Dagenham and Redbridge FC

The Daggers (@Dag_RedFC) sliced up AFC Wimbledon in the #EmiratesFACup and now they've drawn @MillwallFC in the next round, which I think is very winnable. But regardless, let's honour them by taking a closer look at this club with an incredible double history: Dagenham and Redbridge. Let’s #GetTheBadgeIn.

The club was formed in 1992 through a merger of Dagenham and Redbridge Forest, the latter itself a merger of Ilford, Leytonstone, and Walthamstow Avenue. The club's traditional colours, red and blue, represent the merged teams—similar to @MaldonTiptreeFC

The club crest blends the two coats of arms of Dagenham and Redbridge, and it’s done magnificently.

Let’s start with the quartered red and blue waves in the background. This is directly taken from the Dagenham coat of arms, which features the same pattern. It also fits well because the Redbridge coat of arms features wavy lines too—common among towns near rivers or the sea (see

@IpswichTown

 and others). In this case, the waves represent the rivers central to both towns: the Thames for Dagenham and the River Roding for Redbridge. Dagenham's original coat of arms also includes a cog, symbolising the industries that relied on the area's wharfs, jetties, and docks along the Thames - more on which later.

At the top of the crest, we see crossed keys and a sword. The keys symbolise St Peter (gatekeeper of Heaven), while the sword represents St Paul, who wrote about wielding faith like a sword (and was also beheaded by one). The Church of St Peter and St Paul, built in the 13th century, sits at the heart of Dagenham. A century later, —The Cross Keys pub —opened across the road from it, and it remains open today.

The oak tree at the base of the crest is from Redbridge’s coat of arms. It represents the Fairlop Oak, a massive tree in Hainault Forest with a recorded circumference of 66 feet. For centuries, it served as a meeting point, and in 1725, the first Fairlop Fair was held under its branches. Organised by local landowner Daniel Day to celebrate (distract from?) rent day with his tenants, it grew into a massive event, attracting 200,000 attendees by the early 19th century. Unfortunately, the fair ended when the common land was enclosed, sold off, and blocked from communal use—a sad end to the 18th centuries answer to Glastonbury.

 What about the red birds on the crest? These are martlets, which appear on Redbridge’s coat of arms and reference King Edward the Confessor. Edward, the last Saxon King, passed away without an heir, sparking the succession crisis that led to the Norman Conquest in 1066. However, while Edward’s heraldic birds were doves, not martlets, his influence lives on in other coats of arms. Edward had loose connections to the area—he owned a palace at Havering-atte-Bower, not far from Redbridge. A Catholic Church in Romford bears his name, possibly connecting him to Redbridge and, ultimately, the Daggers.

Dagenham's Saxon connections run deep, the name derives from the old Saxon name Dacca’s Homestead (Ham).

More recently, the geography of this area attracted the Ford Motor Company to Dagenham, where they built a factory in 1931, having previously operated in Manchester. The Thames' deep waters allowed for larger shipments, making Dagenham the ideal location. Over the decades, the factory has produced nearly 11 million cars. It also gained fame in 1968, when the women of Dagenham, ever a feisty group, went on strike over unequal pay. They sewed car seats and had been subjected to a pay cut. Their demands for equal pay eventually succeeded, inspiring the 1970 Equal Pay Act as women across the UK followed their example.

So, there you have it—the Daggers. Blessed by Christianity’s two greatest saints, home to Saxon kings, industrial innovators, fierce proponents of equality, and legendary party-goers of the 18th century. The Daggers can cut through history—and I'm sure, Lions.