Manchester United have taken action against a supporter who was filmed pulling United Strand Frank Ilett’s hair after a match at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have indefinitely suspended a supporter who was caught on camera assaulting a fan who went viral for growing his hair long.
Frank Ilett, known as United Strands, has amassed nearly half a million followers on Instagram as he chronicles his hair growth. Ilett has decided not to cut his hair until United have won five games in a row, and it has been more than a year since that challenge.
An incident in which he was assaulted by a fellow United supporter during the club’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford on September 20 went viral on social media. Fans were seen pulling Mr Ilett’s hair and angrily taunting him as others came to help.
Great Manchester Police have since confirmed they are investigating and United have now successfully identified the culprit. The Daily Mail reports that the player has been suspended indefinitely by Old Trafford.
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Of the incident, Aylett said: “Well, to be honest, it was a little weird! At first I thought he was just joking, but then he started pulling my hair and calling me an ‘attention-seeking bastard.’
“Yesterday was filled with hundreds of positive interactions throughout the day and the response to this challenge was 99 per cent positive. But sometimes it just takes a few people to ruin it! My intention with this challenge was never to highlight Man United’s shortcomings. It has always been and always will be to spread humor and positivity to United fans during difficult times.”
It’s been 382 days since Aylett vowed not to cut his hair until United won five games in a row, but there’s not much to suggest this stunt is nearing an end. However, United won their second successive game, beating Sunderland 2-0 and Liverpool 2-1, giving him hope of cutting his hair.
Brighton host Ruben Amorim’s side on Saturday as they aim to improve from their current ninth place in the Premier League table with a third successive win at Old Trafford. The team are aware of Illet’s hair loss, and Diogo Dalot asked about it after Sunday’s dramatic win at Anfield.
“We’ll see. I hope I can give him a haircut like that,” Dalot said. If they beat Brighton on Saturday, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham will decide the fate of Aylet’s bushy hair.
Despite the attention he’s garnered from the challenge, Illett is desperate for United to emerge victorious. “Like I said before, I didn’t expect it to last this long. But I hope we get some good results soon and I, more than anyone else… would like to see these wins as soon as possible,” he said recently.
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