The United Strand was denied the chance to finally get a haircut after Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham at the London Stadium.
Since the club appointed Michael Carrick as Ruben Amorim’s successor, the Red Devils have been on an impressive run of form, picking up victories against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.
United arrived in East London on Tuesday night aiming to make it five wins in a row against a resurgent West Ham side, but there was more at stake than just three points for one supporter.
Frank Ilett, better known online as The United Strand, has been undertaking a mammoth challenge for more than a year, refusing to cut his hair until United record five consecutive victories.
The midweek clash was make-or-break. A win would have meant a long-awaited haircut, while anything less would see the challenge reset once again.
After a cagey first half ended goalless, West Ham broke the deadlock in the 50th minute through Tomas Soucek. Streaming live on KICK, The United Strand was seen reacting to the opener by putting his hand to his face in disappointment.
United thought they had equalised soon after, sparking jubilant scenes among Ilett and his friends, but Casemiro’s header was ruled out following a VAR review for offside. Carrick’s side continued to push forward but were met by a resilient West Ham defence.
Deep into stoppage time, Benjamin Sesko rescued a point for the Red Devils with a dramatic late equaliser.
However, the draw meant The United Strand’s challenge has now reset once again, leaving him “heartbroken” and needing needing another run of five straight wins before he can finally visit the barber.
The earliest Frank can now get his haircut is more than a month away on March 20, with their next five games coming against Everton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
