Manchester United fan Frank Ilett, otherwise known as The United Strand, isn't cutting his hair until the Red Devils win five games in a row.placeholder image
Manchester United fan Frank Ilett, otherwise known as The United Strand, isn't cutting his hair until the Red Devils win five games in a row. | Frank Ilett/Instagram
If Man United beat West Ham, The United Strand will be able to cut his hair, but how long has it been?
Man United are heading into their next game against West Ham in a superb position. They currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, just three points away from Aston Villa in third place.
The Red Devils come off a 2-0 win against Tottenham, which was their fourth win in a row since Michael Carrick came in, which means they can make it five wins in a row if they get all three points at the London Stadium on Tuesday night.
However, perhaps the biggest story around the game is the United Strand, or Man United fan Frank Ilett, who hasn’t cut his hair in almost 500 days, as he is waiting until the club wins five games in a row.
How many days since the United Strand cut his hair?
When Ilett decided to embark on his hair challenge for Man United, he certainly wouldn’t have expected it to become quite as popular as it has become. He now has over a million followers on Instagram, and his massive following is quite reflective of just how massive his hair is.
As we speak on the day of the Man United vs West Ham game, the United Strand hasn’t cut his hair in 493 days, almost reaching the 500 game mark. This is the first time Man United have won four games in a row during the challenge, with their closest attempt last coming after three wins under Ruben Amorim in the Autumn.
He has already said that he plans to get a buzz cut if Man United do beat West Ham on Tuesday, and it will feel like a massive weight off his shoulders, literally. If the Red Devils fail to win on Tuesday night, it would start all over again, and Illet could find himself waiting yet another 500 days to get his haircut, who knows how long it could become in that case.
What has Ilett said about getting his hair cut?
The 29-year-old is clearly a very dedicated Man United fan, and he must have sacrificed a lot in his life to complete this challenge. If United do win on Tuesday, there’s no doubt there will be a lot of eyes on Ilett after such a long wait for his haircut.
Speaking ahead of the game, the United Strand hailed how good Man United have been under Carrick since he came in as interim manager. He said: “It's been amazing since he (Carrick) first came in. I’m glad as well that it’s not been like five easy teams either. We had to beat City and Arsenal and even Spurs and Fulham, they can be tough to beat on their days.”
He also said that it won’t be a straightforward job to get his haircut, but he looks set to go for a buzz cut. “I mean, to start with, it needs to be kind of cut off in bunches. But then, yeah, I think probably buzz cut all over and start again, start fresh."
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