Dagenham & Redbridge 16.10.10

HOW TO GET THERE

CAR

From The North:
Leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London. At the end of the M11 continue onto the A406 towards Docklands (A13) and London City Airport. At the intersection with the A13, turn onto this road in the direction of the Dartford Crossing. At the junction with the A1306, leave the A13 and join the A1306 towards Dagenham. At the third set of traffic lights turn left just before the McDonalds into Ballards Road. At the end of this road you will come to a large roundabout, (known as the Bull roundabout, after the public house of the same name) at which you turn left, into Rainham Road. Proceed up Rainham Road passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.

From The South:
Leave the M25 at Junction 31 and take the A13 towards Central London. After approximately 4.6 miles, exit the A13 onto the slip road, signposted Dagenham/Dagenham East. At the end of the slip road at the double roundabout turn right, then going under the A13. At the T-junction turn left onto the A1306. At the second set of lights turn right onto the B178 (Ballards Road). At they end of this road you will come to a large roundabout, (known as the Bull roundabout, after the public house of the same name) at which you turn left, into Rainham Road. Proceed up Rainham Road passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.

PARKING
There is a fair sized car park at the ground which is free, but is normally full one hour before kick off. Otherwise there is street parking, of which some is available on the main Rainham road.

TRAIN/TUBE
Dagenham East is the closest station to the ground and is on the District Line. It can take a very long time to get here by tube from Central London. Another option is to get the tube to Fenchurch St Station and get an over-ground train to Barking. These leave every 10 minutes and take about the same amount again to get there. Once you have get to Barking, change to the underground and travel to Dagenham East which is now only a couple of stops away.

The ground is only a 5 minute stroll from the station, just turn left as you exit and follow the signs.

I do know that there are quite a few fans that are planning to travel via the Barking route and stop here pre-match. This is due to the fact that Barking is the main area for pubs and food

PUBS/FOOD
The Leyton Orient game taught me to trust the pubs that I know rather than try and find better! I do not have this luxury for the Dagenham & Redbridge game as I have never visited their ground before. I have travelled through the area plenty of times and I’m also aware of its reputation. Whilst researching for this guide I found pubs with very recent murders and BNP meetings, so please exercise a bit of caution in the general area.

Here are your options near to the ground;

D&R Clubhouse- This is a large club located next to the ground and for most matches admits away fans for 50p and has Sky Sports TV. I heard a couple of rumours at Orient that they will not be admitting away fans for our game, but have spoken to the club who have said they will be admitting well-behaved, thirsty Poolies. This place has a good pre-match reputation for its friendliness and prices.

The Eastbrook- This pub is located just past the ground as you walk from the station. The pub is large but made national headlines last year for holding BNP meetings which non-whites were not admitted to.

The Railway- A large pub located next to Dagenham East Tube Station and is more convenient than highly rated. They do have Sky Sports, but does not score well in terms of beer quality or price. As you would expect for a pub located near to a station and only 5 minutes from the ground, this place can get very busy and it is popular with away fans.

The Bull- Once again located near to the station, but this time turn right as you leave as if you are heading away from the ground. This is a large pub with a beer garden and a children’s play area. They serve food here and it may not be as busy as others that are closer to the ground.

Nearby Barking has a larger choice of pubs around the station, including;

The Barking Dog- A large Wetherspoons pub located opposite the station. I would expect this place provide your usual cheap tasteless beer & food, un-wiped tables, busy urinals and local members of the AA Appreciation Society. The South East Poolies will be heading to this pub first at about midday.

The Spotted Dog- Located right next to the station, this pub has a reputation for being one of the better pubs in the general area. The pub is divided into different areas and apparently got a large screen TV. They serve a range of ales, but are obviously more expensive than the Waterspoons nearby.

The Captain Cook- This pub has a great name that will appeal to those who enjoy visiting places that have strong links to the Teesside and Hartlepool areas. It fills you with pride to see such great people from our neck of the woods honoured by the naming of a pub in the smoke of London/Essex and recognising people who actually made a difference to the world and ‘our’ future. If this really does float your boat, then please be aware that a man was murdered in a vicious attack outside of this pub last year and the pub has also got a reputation for poor drinks, service and control of customers that like to fight.

Away fans can also get a drink at the ground in the away end. This area is covered and provides modern facilities.

There are a couple of fish & chip shops opposite Dagenham East Tube Station and a few other fast-food takeaways. There is also a pie & mash shop near to The Eastbrook pub, whilst Barking also offers a larger range of options.

GROUND- Capacity 6,000 (2,000 seats)
Victoria Road has been renamed in recent years to London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium, although you may wish to use its former name if you wish to fit in with the locals. It is slowly developing into a decent standard lower-division ground although obviously this will take time.

Away fans are housed behind the goal in the grounds newest stand, named the Marcus James Stand. 1,240 seats are available here and the impressive rake of the stand, added to the fact that the stand is raised above pitch level, means that all fans should get a great view of the action. As the stand is covered, I expect that it won’t be too difficult for the travelling Poolies to get behind their team. Underneath the stand there is a covered bar area and the usual catering facilities.

To the right of the away stand is a small family stand, with 200 seats, located near to the away end. Whilst the rest of the pitch length is taken up by the Carling Stand which was built in 2001 and houses 800 home fans. These 2 stands are similar in height and are again raised above pitch level.

Opposite the Family and Carling Stands is the North Stand, which is a covered terrace known to the locals as ‘the sieve’. This stand is quite low, running the full length of the pitch, and houses the more vocal element of Daggers fans.

Opposite the away fans is the Bury Road End, which is a very basic open terrace housing the police control(!) box, an electronic score board and the Daggers Shop. This stand is similar to the open end at Barnet for those that have sampled them delights.

SAFETY
Dagenham & Redbridge are very keen on visitors calling them by their full name, in order for the history of both clubs to be acknowledged. Otherwise you should have no problems with their fans and be able to mingle peacefully in the Supporters Club or local pubs. The problem is in the general area, which it has to be said does have a poor reputation, enhanced further in my eyes when researching for this guide. Please exercise a bit more caution than normal in light of this and take care when entering some of the local pubs, especially if you are hanging around after the game.

SOUTH EAST POOLIES
Before the game, the SEP will be heading for the Barking Dog Wetherspoons at Barking as mentioned above. We plan to meet there at around midday. We may move to find a better pub in the general area at some point so keep in touch via Stu on 07789 734790 if you fancy catching up. As usual feel free to come and join us for a few pints.

PRICE- Tickets are now only available on the day.