Manchester United irritated by viral fan

It all started as a bit of a joke online, just some harmless banter between Manchester United fans.

Frank Ilett, better known as The United Strand, tossed out a challenge on October 5, 2024: he wouldn’t get another haircut until United won five games in a row.

At the time, nobody expected it to blow up the way it did.

In his original video, Frank Ilett even put out a poll: when would he finally get a trim, 2024, 2025, or 2026? Out of 27,000 votes, an overwhelming 90% picked 2026.

That pretty much sums up how much faith fans had in United’s consistency.

Now, 493 days later, United have just drawn 1-1 at West Ham.

The five-win streak still hasn’t happened.

Ilett’s hair keeps growing, and so does the frustration of both fans and Ilett himself.

What started as a silly gag has turned into a running joke that follows United everywhere, sucking in millions of viewers every time the team stumbles or sparks a little hope.

Ilett, for his part, has become a minor celebrity.

He’s racked up over 2.3 million followers and pulls in more than 100,000 live viewers for his YouTube match coverage, numbers that would have been unthinkable when he first started.

But inside Old Trafford, nobody’s laughing.

The last time United managed five wins in a row was way back in January and February 2024, which feels like a lifetime ago for players and fans who are desperate for something steady.

The club’s history doesn’t help either.

The record for the longest drought without five straight wins is 902 days, which finally ended in January 1999, and right now United seem to be inching closer to matching that unwanted stat.

At first, there were signs the club might be in on the joke.

When United added a barbers’ room in their £50 million Carrington training ground upgrade, some fans took it as a sly wink at Ilett’s challenge.

But somewhere along the way, the humor faded.

These days, both in public and behind closed doors, United seem irritated of being tied to a meme that highlights their struggle to build momentum, as reported by BBC Sport.

Illet was even attacked by a fellow United fan outside Old Trafford last year.

For United’s players and higher-ups, the “no-haircut” challenge isn’t funny anymore.

It’s just an annoying reminder of a simple goal they can’t seem to reach.