Posted: Tue 17 Jul 2012
Author: D&R FC
Who Has Previously Managed The Daggers
Since the club’s formation in 1992 there has only been six managers to be in charge of the Daggers, current Manager Wayne Burnett took charge of the side on an interim basis on the 26th February, he was appointed the position permanently on May 2nd 2013.
Dave Cusack
May 1994 - September 1995
Dave made almost 600 Football League appearances, with Millwall, Southend United, Sheffield Wednesday & Doncaster. He then became player manager at Rotherham, Boston United and Kettering Town. After leaving Kettering Town on unsavoury terms, Dave played for Grays Athletic where he won an Essex Senior Cup winners medal. In 1994, he replaced John Still at Victoria Road as manager.
After 18 months he departed, his last game in charge being the League Cup defeat at home to Slough Town on September 18th 1995. Subsequently he has played for Ford United and more recently was in charge/owned Basildon United in the Essex Senior League. Whilst at Victoria Road, he also made three appearances as a player, in pre-season matches. Last game managed, Home against Slough on 18th September 1995
Graham Carr
September 1995 - April 1996
Graham had a successful playing career with Northampton Town and Telford United, winning two FA Trophy winners medals. He then went into management and had spells in charge at Northampton Town, Maidstone United, Nuneaton Borough and Kettering Town finishing as a runner up three times with the last two named clubs.
After leaving Kettering Town, Graham took over at Weymouth for a month before resigning. He then took over at Dagenham & Redbridge where the Club sat third from bottom of the Conference. By the end of March the Club had gained only 13 more points and with relegation an almost certainty, he was dismissed. Graham joined Coventry City as a scout and in the summer of 2000 he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in a similar role. He moved to Manchester City in the 2002 close season and is now at Newcastle United where he has made a great reputation for himself.
Ted Hardy
April 1996 – March 1999
Ted had two spells as manager of the old Dagenham FC and was also manager at Bishop's Stortford, Enfield, Leytonstone and Ilford. Whilst at those Clubs he reached the Amateur final on four occasions. He was in charge of the Clubs reserves from 1992 to John Still's departure in 1994.
He re-joined Dagenham & Redbridge as manager for the last seven matches in 1995/96 but despite an upturn in performances, was unable to keep the Club in the Conference. The following season he defied all the odds to take the Club to Wembley in the FA Trophy final where Woking beat them after extra time.
His three seasons in charge saw the Club finish fourth, fourth and third in the Ryman League respectively. Ted retired from senior management after the victory over Hampton on 3rdMarch 1999. He was granted a testimonial match in May 1999, when West Ham provided the opposition. Ted was made a life vice-president for all the work he had done for the Club under different guises over a 30-year period.
Gary Hill
May 1999 - April 2004
Garry joined the Club during the 1999 close season. He had his first taste of football management with Sunday League side Priory Sports before having six, very successful, years with Heybridge Swifts. He took the Essex side from the foot of the Isthmian League division one to their best ever position in the Premier, the first round of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy. He left the Scraley Road side to take over the reins at St Albans City towards the end of the 1997/8 season and took the Hertfordshire Club to the FA Trophy semi-final and the first round of the FA Cup. In his first season with the Daggers, Garry took the Club back into the Nationwide Conference by way of winning the Ryman League; he was also awarded the Ryman League manager of the year.
It was 2000/1 when Garry managed the Club to the FA Cup third round and a sensational draw at Premiership Charlton Athletic. Losing the replay only after extra time the Club was finally on the National Football map. By the end of the season the Club had finished third in their first season back in the Conference. A year later they missed out on promotion to the Football League on goal difference, made even more heart breaking by the FA Charge against champions Boston United for undeclared payments to players.
The Club won the Essex Senior cup and again made the third round of the FA Cup where this time they were defeated by Ipswich Town. Garry desperately wanted his Dagenham side to get promotion and in 2002/3 they agonisingly missed out again this time through a golden goal in the inaugural Play off final to Doncaster Rovers at Stoke. In the FA Cup the Club defeated Plymouth in the third round proper but lost 0-1 in the last minute in the fourth round at Norwich City.
Garry's success was his downfall and when he failed to make any impression in the League or FA Cup in 2003/4 he put his resignation in to leave at the end of the season but agreed to go a week later following a 0-4 home defeat by Gravesend.
Since leaving Victoria Road, Garry was on the brink of taking Hornchurch into the Conference before their Chairman withdrew all his funding.
He then joined Weymouth where he took them into the Conference before again the Chairman decided to restructure the Club and Garry was relieved of his duties.
In February 2007 Garry Hill took over Rushden & Diamonds where he stayed for two years before joining Woking FC. In 2011/12 Hill led Woking to the League title and therefore promotion into the Blue Square Premier.
John Still
1992 – 1994 and 2004 – 2013
At semi-professional level, John’s record is second to none with Isthmian League and Southern League title successes at Leytonstone, Ilford and Dartford. He won the Conference in 1989 with Maidstone United but decided not to go full time and instead moved to Redbridge Forest where he won another Isthmian League title.
Having managed the side to successive top six finishes in the Conference, interest in him gathered and the lure of a Football League management job finally took him to Peterborough in 1994. In League football John has also managed Barnet, had a spell coaching at Lincoln City and was assistant manager of Bristol Rovers.
He returned to the Daggers in April 2004 in his first two seasons in charge of the club he achieved a couple of mid-table finishes, but in his third season he led the club to the Conference title, taking the Daggers into the Football League for the first time.
During the 2009-10 season John led the Daggers to their highest ever finish in their history, seventh in League Two. The side went on to beat Rotherham United in the play-off final and win a place in the third tier of English football.
On the 26th February 2013, John left the club to manage Luton Town; at the time of leaving John held the title of longest serving Football League manager.