On October 5, 2024, Frank Ilett posted a video on social media, but little did he know that this little experiment would continue making news 18 months later. Also known as The United Strand, the Manchester United fan was giving himself his latest haircut while also proclaiming that it would be his last one until the team won five games in a row.
The club's struggles since then have been well documented, giving football fans of all loyalties much to entertain themselves with. No other topic has given these lovers of the Beautiful Game more joy than seeing if United can finally go on that five-match winning run and end the "haircut guy's" wait.
It has been over 16 months now, and Ilett's experiment, which continues after United's latest draw with West Ham, has seen him become something of a global sensation. Over these almost 500 days, his social media has surpassed 2.3 million, and his livestream of the above match on Kick drew some pretty solid numbers.
The January 10 watchalong on his channel, theunitedstrand, lasted for three hours and 45 minutes. This broadcast was done in partnership with Stake, with many viewers even placing bets as to whether he would finally cut his hair.
All this hype saw the live stream attract a healthy audience, who tuned in to see if their favorite running gag in football would continue, with the stream peaking at 265,925 viewers towards the end as the camera panned in on Ilett's disappointed reaction to the full-time whistle confirming the draw and extending his wait for a haircut.
Readers must note that Frank Ilett’s challenge has effectively transformed into a digital barometer for Manchester United’s stability, spawning a trend where fans of rival clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal have jokingly adopted their own "winning streak" challenges. The buildup to the decisive fifth match against West Ham saw the story reach new heights of visibility, as Frank moved beyond solo updates to high-profile collaborations.
On the eve of the match, The United Strand was joined by a rotating cast of popular UK streamers to discuss the impending "shave." Most notably, Frank — now living in Spain — was seen filming a viral promotional clip with Barcelona legend Gerard Piqué, where the World Cup winner jokingly chased him with a pair of scissors — a move that tied the challenge directly into the Kings League ecosystem.
Even though the 1:1 draw at the London Stadium ultimately "reset the counter," the social media reaction from official club accounts like Manchester City and West Ham (who both engaged in the post-match banter) cemented the fact that the "United Strand" is no longer just a fan's vow, but a charitable powerhouse that has raised over £10,000 for the Little Princess Trust.
The nearly 266,000 PV also put theunitedstrand as the number one entry on Kick’s most popular channels list for the past week, and in the fourth spot for this year. It also put him among the top 30 channels by peak live viewership across livestreaming platforms for the same period, a remarkable accomplishment considering it was his debut livestream and a testament to just how popular his haircut challenge has become, for good or bad.
While Ilett might have to go longer without chopping his locks, which apparently now touch 25cm, he has benefited quite a lot from the publicity of his experiment. He has partnered with commercial brands, including gambling company Paddy Power, as interest in his challenge has grown, even if the club itself feels it has grown into an "unwanted irritation."
However, the Oxford lad has pledged to get involved in a good cause when, and not if, United finally win that magical fifth game on the bounce. He will donate his hair to the Little Princess Trust, a UK charity providing wigs to children who lost their hair due to illness.
For those wondering, Manchester United, who will only play in the Premier League for the remainder of the season, will play their next five games between February 24 and March 21. This means that fans and Ilett will need to wait until at least the end of next month to see if he can finally get the haircut that the entire community has been rooting for.
Header image via The United Strand
