Dagenham & Redbridge Fans Look For New Dawn After Ksi Investment

The Premier League seemed a agelong measurement distant astatine nan full-time whistle astatine Enfield Town. There were boos from nan fewer 100 travelling Dagenham & Redbridge supporters who had conscionable watched 90 minutes of drab shot astatine a level successful nan pyramid they are experiencing for nan first clip since nan very commencement of this century.

Their club’s caller number owner, nan YouTuber KSI, was not location to perceive nan jeers. He wants to return Dagenham to nan apical flight. “And I’d for illustration to wed Brad Pitt,” said Suzanne Collier, who has been coming to watch them for 43 years, from nan distant end.

The supporters person heard this benignant of bluster before. “You’re promised nan world and you’re conscionable fixed a ham sandwich,” said Liam Roberts earlier kick-off successful northbound London.

Dagenham person had a drawstring of underwhelming, and occasionally bizarre, investors successful caller times. Club Underdog, an entity of North Sixth Group who specialise successful lower-league clubs, oversaw their relegation to nan National League South astatine nan extremity of past season. This clip past year, aft he invested, nan Egyptian societal media prima Marwan Serry dreamed of taking Dagenham to nan Premier League too. “I consciousness for illustration a kid playing Fifa,” he said. Within 5 days, he announced his complete withdrawal from nan club.

Dagenham & Redbridge, captained by Tottenham academy merchandise Christian Maghoma and now successful nan National League South, could only negociate a 0-0 tie astatine relegation-threatened Enfield. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Guardian

His exit came aft nan find of arguable societal media posts connected nan Israel-Gaza conflict by different Egyptian influencer, Salma Mashhour, who was appointed a Dagenham head erstwhile Serry joined. Relegation to nan sixth tier, a level they past graced successful 2000, followed, and nan nine announced they had been taken complete by a backstage Qatari consortium. That fell done arsenic well.

But optimism has returned pinch nan presence of KSI, whose existent sanction is Olajide Olatunji, arguably 1 of nan astir recognisable group successful nan state to anyone nether nan property of 30. “I knew astir him because my kids knew him,” said Andrew Denson, 54. “It tin only beryllium bully for nan club, right? Worldwide nickname and a spot of money hopefully to amended nan squad and everything else.”

The 32-year-old YouTuber turned rapper turned boxer, besides a judge connected ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, attended nan 1-0 location triumph against convention leaders Dorking past weekend. He sat alongside nan erstwhile England striker Andy Carroll, different to put since Happy Fan Group, a consortium headed by nan American businessman John Grabowski, bought Dagenham disconnected Club Underdog past month. Carroll is connected nan books arsenic a subordinate but hasn’t played since December owing to injury.

A triumph against nan National League South’s leaders Dorking made for an auspicious commencement to influencer KSI’s number ownership of Dagenham & Redbridge. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

In nan sun connected Saturday, location was a consciousness of 2 clubs pinch varying ambitions. Enfield, who boast astir being England’s first afloat fan-owned club, are losing their conflict for survival. Dagenham are now 9 points disconnected nan playoffs. There is an anticipation they will commencement climbing nan ladder, pronto.

The exemplary is Wrexham, who are reaping nan rewards of nan hands-on attack of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac. Their travel from non-league to Premier League is possibly nearing an end. Following nan Reynolds-Mac playbook, this week KSI mucked successful astatine nan Leisure United training hub, chatting successful extent to nan manager, Lee Bradbury, and playing array tennis pinch nan players.

Like Wrexham, Dagenham and Redbridge will beryllium nan attraction of a documentary series, this 1 titled Race to nan Top and moving connected KSI’s 17m-subscriber YouTube channel. The National League’s broadcast partner, Dazn, showed nan Enfield crippled to a world assemblage during nan UK’s 3pm TV blackout. Misfits Boxing, a sports promotion institution founded by KSI, besides has a woody pinch Dazn.

It’s astir 18 miles from Dagenham & Redbridge to Enfield Town – nan fans who made nan travel are cautiously optimistic it’s conscionable nan commencement of nan travel nether caller personage ownership. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Guardian

Despite concerns complete nan circus that personage ownership whitethorn bring – positive nan truth nan much elder conception of nan Dagenham fanbase had not encountered said personage earlier – KSI’s engagement is endorsed by galore successful nan distant extremity astatine Enfield. “We hopefully will bring successful a younger, London-based fanbase,” said Collier. Roberts has noticed nan greater attraction already: “You tin beryllium stepping down nan thoroughfare successful a Dagenham kit and group go: ‘Oh, I cognize what that is because KSI’s sewage that kit.’”

Dagenham dropped retired of nan Football League successful 2016 aft a nine-year stay. Anwar Uddin captained nan broadside that reached promotion to League One via nan playoffs successful 2010 and his return arsenic nonexecutive chair has added to nan optimism. “That’s nan biggest positive,” says Collier, “having personification who calls Dagenham his own.”

Amid nan caller upheaval, Steve Thompson has announced he’s leaving his domiciled arsenic managing head aft 45 years astatine nan club, earlier and aft nan 1992 merger that put nan Redbridge successful Dagenham & Redbridge.

KSI is talking of returning nan Daggers to “the glory days”. That he made his sanction connected nan video crippled Fifa taking teams from nan bottommost online leagues to nan very apical has not been mislaid connected those who watched nan videos he recorded arsenic a teen successful his parents’ bedroom. “It feels for illustration nan days are getting brighter for Dagenham,” said Roberts. “It’s not each punishment and gloom immoderate more.”