Barnet in London derby against Dagenham & Redbridge

This Boxing Day, the Bees entertain Dagenham & Redbridge who are playing in the football league this season for the first time in their history. The Daggers, who play at Victoria Road, are managed by former Barnet manager, John Still, who was at Barnet from 1997 to 2002 before he was replaced by Peter Shreeves. Still, twice, took the Bees to the League Division 3 play-offs though was not successful in taking them up.

In 1998, Barnet lost to Colchester United (3-2) and in 2000, they lost to Peterborough (5-1). John Still was manager when the Bees were relegated in 2001 to the Conference and resigned in February 2002 after a poor string of results.

Now, however, John Still is back as a league manager having guided the Daggers to the Nationwide Conference championship by a massive 14 points beating off many people's favourites, Oxford United.

The Daggers are currently 22^nd in the league with 18 points from 21 games and are just one place and three points above the relegation zone. No club has been relegated from the football league the first season after being promoted to the Conference and Dagenham will not want to become the first club to achieve this.

Last Saturday, while Barnet's match at Rochdale was a victim of the cold weather, the Daggers drew 1-1 at home to Notts County, a Southam penalty gaining them a point. Dagenham have won only two away matches this season, losing six. However, the Bees haven't won in the league at home since beating Wycombe Wanders 2-1 in early October in a run that has seen them draw four and lose one of the last five home league games. Indeed, the Bees have only taken 3 points from their last 7 matches, so in all honestly, neither side is in the best of form. Earlier this season, at Victoria Road, the two sides drew 1-1 in a match that Barnet dominated and really should have won. Former Bee, Ben Strevens put the Daggers ahead early on, but Anthony Thomas equalised just before half time with a shot that broke the Daggers net.

Barnet will still be without Sagi Burton who is likely to be out for some time as well as Joe O'Ceaurill who is suspended for one match after being sent off at Lincoln. Joe was due to serve his suspension with the Rochdale match but, of course, that was postponed so now he misses the Dagenham match instead. Manager, Paul Fairclough will be hoping that Ian Hendon has recovered from a thigh strain and come in to the side at right back with Joe Devera moving across to centre back alongside Ismail Yakubu. Max Porter stands by to come in if Hendon misses out.

For the Daggers, former Bee Richard Graham, Scott Griffiths and Dave Rainford are all out through injury, but full back, Danny Foster could be in line for a return.

The match will probably see the return of former Barnet crowd favourite, Ben Strevens, who will be returning to Underhill as a player for the first time since leaving the club shortly before the end of the 2005-06 season. Ben was in the Barnet side that won the Nationwide Conference the previous season as well as being in the side that went down from the football league in 2001.

Another former Barnet player at Victoria Road is Richard Graham, another member of the Bees' 2005 Conference winning side but he will miss the game due to a hernia injury. Now a look at the rest of the Daggers squad.

In goal is long serving Tony Roberts, a Welsh international and former QPR player, who joined the club in 2000.

At right back is former Tottenham youth player, Danny Foster who signed in 2004.At centre back are Jon Boardman, an England National Game international, was signed from Rochdale earlier this year and was formerly at Woking, former Crawley Town and Rushden and Diamonds player, Magnus Okuonghae and former Bristol Rovers defender, Anwar Uddin. On the left side is Scott Griffiths, a young player signed from Aveley three years ago who has attracted a number of league scouts.

In midfield, the Daggers have much travelled Sam Saunders who signed 2 years ago from Carshalton Athletic; Shane Huke, a summer signing form Peterborough United; former Bishops Stortford midfield players, Dave Rainford and Glen Southam and two left sided midfield players in Sam Sloma formerly with Thurrock and Richard Graham, a player well known to all Bees' fans, who left Underhill in the summer. Tricky was one of the stars of Barnet's Conference Championship winning side of 2005.

Up front is another member of Barnet's 2005 Conference winning side, Ben Strevens, who spent over 7 years at Underhill and last season added another Conference winning medal, this time with the Daggers. Chris Moore returned to Victoria Road last season after an unsuccessful stint at Brentford. Paul Benson, the club's leading goalscorer last season, was signed from lower league club White Ensign, two years ago. Jon Nurse signed in the summer from Stevenage Borough. Former Bees' youngster, Bai Mas Lettejallow is also on the club's books.

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