Minority interest
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The Youtuber KSI, real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, joins the English sixth division club FC Dagenham & Redbridge as co-owner. The 32-year-old and the club from northeast London announced this together on Tuesday.
“I’m so excited to start this journey. It’s definitely going to be a rollercoaster ride, but I hope to get Dagenham & Redbridge back to their former glory. And once we achieve that goal, I want to go even further. Promotion to the Premier League would be a dream. And I believe it’s 100 percent achievable,” KSI explained. FC Dagenham & Redbridge have never made it beyond the third-tier League One, from which the club was relegated after just one season in 2011.
“It will take a long time, so I ask Daggers fans to be patient. I want you to know that I am fully committed to making Dagenham & Redbridge a team that is known around the world, a team that people love to watch and support,” KSI continued, according to “The Athletic“To take over 20 percent of the shares. The deal still has to be approved by the National League.
KSI gained worldwide fame with FIFA videos
KSI is one of the best-known YouTubers in the world and one of seven members of the Sidemen collective, which has almost 23 million followers on the video portal. He gained notoriety at the start with posts with comments on FIFA video games. His content has now changed, especially towards comedy. KSI, who is known to be a fan of Arsenal FC, has also founded his own record label and sits on the jury of the TV talent show Britain’s Got Talent. In football he organized some charity games.
The team was only relegated in mid-February and is currently 13th in the table. of the National League South, was taken over by the US investor group Happy Fan Group, with ex-professional Anwar Uddin taking over as chairman. In addition to KSI, the Daggers are also said to be in talks about a minority stake with Airasia boss Tony Fernandes, who held shares in Queens Park Rangers from 2011 to 2023 and served as club president until 2018.
“Having JJ as a shareholder at Dagenham & Redbridge is transformative for the club. His passion for change, his connections with people and his drive to succeed align perfectly with this club’s ambitions for the future. This partnership is a clear commitment to our goal: to build a truly unique club that is relevant to both the local community and a global audience,” said Chief Commercial Officer John Grabowski.
