Dagenham & Redbridge Pull Off Huge Win In KSI's First Game As Part Owner
Dagenham & Redbridge Pull Off Huge Win In KSI's First Game As Part Owner
Just a few days ago we saw a shock announcement with KSI announcing that he has purchased non-league side Dagenham & Redbridge, which no one expected. Fast forward to their first game since this moment and we saw KSI in the stands with fellow owner Andy Carroll as Dagenham & Redbridge pulled off a stunning 1-0 win against league leaders Dorking Wanderers.
Starting to think we may be living in a simulation...🤯👇😅
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 7, 2026
KSI and Andy Carroll are sat together watching sixth-tier side Dagenham and Redbridge take on Dorking Wanderers, as minority owners of the home side 😳🤝
If you'd have told us a few years ago that a former-England… pic.twitter.com/BZEdB09xgx
Dagenham find themselves in 12th currently, with KSI publicly announcing that he wants to bring them to the very top of the English football pyramid... This certainly is a great start!
The atmosphere around the ground felt different as well. You could tell something had shifted. I genuinely think this is a positive thing for the club and non-league in general. Younger eyes will be introduced to this level of football and many more will watch now KSI is a part; hopefully he keeps going to matches and bringing attention to this level so people don't just stick to watching the Premier League.
I’m a fan of this and I’m interested to see where KSI takes it. people will hate, but it’s good he’s doing things like this, giving young footballers opportunities and bringing exposure to the lower leagues too. much better than constantly handing a platform to OF models https://t.co/Q8zugeDEkK
— T (@Talhaa10_) March 7, 2026
KSI being in the stands brought cameras, attention and a lot more eyes than a normal National League game would get, but the players did not look distracted by it. If anything, it looked like it gave them a bit more edge. They pressed harder, tackled harder and played with a level of intensity that you do not always see in mid-table games at this stage of the season.
KSI was live during this fixture in order to bring a new perspective to the non-league side, which he certainly did. Fans are already seeing the passion that he is bringing to the club, as he celebrated the winning goal like he had supported the club his whole life.
KSI's reaction to Daggers' first Goal under his ownership 😭😭😭
— KSI NEWS (@ksinews_) March 7, 2026
pic.twitter.com/C4cMYZ3Dy4
Of course, one win does not suddenly change a season. Dagenham are still sitting mid table and there is plenty of work to do if they want to climb. But as first impressions go, this could not have gone much better.
New part owner in the stands. League leaders beaten. And suddenly there is a lot more attention on what happens next at Dagenham & Redbridge.
The moment KSI’s Dagenham & Redbridge BEAT top of the league Dorking Wanderers in his first game as part owner of the club…
— george (@StokeyyG2) March 7, 2026
What a debut! 🙌😍 pic.twitter.com/ZYab25X6n4
The game itself was tight from the start. Dorking came into it as league leaders for a reason and they controlled large spells of possession early on, trying to pin Dagenham back and move the ball quickly through midfield. But the Daggers stayed disciplined. They sat in their shape, closed the gaps and forced Dorking into taking shots from a distance rather than letting them walk through the defence.
When Dagenham did go forward, they looked dangerous. Direct balls into the channels and quick transitions were clearly the plan, and it nearly paid off a couple of times before the breakthrough finally came. The goal itself was exactly the kind of moment you need against a side at the top of the table. A quick move, a bit of class in the box and the ball eventually finding the back of the net to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
The first goal of the KSI era🔥
— National League on DAZN (@DAZN_NationalLg) March 7, 2026
The goal that gave Dagenham & Redbridge the win🗡️ pic.twitter.com/usCLZLAbrz
From that point on, it became a proper defensive effort. Dorking pushed hard for an equaliser and had a few moments where it looked like the pressure might finally break the Daggers. But the back line held firm, throwing bodies in front of shots and clearing everything that came into the box.
By the time the final whistle went, you could see how much it meant to the players. Against the league leaders, on the day their new part owner was watching, Dagenham & Redbridge had delivered exactly the kind of result everyone in the ground wanted.
Alec Hayward 
Oliver Seymour 
