I’m a Man Utd fan refusing to cut my hair until they win five games… I never expected it to last this long

THE wacky satellite of the net has seen an detonation of instrumentality channels giving their presumption connected the authorities of the respective teams.

But it has besides fixed emergence to immoderate bizarre challenges, dares and bets, though 1 Manchester United instrumentality whitethorn person gotten himself into much than helium bargained for.

Frank Ilett, 28, runs the societal media transmission The United Strand.

The leafage started up backmost connected October 5 erstwhile Frank decided to perpetrate to a situation that would spot him not chopped his hair again until Man Utd won 5 games successful a row.

Frank believed this tally would lone past a fewer months astatine astir considering the past clip Man Utd had won 5 successful a enactment was successful January to February 2024.

However, 149 days aboriginal it does not adjacent look to beryllium remotely adjacent to being finished aft a dreadful tally of signifier nether Ruben Amorim.

And Frank has admitted helium mightiness person overestimated his chances.

Speaking exclusively to SunSport astir what inspired the challenge, Frank said: "Well, it was conscionable for a spot of fun, really, to beryllium honest. It was virtually conscionable I don't truly cognize wherefore I conscionable went for it.

"I saw this feline doing it with, I think, an NFL squad oregon thing similar that. And helium was doing 3 matches successful a row.

"But I retrieve thinking, oh, that's rather a comic happening and thinking, oh, yeah, you know, evidently I'm a Man Utd fan.

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"I deliberation possibly determination mightiness beryllium immoderate involvement determination due to the fact that it's, you know, it's Man Utd they're evidently a monolithic nine and worldwide benignant of nine arsenic well, not conscionable 1 lone Americans attraction about.

"So, yeah, I truthful I thought I saw that. And past I thought astir it for a small while. And past I conscionable abruptly was like, I'm conscionable going to bash it.

"I conscionable deliberation it's fun. I deliberation that, you know, it's a achy clip to beryllium a Man Utd instrumentality astatine the infinitesimal and conscionable wanted to dispersed immoderate humour, really...

"Did I ideate it would spell connected for this long? No, no, no.

"So I thought I thought it would go on for a few months. When I first started it, I don't know why, but I just went for it and I didn't really springiness much thought to it at all, really.

"And then it was only once it kind of started to get into it. I started to kind of go, ok, how long is this really going to go on for?

"I started in October and I checked. I was like, hang on a minute, erstwhile did Man Utd past bash this? So I checked and it was January - February 2024, truthful not that agelong ago.

"Now it's a year ago, but astatine the clip successful October I was thinking, you cognize it's not a brainsick happening that hasn't happened successful a fewer years oregon something. That gave maine a spot of hope.

"I looked astatine the benignant of fixtures coming up and worldly and determination were immoderate fixtures successful January which looked precise winnable and I was reasoning that's erstwhile it's going to end.

"And, you know, and then there was a cup game that was added into that as well which benignant of made it easier. And we mislaid the game, which meant February games were benignant of easy.

"Now we've gone past that constituent and present I'm conscionable hoping for the champion and seeing what happens. I wouldn't beryllium amazed if it goes until adjacent play now."

Frank, who has lived successful Spain with his woman for the past year, admits helium flirted with the thought of doing a three-game streak alternatively of five, but thought it would beryllium "too easy".

He said: "Well, that was the thing. I thought astir doing 3 and past I, stupidly, thought to myself, 'Oh that seems a spot excessively easy'.

"So I thought I'll spell for five, you cognize to marque it a spot much of a challenge. But small did I cognize however challenging that was going to be."

Frank told america helium utilized to person agelong hairsbreadth successful his aboriginal 20s truthful it was not a wholly alien feeling to him, but admits it is simply a "lot much effort" to support it now.

He added: "You tin spot my hairsbreadth similar it goes out, not down. So yeah, it's hard to benignant of support a small bit, but, you know, conscionable portion of it, portion of the challenge, I suppose."

Man Utd are languishing successful the bottommost fractional of the Premier League array and are looking progressively improbable to play immoderate portion successful European competitions adjacent season.

With their punishment shootout decision to Fulham successful the FA Cup 5th circular connected Sunday, the Red Devils lone realistic anticipation of playing successful Europe adjacent play volition beryllium them winning the Europa League.

However, Frank is refusing to spot the blasted connected Amorim, alternatively believing it is the club's owners, including number proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers, who are mostly to blasted for the messiness the nine finds itself in.

Frank said: "I deliberation I talk for a batch of Man Utd fans where, [it feels like] it's fundamentally the aforesaid arsenic the Glazers successful charge, which I deliberation a batch of radical expected arsenic well, to beryllium honest.

"I don't deliberation anyone truly expected that overmuch because, yeah, it conscionable hasn't gone well. All of the decisions are conscionable ridiculous.

"I mean, you know, similar the happening precocious astir closing the canteen and to prevention a cardinal pounds a twelvemonth erstwhile there's radical that marque that successful a period astatine the nine that don't adjacent play that often.

"Like, was it £55-65million they paid for Mason Mount? I mean, I can't adjacent retrieve erstwhile helium past played. And I can't retrieve erstwhile helium played consecutive games. That's for definite arsenic well.

"And yes, truthful erstwhile you, you know, there's I cognize that to beryllium fair, that wasn't Ineos but it's a akin happening wherever you request to benignant of get escaped of players similar that and get successful benignant of caller faces, caller legs.

"Instead of, you know, worrying astir a cardinal pounds that it costs to provender each the unit and support everyone blessed astatine the club."

Frank says his main extremity of the situation is to bring immoderate joyousness to a achy situation.

The United Strand transmission - a motion to fashionable instrumentality transmission The United Stand, who Frank says helium has watched for a fewer years - has exploded successful popularity to present person much than 60 1000 followers connected Instagram.

Originally Frank was aiming to scope 10,000 followers by the extremity of 2025, but saw that extremity achieved by past December, portion hitting 20,000 by the mediate of January.

The fig of viewers, some United and rival fans, has seen the situation viewed much than 35 cardinal times implicit the past 90 days alone.

Frank is adjacent alert of immoderate United stars past and contiguous being alert of his hairy situation, including Denis Irwin, academy prima Ethan Wheatley, British boxer Frazer Clarke and tennis prima Jamie Murray.

He said: "Every clip I get immoderate followers I'm inactive amazed by it. I can't judge determination are truthful galore radical interested.

"I was looking astatine my analytics the different time and I've had 35 cardinal views successful the past 90 days, and erstwhile I deliberation that galore radical person really seen my look it does consciousness a spot weird.

"But I'm blessed radical person benignant of connected with it successful a affirmative way, similar everyone seems to conscionable beryllium having a laughter with it with me. It's bully to bring immoderate joyousness to people."

In presumption of aboriginal plans, Frank says helium would emotion to put immoderate instrumentality meet-ups successful the future.

Meanwhile, helium has besides admitted helium would beryllium unfastened to doing a akin challenge, perchance with hairsbreadth and beard, portion helium besides wants to turn his YouTube transmission and sojourn each La Liga stadium.