A 200 mile plus journey is a long way to go to renew old acquaintainces, but tomorrow Daggers will have embarked on that length of trip to meet an old friend of the club, when they take on the prennential under-achieving Bradford City.
Peter Taylor, former England under 21 manager and an Essex man born and bred, was entrusted with the task of reviving the Bantams - a club with the biggest support and one of the best stadiums in League 2 - a slumbering Championship level giant.
Daggers played in front of their biggest home attendance of the campaign so far last weekend, 3,700 - two and a half times their regular gate, but will certainly play in front of three, maybe four, times that amount on Saturday, watched by the partisan Bradford crowd, which regularly tops 11-12,000 in the seventh largest city in the UK.
Taylor, long-standing friend of Daggers' assistant boss, Terry Harris, who was number two to the former Tottenham and Crystal Palace winger in his early days of management in non-league football, replaced City legend and former Scottish international Stuart McCall, who had failed to revive his first club after two and a bit seasons in charge.
McCall, who left Valley Parade to find fame with Everton, Glasgow Rangers, Sheffield United and Scotland, but returned to his first club as manager, after cutting his teeth as Neil Warnock's assistant at Sheffield United.
A man of some principal, he was on the verge of resigning when the Bantams visited Dagenham last season, having failed to lift them into a challenging position. Persuaded to re-consider, this season, apart from a brief spell, hasn't seen Bradford any closer to the play-off places, so the managerial change was made two months ago - McCall again resigning rather than being sacked!
Taylor who has had varying degrees of success in managing Watford, Leicester, Hull, Brighton and most recently Wycombe Wanderersto promotion last season in third place in League 2, has been given the job initially to the end of the season, but the Bantams board have been impressed with his impact and began discussions with him over a longer contract only last week.
In his nine games in charge since taking over, Taylor has presided over four wins, four losses and a draw.
Last weekend saw Bradford shocked, when beaten easily 2-0 at Hereford, but they recovered their form with a battling 0-0 home draw with second placed Notts County at Valley Parade in midweek.
Taylor had defenders Zesh Rehman and Steve Williams back for that one, although midfielder battler Lee Bullock was suspended after picking five bookings for the second time this season and misses Daggers' visit on Saturday, as well.
There has been something of a turn-over in staff in the six weeks Taylor has been in charge.
Striking brothers Michael and Rory Boulding, veteran forward Peter Thorne and midfielder Chris Brandon have all left Valley Parade while Taylor has brought in five newcomers - central defender Luke Oliver, forward Mark McCammon, midfielder Adam Bolder, left-back Robbie Threlfall and striker Gavin Grant.
The Bantams have been largely reliant on their first-choice strike force of James Hanson, signed from non-league neighbours Guiseley, who has supplied 10 goals in 31 games and close season capture Gareth Evans, from Macclesfield, who has notched eight from 29.
The Bradford board that nothing other than an upper midtable berth is available to them this season, but are already planning for a real tilt at promotion next season - a minimum requirement for a club of their size, status and history.
If you are only as good as your last performance, then Daggers' second-half showing against Macclesfield last weekend, was very good indeed - one of their best of the entire campaign.
That would prompt speculation that John Still won't make any changes to the line-up that demolished Macclesfield in the second 45 minutes and that came through unscathed in terms of injury and has hinted that it will' be same again' at Valley Parade tomorrow.
Likely line-ups:
Bradford City: Glennon, Rehman, Williams, Oliver, Threlfall; Daley, Bolder, Flynn, O'Brien (L); Evans, Hanson.
Dagenham & Redbridge: Roberts, Ogogo, Doe, Arber, McCrory; Green, Pack, Folly, Gain, Benson, Scott.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Wigan, Grt Manchester).
