Back in 1998, after a second successive 4th-placed Ryman League finish, some inevitable changes were made to the playing squad. In order to get to the next level and attempt to get back into the Conference, Ted Hardy set about bringing in the likes of Lee Goodwin and Gary Blackford. However, with popular midfield player Dean Parratt shown the exit door, a replacement was required. Unfortunately for the Daggers, this took the shape of one Mitchell Springett.
Parratt had never been the slimmest or fittest of players, but he did provide rare glimpses of quality on the ball in what was a very hard-working but limited side. Neither was he as old as he appeared to be – 27 upon his departure – and he went on to play for local sides such as Billericay, Braintree and Maldon. Mitchell came from Heybridge Swifts where he had been signed by Garry Hill, who then apparently had also tried to take him to St Albans. It’s a shame he didn’t succeed and save us all the pain of having to watch him over fifteen long appearances.
He had a 1-in-3 goal record for the Swifts and had previously been with Chelmsford City, Bury Town and Wivenhoe – probably not the sort of list which says that he was the playmaker we required. At 34 years old, he was hardly one for the future either. It didn’t start well for him – in his first friendly against Arsenal, he gave the ball away which led to the visitors’ goal. Being fair, he had a pretty impressive pre-season and managed to look the part, the only trouble was this didn’t extend to league games. His overwhelming need to chip everything, from five-yard passes to shots, became almost like a bad joke seeing as most of the time the ball ended up going off the pitch or straight to the goalkeeper. Not the strongest of players, he also seemed to feel the need to compensate for this by committing as many fouls as possible.
After 13 league games, the Daggers were in 5th having already lost 4 matches. A 1-1 draw at home to Wealdstone seemed to be the final straw and Mitchell found himself out on his ear. A Ryman League Division 2 relegation scrap was probably more his level and he found it with a move to Witham, leaving room in the Daggers squad for the emergence of Paul Terry. He went on to play for the likes of Clacton, Stanway and Heybridge once again. Whilst back at Heybridge, he found himself on the wrong end of a 7-1 pasting in a friendly with the Daggers in 2002, but did manage to win the Jewson League Player of the Season award with Clacton. We assume this is similar in prestige to winning a raffle. He has since gone on to manage Harwich & Parkeston, and Halstead.
