The story and rise of Hashtag United

The Tags recently won the Isthmian League - North Division.

Hashtag United are exceptional. Within five years of its founding, the club, which was started by YouTuber Spencer Owen, have advanced from youth football to winning the Isthmian League North Division. The outlook is just getting better.

Despite the fact that they have detractors, they have pushed limits and are still developing as a remarkable football team that has never been seen before.

What are Hashtag United about?

Spencer Owen, a YouTube star, founded Hashtag United in March 2016. The group initially comprised of pals from high school and college who participated in demonstration games to build their reputation and gain recognition.

Early on, "The Tags" faced off against other teams, including the Manchester City staff, Google, and Comedians XI, gradually garnering recognition and playing players like Paul Dickov, Graeme Le Saux, and Ray Parlour.

Their own Hashtag United website on YouTube hosted all of their games and videos.

The EE Wembley Cup was won by Spencer Owen's team in 2017, giving them their first trophy of the year. In front of a crowd of 34,000 people, Hashtag United defeated Tekkers Town 6-1 in the third series of the competition, which had been organised by the club's owner.

Hashtag United dramatically increased after two years of exhibition games, collecting hundreds of thousands of followers across all social media platforms and amassing millions of views on their YouTube channel.

The team joined the English football league system in 2018, and for the 2018–19 season, it will play in the Eastern Counties League.

Manager Spencer Owen retired from his managing positions when the team moved into non-league football, creating room for the current manager Jay Devereux, an accomplished non-league management and former player.

'The Tags' achieved unimaginable heights in their inaugural campaign, as Devereux's team won Division One South and was therefore promoted to the Essex Senior League.

In addition to being promoted, they advanced to the Division One Knock-Out Cup semifinals, where they were defeated 2-1 by Harleston Town.

In the 2019–20 season, there would have been more advancement and perhaps title triumph. However, the Essex Senior League was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The club recently won the Isthmian League - North Division.

https://twitter.com/hashtagutd/status/1647266997430886402

Historical FA Cup run

Hashtag United sought to do the unimaginable during the 2020–21 season: advance to the FA Cup first round.

They overcame Park View FC 2-1 in the Extra Preliminary round to win their first-ever FA Cup game, creating club history. Before Toby Aromolaran scored the game-winning goal in the 78th minute, George Smith had levelled from the penalty spot.

Felixstowe and Walton were drawn for "The Tags" in the initial stage. In the first half, George Smith scored from the penalty spot to give his team a 1-0 lead once more. Felixstowe's Henry Barley, though, levelled in the 73rd minute to force a shootout.

Jamie Jackson, the goalie, stopped the seventh penalty for Felixstowe as the game reached sudden death. However, Hashtag's attempt to get them through was miraculously successful.

And after 12 Felixstowe penalties were successfully executed, Jackson made a save, enabling George Smith to put Hashtag through.

Live on the BBC, Devereux's team's first-round qualifying draw involved Soham Town Rangers. After a Jesse Waller-Lassen equaliser in the 84th minute, which he also converted on the winning spot, the game likewise went to penalties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp3OCAelUQY&feature=youtu.be

Olu Oluwatimilhin, though, levelled after holding Braintree silent for 91 minutes. In the end, Braintree prevailed 7-6 on penalties, ending the cup dream for another year.

Huge fan following

While being situated at step five of the English football pyramid, Hashtag United have a sizable fan base. The club receives millions of clicks on its uploads and has over 550,000 YouTube subscribers.

They have over 200,000 followers on Twitter and over 470,000 on Instagram. Hashtag United is a distinctive group, and the openness and camaraderie among the players, staff, and supporters make them highly approachable to viewers around the world.

In Essex, Hashtag United shares a pitch with Bowers and Pitsea at the Len Salmon stadium where they play their home matches.

In early 2018, Chelsea captain and Spanish international César Azpilicueta invested in the club and became a co-owner.