2021–22 Hashtag United season (men)

'''The 2021–22 season is Hashtag United's fourth season of chapter two and first in the Isthmian League - North Division. The club competes in the aforementioned league, the FA Cup, the FA Trophy and the Alan Turvey Trophy.'''

Competitions
italics indicate competition still ongoing

May 2021
20 May 2021: Bradley Marriott announced as a new signing.  16:05 : HTU's first summer signing was revealed to be centre-back Bradley Marriott, who was most recently with Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division side Hadley.

21 May 2021: Pre-season tournament set for Jersey.  17:59 : HTU reveal that they would take part in the inaugural VBET Cup on the self-governing British island of Jersey. Hosted by Combined Counties League - Premier Division South team Jersey Bulls, the pre-season tournament would also feature FC United of Manchester (Northern Premier League - Premier Division) and Cray Wanderers (Isthmian League - Premier Division). Jersey Bulls were revealed as their semi-final opponents for 10 July, with a final or third place play-off following on 11 July.

24 May 2021: White Ensign exhibition set.  15:55 : Newly-promoted Essex Senior League team White Ensign confirm a pre-season fixture with HTU, with the game set for 17 July 2021 at Burroughs Park in Great Wakering, England. The match would be part of White Ensign's 70th anniversary celebrations.

26 May 2021: Friendly announced by Basingstoke Town.  17:03 : Basingstoke Town, of the Isthmian League - South Central Division, schedule a home exhibition fixture with HTU for 24 July 2021 at the Winklebury Football Complex in Basingstoke, England.

28 May 2021: Herne Bay reveal friendly with HTU.  20:02 : Fellow Isthmian League team, though of the South East Division, Herne Bay reveal a friendly match at home to HTU would take place on 27 July 2021 at the MBS Stadium in Herne Bay, England.

June 2021
5 June 2021: Frenford away scheduled for pre-season.  13:05 : Frenford, of the Eastern Counties League - Division One South, announce a home friendly with HTU was to be played at The Drive in Ilford, England on 6 July 2021.

7 June 2021: Three players depart.  14:36 : HTU announce the departures of three players, with reigning Hashtag Academy champion Joshua Osude (later joined Braintree Town) departing alongside Tom Anderson (later joined Aveley) and Samraj Gill (later joined West Essex).

9 June 2021: Redbridge and Bowers & Pitsea confirm friendlies.  13:53 : Essex Senior League side Redbridge become the latest team to publicize a pre-season match-up with HTU, with The Motormen set to visit HTU at the Len Salmon Stadium in Pitsea, England on 19 July 2021.

 18:07 : HTU's landlords, Isthmian League - Premier Division outfit Bowers & Pitsea, reveal a match with The Tags would take place at the Len Salmon Stadium on 3 July 2021; with Bowers & Pitsea designated as the home team.

12 June 2021: Jake Lindsey signs as academy series winner.  11:30 : Jake Lindsey - most recently with Southern Combination League team St Francis Rangers - becomes the third Hashtag Academy male champion, defeating Joni Vukaj in the final. He became the club's second off-season signing, following in the steps of Bradley Marriott.

14 June 2021: HTU officially unveil their pre-season schedule, Pitman leaves.  17:13 : HTU confirm the already announced friendlies on their end, whilst also revealing further match-ups with Coggeshall United (home) and Binfield (away); with the latter being subject to either side's participation in the FA Cup. A further encounter, against unconfirmed opponents, was etched in for 31 July.

 17:52 : Tim Pitman confirmed his departure from HTU, having made 36 appearances (31 starts) since joining the club on 25 July 2019. He'd join Essex Olympian League Premier Division team Ongar Town on 21 June, having previously played for the club as they won promotion at the end of 2020–21 on a dual registration deal.

20 June 2021: 31 July date fulfilled.  16:55 : A friendly for 31 July 2021 - a date previously set aside by HTU - is announced by Chalfont St Peter of the Isthmian League - South Central Division.

24 June 2021: VBET Cup rearranged.  17:01 : Due to the extension of COVID-19 restrictions in Great Britain, the VBET Cup pre-season tournament in Jersey - which was set to take place on 10/11 July 2021 - was postponed until 16/17 July 2022.

 17:14 : HTU, after the aforementioned postponement, set up an away meeting with fellow VBET Cup participants Cray Wanderers in the tournament's place on 10 July. The friendly with Chalfont St Peter was also publicised by HTU; despite interest from CSP's divisional rivals FC Romania for a friendly.

July 2021
3 July 2021: First pre-season match, first win.  ~17:00 : HTU secured a first ever victory over higher division Bowers & Pitsea, after goals from Ryan O'Rawe and Sam Bantick sealed a come-from-behind victory against their stadium landlords.

5 July 2021: Another exhibition win.  ~21:45 : HTU made it back-to-back wins in pre-season two days after their opener, with Jay Devereux's team securing a home 3–2 victory over lower league Coggeshall United via goals from Carlos Flood, Jamie Hursit and Sam Bantick.

6 July 2021: HTU held by Frenford.  ~21:45 : HTU and Frenford, in their sixth meeting against each other, played out a 1–1 at The Drive, with George Smith's first half opener being cancelled out by a deflected effort early in the second half.

10 July 2021: First loss of pre-season.  ~17:00 : HTU suffer a friendly defeat at the hands of higher division Cray Wanderers, with the home side running out 4–1 victors.

17 July 2021: Back to pre-season winning ways.  ~17:00 : HTU got their third victory of pre-season with a 3–1 victory over White Ensign at Burroughs Park in Great Wakering.

19 July 2021: Comeback seals pre-season draw.  ~21:45 : In their sixth pre-season fixture, HTU come from three goals down to secure a 3–3 draw with lower division Redbridge.

24 July 2021: Bantick leaves, Basingstoke Town defeat make it just one win in five friendlies.  10:26 : Sam Bantick reveals that he is no longer a part of HTU.

 ~17:00 : Despite going a goal up early on through Jesse Waller Lassen, HTU fall to a 2–1 loss away to Isthmian League - South Central Division side Basingstoke Town.

25 July 2021: Herne Bay friendly rearranged.  14:45 : Due to HTU squad unavailability, the club and Herne Bay agreed to delay their pre-season friendly from 27 July 2021 to 3 August 2021.

31 July 2021: Three defeats in five in pre-season.  ~16:00 : HTU suffer their third loss in five exhibition matches after losing 2–0 at home to Chalfont St Peter.

August 2021
3 August 2021: Herne Bay wins avoids four winless.  ~21:45 : HTU defeated Herne Bay 2–1 to claim their fourth pre-season win.

7 August 2021: Pre-season ends with a victory.  ~17:00 : HTU beat Binfield away from home 3–2 to end their pre-season campaign with a victory.

12 August 2021: Apenteng joins.  21:36 : Kojo Apenteng, who had appeared in pre-season for HTU, announces that his has joined the club.

14 August 2021: Official squad announcements.  14:51 : Steve Sheehan, a defender from Aveley, was announced as HTU's third new signing.

 ~17:30 : Alongside the already known incomings and outgoings, numerous updates were issued. The futures of five Hashtag Academy players were revealed, as Joe Debell, Rowan Dorling, Joni Vukaj and Matthew Wooldridge signed though Byron Humbles (declined the chance to play for the reserves) departed. Carlos Flood, Harry Haysom and Kieran Southgate were promoted from the reserve team. Nate Joseph left, while reasons were given by manager Jay Devereux for the departures of Tom Anderson and Joshua Osude; Anderson was "losing his enthusiasm for the game for us", while Osude hadn't progressed as much as Devereux and his staff had wanted. Reece Antoine-Dacosta began pre-season with HTU, though soon left for Hullbridge Sports. The reserve team was strengthened by the arrivals of Sam Blackholly, Ali Alanezi, Kieran Simpson-Cameron, Alex Chuck and Kieran Huddart.

15 August 2021: Competitive season begins with a draw.  ~17:00 : HTU draw 1–1 with Coggeshall Town in their first match in the Isthmian League - North Division.

21 August 2021: No FA Cup run in 2021–22.  ~17:00 : HTU headed to Wodson Park and lost 1–0 to fellow tier eight team Ware in the FA Cup preliminary round.

25 August 2021: New shirt sponsor revealed.  19:58 : UFL, a brand new football-based video game, was revealed to be HTU's new men's shirt sponsor.

28 August 2021: Dereham Town win.  ~17:00 : On matchday two of the new league season, HTU were beaten 3–1 by Dereham Town.

30 August 2021: August ends disappointingly.  ~17:00 : Two days after losing for the first time in the league, HTU made it three straight defeats to end August as Brentwood Town won 3–1 on HTU's turf.

September 2021
1 September 2021: Gregory features elsewhere.  21:12 : Forward Joe Gregory makes an appearance for White Ensign, after the forward reportedly joins them on a dual registration deal.

10 September 2021: Osude returns.  18:01 : Joshua Osude completed a move back to HTU, just over three months after his departure was announced. Though the exact nature of the deal wasn't revealed, the club did confirm that the player wasn't on loan from Braintree Town; despite Osude previously joining Tilbury on loan from Braintree.

11 September 2021: Heavy defeat on Canvey Island.  ~17:00 : HTU were whipped 4–0 by their women's team stadium tenants Canvey Island.

13 September 2021: First win.  ~21:45 : HTU ended a five-match winless streak as they hosted and defeated Maldon & Tiptree 3–0.

15 September 2021: Sponsor remains.  19:16 : Lucozade, a brand of soft drink, renewed their sponsorship with HTU.

18 September 2021: Defeat, again.  ~17:00 : HTU made it four losses in six Isthmian League - North Division matches as Felixstowe & Walton United won 2–0 at the Len Salmon Stadium.

26 September 2021: New signing starts loss.  ~17:00 : HTU fell to a sixth defeat in eight competitive matches in 2021–22 as they were eliminated from the FA Trophy - on debut - at the first hurdle by fellow tier eight team Chipstead, with new signing Eli Benoit - no details about the transaction were released - playing the full duration.

28 September 2021: Witham win makes it two wins from three in the league.  ~21:45 : Witham Town were defeated 1–0 by HTU on 28 September, as Kris Newby made it three penalties for the season.

Pre-Season

 * Removed Matches
 * VBET Cup

Table
Updated: 01:10, 29 September 2021 (UTC)