Is Jamie Cureton the best Daggers have ever had?

When I first began going over to Victoria Road in the 1984/85 season when little Dagenham were just a small team competing in the Alliance Premier League.  Back then our main strikers were Terry Sullivan and Dwight's dad Devon Gayle.  Later came Dave Pearce, George Dolarto and Billy Lansdowne, who used to pop up on loan every now and again and score a few goals to keep us from relegation by the skin of our teeth.

Dave Pearce in his Margate days.

All of our strikers through the years had been of a certain standard and that seemed to continue until the merger in 1992.  Then came the likes of Paul Cavell, Vinnie John,  Miguel Da Silva and Leo West(before his lottery win).

Then we began to become a little bit spoilt under the reign of Garry Hill.  Paul Cobb, Danny Shipp, Junior, Charlery and of course Mark Stein.

Steino, Legend!!

I really believe that if that whole race debacle hadn't happened Hill had the players at his disposal to get us promoted.  When Stein and Mark Smith our two best players left the club it left a massive hole in our squad, unfortunately the players he brought in, who I would say were great conference players just didn't gel together.  I will never know how we didn't  succeed with players like Lenny Piper, Leon Braithwaite and Alex Meechan.

Just way couldn't Braithwaite and Meechan work for Garry Hill?

After Garry Hill left, John Still came back and then we were spoilt with strikers yet again, Chris Moore, Craig Mackail-Smith, Tresor Kandol, Ben Strevens, Dwight Gayle and Paul Benson, who I would say was the best we have ever had, until now.

Benno, Legend!!

As I walked away from the ground yesterday having witnessed a master-class of finishing from our number 7 after he scored his first hat-trick in 7 years in a 4-0 demolition of  AFC Wimbledon at the age of 39.  I came to the conclusion there and then that Jamie Cureton is without doubt the best we have ever had.

I saw Dwight Gayle play in a pre-season friendly for us against a West Ham 11 a few seasons ago and I thought his movement as a striker was the best I had seen at this club and when he got into the first team we all knew if he was one on one with the keeper he would score, but watching JC this season I really don't think I have seen a better forward at our club.

What amazes me the most is his tenacity and constant running.  After playing a full 90 minutes on Good Friday with over an hour gone yesterday he was chasing every ball and shutting down defenders, like a 20 year old.

Cureton celebrates his first Daggers hat-trick.

In a time where Premier league managers are constantly bemoaning their tough schedules and worrying about their players being too tired and burning out, I would suggest that the next time a sprightly young attitude wearing kid who his only in the game for money turns to his manager and says he is tired, show him a DVD of Jamie Cureton's performance yesterday and pretty much all of this season and say stop fucking moaning you spoilt little shit, this bloke has played 42 times this season, finishing most of the games he has played in and has scored 18 times and he is old enough to be your Dad.

Is Cureton the best we have ever had?

I and I suspect most Daggers fans would love Jamie to extend his contract for another season.  I am hoping he has a clause in his contract that triggers an extension after he plays so many games but if not then the club need to get him on board for next season.  It is not just his goals that are imperative to our club but his experience, just imagine what our young players can learn from him, the likes of Jodi Jones, Christian Doidge and Ade Yussuf.  It would also be great to get him on board in a coaching capacity.

For me Cureton's arrival has been the signing of the season, and I think Wayne Burnett deserves a bit of credit not for just bringing him to the club but for the way he has managed him.  He may have played 42 games this season but I think he has been rested at the right times.

Normally I would do a bit of stuff about the last few games and how our performances are going, but now safety is pretty much secured for this season I thought I would just write about Cureton instead.

This season has had it's up's and downs but I hope we finish it off with a nice unbeaten run, this would put us in a good place for next season and with a few good additions and maybe a few good subtractions lets say, who knows what may happen next term.

Unfortunately for me Jamie Cureton's performances this season have forced me to change my all time Daggers XI and as much as Mark Stein is a legend at this club he has now been demoted to the bench as Cureton takes his place alongside Benno in my front two.

Keep up the good work Jamie and I hope you break the 20 goals barrier this season.

Up the Daggers!!