As a member of the Sidemen, 32-year-old Olajide “KSI” Olatunji has played at the U.K.’s largest soccer stadium. Now, he’s shifting gears by setting his sights on one of the “minnows” of English sports. In a video on his KSI+ channel, he announced that he is joining the ownership group for the Greater London club Dagenham & Redbridge FC.
“I’m so excited to start this journey,” tweeted KSI. “It’s gonna be a rollercoaster for sure but I hope to bring Dagenham and Redbridge back to the glory days.”
Dag & Red, as the club is colloquially known, currently plays in the sixth-highest tier of the English football pyramid. Last season, it was relegated from the National League, a tier that has preexisting ties to celebrity owners. That’s where Welsh club Wrexham AFC was playing when it added a pair of high-profile owners: North American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
Since Ryan and Rob became Wrexham owners, the club’s fortunes have improved dramatically. It has made it all the way up to the second tier of the pyramid, known as the Championship. This season, Wrexham has a chance to earn promotion to the Premier League, which is not just the top of the English football system but also the biggest domestic league in the entire world.
In his announcement video, KSI made it clear that he intends to inspire a similar rise for Dag & Red. The Premier League, he said, is the goal, and he plans to use his support to help the club climb.
For celebrity owners, footballing success is not a given. Dude Perfect bought into English sports when they secured an ownership stake in Burnley FC, which currently competes in the Premier League. But Burnley is on the verge of being relegated back down to the Championship; even with ample support behind them, keeping up with giants like Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City is no small ask.
KSI will be extra motivated, however, to help Dag & Red realize their Premier League dreams. Though he grew up on the other side of Greater London, he has a history when it comes to inspiring climbs up the English pyramid. Way back in the day, when he was still known as KSIolajidebt, he scored a hit with Race To Division One, a series that saw him take on promotion challenges in the FIFA video game series. Now, he’s playing Race To Division One in real life, and if he can succeed, he’ll become a legend at the 109-year-old Victoria Road stadium.
