AFC Basildon Women’s side have merged with Hashtag United in an exciting development for female football.

YouTuber Spencer Owen launched a popular men’s side back in 2016.

And Owen is excited to have now added a women’s side to the club.

“We’re bringing a women’s team into the Hashtag United family,” Owen said on Hashtag’s YouTube channel which has 490,000 subscribers.

“We’re growing the club and offering some long term support.

“We’re merging with AFC Basildon Women and they’re the most successful women’s team in the county of Essex which is where we will be based.

“They’ve been doing fantastic work for a very long time but they were in a position where they needed some support to keep going.

“We can offer that support and add them to what we’re doing to grow the club and make everything better for us and for them.

“It’s going to be mutually beneficially and we’re very excited about it.”

The team – who play at Canvey Island’s Park Lane ground – will now be known as Hashtag United FC Women’s team.

And boss Jason Stephens cannot wait to get started.

“We’re all super excited about how this is going to benefit women’s and girls football locally and nationally as well,” he said.

The women’s side were third in Division One of the Women’s National League when the season was brought to a premature end due to the coronavirus pandemic.