/0), Cardiff City [loan] (7/0), Oxford United (10/0), Cardiff City (69/4), Dagenham & Redbridge (43/4)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 15[7]/2
Details: An England Under-21 International with four caps at that level from his time at White Hart Lane, Hill is unlike many of his team-mates in that the actually broke into the first eleven whilst at the Premiership side, he nevertheless was unable to command a regular spot in the Lilywhites midfield, and after a loan spell at Birmingham, and others at Watford and Cardiff, he joined Oxford on a free transfer in June 1998. By the end of that year he had moved on again, this time to old side Cardiff, and he made 69 appearances with the Bluebirds. Having had a trial with Dagenham in the 2001 pre-season, he made the move permanent that August, and he has been a regular fixture in the team since.
Steve West
Squad Number: 15
Position: Defender/Forward
Age: 30 Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: Essex
*Career (155 Appearances/46 Goals): *Enfield Town (1/3), Woking (114/33), Dagenham & Redbridge (40/10)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 18[10]/10
Details: Formerly with both Enfield Town and Woking, West is an England semi-professional international who signed for Dagenham on a free transfer in February 2002. Having tried to join Arsenal, the ex-forward then toured the Essex Senior League circuit with Purfleet, Concord Rangers, East Thurrock United, Aveley and Tilbury before moving to Enfield.. On his one big-time occasion there, he scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 F.A. Cup victory over Bromley in 1996. A £35,000 move to Woking ensued the following summer, and he netted 33 goals in 114 games for the Surrey side. He became their captain, and won the player of the year award in his time there, before making the switch to Daggers, having been transformed into a central defender. Has still managed to net ten times already this season.
Lee Matthews
Squad Number: 17
Position: Defender
Age: n/a Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: Southend
Career (59 Appearances/ 3 Goals): Dagenham & Redbridge 118/3)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 21/1
Details: Born locally, Matthews attempted to win a place in David Webb’s double-promotion winning squad. He failed to break through to any standard at Roots Hall, and went on to make his mark at Purfleet, appearing over 250 times for the Thurrock Hotel side. He moved to Victoria Road in 1998 for £3,000, and has been one of the team’s best defenders. In all he has made over one hundred appearances in the Conference and Ryman League’s for Dagenham. In 2001 he was voted Player of the Year, but last season was wiped out due to cruciate ligament trouble in one of his knees. This season has seen a return to form, and he has continued to impress in the Dagenham defence.
Paul Gothard
Squad Number: 18
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 28 Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: Essex
Career (275 Appearances/ 0 Goals): Dagenham & Redbridge (197/0), Hayes (65/0), Dagenham & Redbridge (11/0)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 4[1]/0
Details: Essex-born shotstopper, who teaches Physical Education, Mathematics and Science at the King Edmund School in Rochford. Gothard has four England semi-professional caps to his name, and also a man-of-the-match award in the 1-0 1997 F.A. Trophy final defeat to Woking at Wembley. A trainee with Colchester United and Chelmsford City, as well as Grays Athletic, Gothard made nearly 200 appearances at Victoria Road the first time around, before a two-year spell with Hayes, which led to relegation from the Conference. At this stage, he rejoined Dagenham, and he has been an able understudy to Tony Roberts ever since.
Gary Fletcher (on loan from Leyton Orient)
Squad Number: 19
Position: Forward
Age: 21 Height: 6ft Weight: 11st
Born: Liverpool
Career (81 Appearances/18 Goals): Northwich Victoria (49/16), Hull City [loan] (5/0), Leyton Orient (19/0), Grays Athletic [loan] (no figures available), Dagenham & Redbridge [loan] (4/1), Dagenham & Redbridge [loan] (4/0)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 7[1]/1
Details: Having scored at a goal every three games during his time at Northwich Victoria, during which time he managed to keep them in the Conference, Fletcher joined Third Division Leyton Orient after a month-long loan spell at Hull. Loan spells at Grays and Dagenham (of which the current time at Victoria Road is the second) have seen a sharp decrease in goals. He has a strong appearance, and was signed for the Brisbane Road club after scoring twice in the F.A. Cup against them. Everton reputed to have shown an interest.
Mark Rooney
Squad Number: 20
Position: Defender
Age: 24 Height: n/a Weight: n/a
Born: London
*Career (49 Appearances/ 0 Goals): Watford (1/0), *St. Albans City (1/0), Dagenham & Redbridge (47/0)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 10[7]/0
Details: Signed for a four-figure fee from Garry Hill’s old side St. Albans City, where he had been for two seasons. Prior to that he had made just one appearance for his first side Watford. After a short spell with Aylesbury United, he moved to St. Albans, and on to Dagenham in March of 2001. Since then he has been in and out of the side, and may well take his place in the team tomorrow.
Steve Potts
Squad Number: 24
Position: Defender
Age: 35 Height: 5ft 7ins Weight: 10st 11lbs
Born: Hartford, United States of America
Career (524 Appearances/ 1 Goals): West Ham United (506/1), Dagenham & Redbridge (18/0)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 18[1]/0
Details: An England Youth International, and another well-known member of the Daggers squad courtesy of over 500 League and Cup appearances at nearby Upton Park, Steve Potts linked up with the Dagenham side prior to the start of this season. Despite his lack of height, the American-born defender was able to perform admirably well at both right-back and in the centre of defence, where his highly composed displays were crucial in West Ham’s ability to push consistently for a UEFA Cup place. However, as he neared his mid-thirties, Glenn Roeder felt he was surplus to requirements, and Garry Hill decided that he was just the player to add some vital League experience to his side. Potts will be desperately needed to revive Daggers faltering Conference campaign.
John McGrath (on loan from Aston Villa)
Squad Number: 26
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22 Height: 5ft 10ins Weight: 10st 4lbs
Born: Limerick, Ireland
Career (9 Appearances/ 2 Goals): Aston Villa (2/0), Dagenham & Redbridge [loan] (7/2)
This Season (Appearances [as substitute]/Goals): 7/2
Details: An Irish Under-21 International left-sided player, McGrath was starring in Southend’s pre-season campaign this year. However, Rob Newman chose not to pursue the matter, and he has since joined Dagenham on loan for the duration of this season. With a couple of appearances in the Villa team to his name as a substitute already, McGrath can operate anywhere on the left hand side, from left-back to left-winger. With his tricky manoeuvres and silky skills, should he play tomorrow, McGrath will be a potent weapon.
*denotes that figures for non-League games are unavailable
Robert Craven