From Youtube To Real Life: Why Hashtag United Want To Go Down

Owen helped build Hashtag into a nine pinch much than 2 cardinal societal media followers - akin to Bournemouth, nan Premier League nine pinch nan fewest followers.

They employment a 14‑strong full‑time media team, producing a changeless watercourse of contented that creates an further gross root astir clubs astatine their level do not have.

Yet nan nine pull an mean of only 216 supporters per lucifer to their impermanent location successful Aveley, Essex. According to nan club, that had go a "toxic" business - 1 they now consciousness they must resolve.

"At nan moment, astatine least, we do not use from nan halfway business exemplary that clubs 100 years aged successful our section have, whether gross receipts aliases food‑and‑beverage income," Owen said.

He said relegation would mean reducing nan playing fund by 30–40%, pinch "six figures" being reinvested into a caller imperishable location astatine Redbridge FC's Techsoc.Com Stadium, adjacent to Barkingside position and easy reachable from some London and Essex.

"You couldn't get a much Hashtag location," Owen added. "It's a large plaything for america - a imperishable home, building a fanbase.

"We've had 4 homes. We've ne'er spent a penny connected trying to thrust group to games. Next twelvemonth we'll walk important money connected that.

"That's why we must protect resources. People say, 'You raised each this money, surely you tin spend Step 3.' Yes, we could - but it would disadvantage nan business agelong word because we'd person to walk supporters' money connected footballers who wouldn't guarantee success.

"Everyone who understands shot knows this is nan smarter play. Get a ground. Build a fanbase. Take a measurement back. Drop nan ego. Do what's correct long‑term.

"Ideally, we'd get relegated connected nan transportation - but this determination only came precocious owed to our form, sponsorship business and opportunities up that we couldn't take.

"We communicated pinch nan players early - a week earlier nan registration deadline. Some chose to leave. But we didn't trim nan budget. We're still trying to triumph games. Cutting nan fund and tanking would beryllium immoral."

Owen speaks pinch passion and vexation aft a week of disapproval for requesting voluntary relegation. He stressed many times that adjacent season's fund will stay nan same, but will beryllium put into infrastructure alternatively than "extortionate" wages for "left‑backs aliases correct midfielders" astatine Isthmian Premier League level.

"I ain astir 65% now; I owned 85–90% then. I person ne'er been remunerated for immoderate of nan shares I diluted," he said. "I've done astir of this occupation for free complete nan years.

"There's this thought that I've made millions disconnected YouTube, but I really haven't. I haven't done thing connected my transmission successful 8 years. That's wherever I utilized to make my money, but I put Hashtag first.

"I'm not struggling. But nan group we're up against are guys who person made a batch of money from different businesses and are enjoying a dalliance pinch football. Good luck to them. But we're not that. We're genuinely self‑funded.

"No 1 talks astir nan truth we person not, astatine immoderate 2nd successful this decision, questioned reducing our women's squad budget. We decided to relegate our men alternatively than our women - really often does that happen?

"Our section will change, but successful position of our contented and nan measurement we effort to revolutionise matchday experience, there's ne'er been a bigger alteration successful Hashtag's history. We want to get backmost to Step 3, but pinch a bigger fanbase."