From YouTube to real life: why Hashtag United want to go down
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Hashtag United have risen through the football pyramid with an army of YouTube subscribers – but now they are seeking relegation. Why?
After earning three promotions to reach the semi‑professional Isthmian Premier League, the team co‑founded by YouTuber Spencer Owen and his brother Seb Carmichael‑Brown are asking to be demoted for the 2026‑27 season.
In a statement on X, the club said competing at that level - the seventh tier of English football, and Step 3 of the non-league pyramid - had become "unsustainable" financially, that governance was "lacking", and that "the game is broken".
A day after the statement was released, Hashtag were beaten 7-0 by Dartford, a result that dropped them into the relegation places.
"In looking at the numbers we've seen in the most recent accounts, clearly some tough decisions have had to be made by the owners," football finance expert Kieran Maguire said.
"It is sort of a unique entity and I guess that the people that set it up have felt that they don't have the the financial resources to subsidise the club."
What does Spencer Owen say?
Owen helped build Hashtag into a club with more than two million social media followers - similar to Bournemouth, the Premier League club with the fewest followers.
They employ a 14‑strong full‑time media team, producing a constant stream of content that creates an additional revenue source most clubs at their level do not have.
Yet the club attract an average of only 216 supporters per match to their temporary home in Aveley, Essex. According to the club, that had become a "toxic" situation - one they now feel they must resolve.
"At the moment, at least, we do not benefit from the core business model that clubs 100 years old in our division have, whether gate receipts or food‑and‑beverage income," Owen said.
He said relegation would mean reducing the playing budget by 30–40%, with "six figures" being reinvested into a new permanent home at Redbridge FC's Techsoc.Com Stadium, next to Barkingside station and easily reachable from both London and Essex.
"You couldn't get a more Hashtag location," Owen added. "It's a big swing for us - a permanent home, building a fanbase.
"We've had four homes. We've never spent a penny on trying to drive people to games. Next year we'll spend significant money on that.
"That's why we must protect resources. People say, 'You raised all this money, surely you can afford Step 3.' Yes, we could - but it would disadvantage the business long term because we'd have to spend supporters' money on footballers who wouldn't guarantee success.
"Everyone who understands football knows this is the smarter play. Get a ground. Build a fanbase. Take a step back. Drop the ego. Do what's right long‑term.
"Ideally, we'd get relegated on the pitch - but this decision only came recently due to our form, sponsorship situation and opportunities ahead that we couldn't take.
"We communicated with the players early - a week before the registration deadline. Some chose to leave. But we didn't cut the budget. We're still trying to win games. Cutting the budget and tanking would be immoral."
Owen speaks with passion and frustration after a week of criticism for requesting voluntary relegation. He stressed repeatedly that next season's budget will remain the same, but will be put into infrastructure rather than "extortionate" wages for "left‑backs or right midfielders" at Isthmian Premier League level.
"I own about 65% now; I owned 85–90% then. I have never been remunerated for any of the shares I diluted," he said. "I've done most of this job for free over the years.
"There's this idea that I've made millions off YouTube, but I really haven't. I haven't done anything on my channel in eight years. That's where I used to make my money, but I put Hashtag first.
"I'm not struggling. But the people we're up against are guys who have made a lot of money from other businesses and are enjoying a dalliance with football. Good luck to them. But we're not that. We're truly self‑funded.
"No one talks about the fact we have not, at any second in this decision, questioned reducing our women's team budget. We decided to relegate our men rather than our women - how often does that happen?
"Our division will change, but in terms of our content and the way we try to revolutionise matchday experience, there's never been a bigger change in Hashtag's history. We want to get back to Step 3, but with a bigger fanbase."
What's the Isthmian League's response?
The Football Association has ultimate responsibility for deciding which of the eight Step 4 regional divisions Hashtag can play in next season. The club triggered the process for automatic relegation after informing the Isthmian League before the 31 March deadline.
It means they will effectively take the place of the fourth‑bottom team - the position they currently occupy - even if they collect enough points to finish outside the relegation zone.
Isthmian League chairman Nick Robinson said: "It's good that there's a process, but at the same time, clubs can't manipulate a situation - drop down to have a happy season and then come back.
"There are issues we all have to look at to decide what's best for the integrity of the competition and the sport. But I've got 21 other clubs at Step 3 and they all run differently.
"They [Hashtag] have found it unsustainable - I'm not sure 21 other clubs would agree.
"If you look at 88 clubs at Step 3, I'm not saying anyone is making a fortune, but if it was unsustainable for everyone, we'd be flooded with applications to drop down."
He added: "Most clubs are dealing with pressures. We've also seen fantastic increases in attendances since Covid. Last Saturday, Dulwich Hamlet had 2,929. Five others had four‑figure crowds. We're getting fantastic support from the Premier League, who provide £200,000 a year to each of the three Trident leagues [Isthmian League, Southern League and Northern Premier League] to help sustainability.
"A lot of spectators are fed up with restrictions in the Premier League and EFL. They come to us, they can have a beer on the terraces, fewer restrictions. That's why attendances have gone up."
Final confirmation of Hashtag's relegation will be made in the second week of May. Players have already been informed to allow them to decide whether they want to stay or move on to another club in a lower division next season.
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