Manchester City’s social media team took a cheeky swipe at viral Manchester United fan ‘The United Strand’ after United’s draw with West Ham prolonged his now 16-month wait for a haircut.
Frank Ilett the face behind the online persona had pledged not to cut his hair until United won five straight matches, but a 1-1 result at the London Stadium left him just short.
City’s official US account quickly capitalised on the moment following Tuesday night’s stalemate. While the dropped points frustrated Michael Carrick’s men, it was an especially crushing outcome for content creator Ilett, whose long-running hair challenge continues.
Soon after full-time, @ManCityUS posted an image of Erling Haaland with his trademark long blonde hair flowing, adding the cutting caption: “Nothing wrong with growing out your hair.”
The story dates back to October 2024, when the 29-year-old United supporter vowed to avoid haircuts until his club recorded five consecutive wins in all competitions. What began as a light-hearted promise soon turned into a lengthy ordeal amid United’s struggles for consistency under previous management.
Heading into the West Ham clash, the finish line finally appeared within reach. Carrick’s interim side had secured four straight wins beating City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham meaning victory in East London would have ended Ilett’s near 500-day wait for a trim.
Thousands tuned in to his watchalong livestream hoping to see the challenge concluded. Instead, they saw heartbreak unfold. “It was a strange game,” Ilett admitted to viewers, visibly deflated at full-time. With the streak broken, the challenge resets leaving the prospect of many more months without a haircut unless United find sustained form.
His ever-growing hair has now become a symbol of United’s difficulty in putting together a dominant winning run across the past two seasons.
City were not alone in poking fun. Bayern Munich’s English-language account joined in, posting: “There’s still time to become an FC Bayern fan,” alongside a scissors emoji joking that a switch in allegiance might speed up the long-awaited haircut.
Carrick himself had acknowledged the viral challenge before kick-off, revealing in his press conference: “I can say I’m aware of it, yeah. My kids have made me aware of it.”
But awareness wasn’t enough to deliver the fifth win Ilett needed and the saga rolls on.
