AMAZING SE DONS
Jazzing up Sunday League
SE DONS are, without a doubt, a club making waves. They have now won that elusive first Orpington and Bromley League title and added to their ever-expanding trophy cabinet.
SE Dons is the brainchild of UK rap artist Don Strapzy and his brotherin-law Ryan Palmer. They started away from the cameras in 2014, but a unique mix of undeniable quality and inspirational characters has seen this Lewisham club become so much more than a Sunday League team.
They possess some larger than life characters, with Strapzy and Big G (Soccer AM) at the forefront of this phenomenon. The Dons’ growth over the last three seasons especially has been mighty impressive.
Originally back in 2014, Don Strapzy TV was specifically for him and his music. The channel had around 7k subscribers on YouTube. It now has over 200k subscribers!
He has been influential in the growth of the club and creating a family feel. His late mum Paula was the original kit woman of the Dons and their biggest supporter until she sadly passed away in 2018.
Since 2017, they have uploaded content for their fans every single Sunday.
We have seen the 7-0 demolition job on FC Cortez in the cup final in 2017.
We have seen the Paul Picard Cup successes in 2018 and 2019.
The cup successes have been great to see, but the Dons knew they had to win the league to keep their forward trajectory going.
It’s been a joy to watch SE Dons develop over the last three seasons. Strapzy and his editing (alongside Kris and the filming team) and commentary on the games makes the content what it is and gives it such an authentic edge that others crave.
The Dons are confident in their ability, and some see this as arrogance. However, any team that wants to be successful needs to have that air of belief and the desire to succeed.
They have some talented players such as Montel Agyemang, Zak Ansah and Jack Sammoutis, amongst many others.
The coaching staff of JR and Flips alongside Strapzy is complemented so well by the tireless behind the scenes work by Mitch, Kris and many others. The content is regular and on time every week. It’s a testament to how hard Strapzy, Kris and Big G work. You can describe them as just another Sunday League team, but their work ethic sets them apart from their competitors.
They have this ability to keep pushing the boundaries with their content. They are inspiring a generation with their unique material.
The singing on the sideline, the atmosphere they create at games is astounding for a Sunday League team.
Other teams are bringing more fans to their games when they play against the Dons.
More people attending Sunday League games also gives grassroots football a huge boost and makes following a team more accessible for many people.
Most Dons players are on social media, where they interact a lot with fans online. Big G on Instagram is one I would recommend. His work ethic in a day is inspirational.
They all seem to get on well with each other, which gives their content a genuine family feel. This was never more noticeable with the sad passing of Strapzy’s mum Paula and the way the ‘Anything for Paula’ saying has caught on with not only the players but the fans. It shows what a real family club SE Dons are.
They also do a lot of charity work with their XI team, a mix of older and current players. They could feasibly enter them into a league, but they instead play most Fridays and raise an astounding amount of money for various charities.
The amount of people in attendance at those games is more than some semi-professional teams get.
To sum up, SE Dons are a community, a family, a thriving business and a formidable rival for their opponents.
In today’s world, we lack attainable heroes. Professional football has never been further away from the fans than it is today.
SE Dons are, on paper, just another Sunday League team. However, to many, they are so much more.