Who are Hashtag United? Meet the Youtuber-owned club that set the blueprint for KSI

KSI has stepped into football ownership after agreeing to buy a stake in non-league club Dagenham and Redbridge.

The YouTuber, whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, has already spoken about ambitions to help push the club up the English pyramid. However, he is not the first online creator to turn digital football fame into a real-world club project.

Years before KSI’s move, another YouTube personality had already attempted to connect online football culture with the non-league game.

How Hashtag United went from online phenomenon to legitimate English club

Hashtag United was founded by Spencer Owen after he built a large football audience through his Spencer FC YouTube channel, which launched in May 2013.

The project later developed into a competitive club that joined non-league football in 2016 and now runs more than 40 teams across men’s, women’s, youth, and disability football.

Hashtag United followed an unusual path compared with traditional football clubs. Instead of forming a team and then building support, the project created a global audience online before entering the English football pyramid.

That audience continues to follow the club through digital content, with match highlights and behind-the-scenes videos regularly attracting large viewership online.

Owen was already a familiar name in the FIFA gaming community before Spencer FC launched because he was one of the early pioneers of FIFA YouTube.

Hashtag United eventually entered the English football pyramid in 2018 and has since achieved multiple promotions while continuing to expand its football structure.

KSI now follows a path Hashtag helped create

KSI’s involvement at Dagenham and Redbridge reflects a similar idea of using online reach to bring fresh attention to a football club. His global following instantly places the National League South side in front of a much larger audience.

Reports indicate the creator has agreed in principle to take a stake of around 20 percent in the club pending league approval.

KSI has suggested the long-term ambition is to push the club toward the Premier League, although the immediate aim would be to help the team climb out of the National League South.

Creator ownership in football remains a developing trend, but Hashtag United showed how digital audiences can translate into real-world momentum for a club.

As KSI begins his own ownership journey, the example first established by Spencer Owen is likely to draw renewed attention.

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