Sports
Man United’s results have forced this fan to grow hair for a full year in viral challenge
Day 1. Day 10. Day 50. Day 100. Day 365?!
The past year has been tough on all Manchester United fans, but for Frank Illet, it really shows. Illet set himself a quirky challenge last October: he wouldn’t cut his hair until his beloved Red Devils won five games in a row.
“I thought it would only go for a few months and be a bit of a laugh,” Illet told ESPN. “It was something to spread humor to Man United fans during a difficult period of time.
“It didn’t feel unrealistic then, because the season before, they had won five games in a row.”
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At the time, United were still managed by Erik Ten Hag and had ended the previous season by winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City. Illet thought that it would be the perfect time to try out the challenge, despite all of the false dawns and inconsistent form the club have managed in recent years.
The 29-year-old boyhood United fan from the U.K. now living in Spain, started the challenge after a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. He expected a five-win streak to come quickly. Instead, 77 games across all competitions and a change of manager later, it still hasn’t happened. In fact, the most Illet has been able to see in the past year were three wins in a row when Man United beat Rangers, Fulham, and FCSB in late January under current boss Ruben Amorim.
For context, Liverpool — the defending Premier League champions and United’s bitter rivals — have already won five games in a row this season in just over a month (33 days to be exact).
What began with a clean-shaven Illet has turned into a viral spectacle: a bush of hair growing longer and higher with every passing day and every dropped point.
His daily social media updates to more than 700,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok — counting up the days since his last haircut, whether United played that day or not — have turned him into a cult figure and a living, growing monument embodiment of the club’s travails.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, and the thing is, the sheer amount of it takes so much out of my time,” he said. “The washing, the brushing, the drying, everything takes so much longer than I’m used to.”
Illet’s mood has mirrored United’s fortunes. He was in the stands at Old Trafford to watch his team beat Chelsea 2-1 earlier this season, only to then see them lose 3-1 at Brentford a week later.
Add in the humiliation of a shock Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town, and even his optimism has started to fray.
“I’ve tried to keep positive, I’ve tried to keep optimistic,” he said. “But that was the moment where I thought that I couldn’t find a positive and keep pretending that something would happen.”
The reaction has not been universally positive. Police are investigating an incident at the Chelsea game in which one fan grabbed Illet’s hair aggressively and appeared to hurl abuse at him. “It was all a bit weird to be honest,” Illet said at the time. “I will always try to focus on the positives and hope that this was just a one-off.”
Despite United’s continuing on-pitch woes, Illet isn’t calling for Amorim to go. While reports swirl about the Portuguese coach’s future, he believes performances haven’t been as dire as results suggest.
“I don’t think changing the manager is certainly the answer,” he said. “I understand completely that people are saying that they want him out because they’re saying the most important thing in football is results.
“I do think there are some positives. We’ve had the most expected goals and shots in the league. There are a few things like that where a few of those goals go in, and we have completely different conversations. I think in the short term, we need good results immediately.”
With more than 30 Premier League games left this season, plus the FA Cup still to come, Illet hasn’t given up hope for his hair.
“We’ll find out together how much longer it can go,” he said with a laugh.
For now, United don’t have a five-game winning streak, though they have just begun a new run following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sunderland. But Illet’s hair? That’s just about the only thing that has been going strong all year for anyone associated with Manchester United.
The playing control teams for the April 28 qualifier, April 29 eliminator 1 and May 1 eliminator 2 of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 have been appointed, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Tuesday.
Member of ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees Sir Richard Richardson will lead the playing control team for the qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi.
Earlier, he made his HBL PSL debut as the match official on April 15 and will bow out for this season, having officiated 10 games.
Christopher Gaffaney of New Zealand will be joined by Alexander Wharf of England as an on-field umpire for the qualifier. Both are part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.
Faisal Khan Aafreedi, ICC International Panel Umpire, will serve as the third Umpire, while PCB’s National Elite Panel Umpire Zulfiqar Jan will be the fourth umpire for the all-important 41st HBL PSL 11 match.
Roshan Mahanama of Sri Lanka will lead the playing control team in both eliminators.
He has the honour of officiating in all 11 HBL PSL seasons, and his tally of games as match referee in the league currently stands at 127.
In the Hyderabad Kingsmen v Multan Sultans eliminator 1 in Lahore, ICC Elite Panel Umpire Shahid Saikat from Bangladesh will join ICC Emerging Panel Umpire Asif Yaqoob as on-field Umpire, while Rashid Riaz Waqar of ICC Emerging Panel of Umpires will be the third Umpire.
Nasir Hussain of ICC International Panel of Umpires will perform duties as the fourth Umpire.
The eliminator 2 on May 1 between the winner of eliminator 1 and the losing team of qualifier will be officiated on-field by ICC Elite Panel Umpires Ahsan Raza and Shahid Saikat, while Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will carry out the duties of third and fourth Umpire, respectively.
The match officials for the highly anticipated May 3 final will be announced in due course.
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The most pressure-packed scoring opportunity in soccer might be the one where no one is defending: the penalty kick.
A goal is almost certain, so long as you keep a cool head and beat the goalkeeper. Simple enough, right?
But what exactly is a penalty kick, and how is it awarded? Here’s everything you need to know about the penalty kick ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
What Is A Penalty Kick?
A penalty kick — or “PK” — is a one-on-one duel between a field player and a goalkeeper in which the field player tries to score a direct kick from the penalty spot.
How Is A Penalty Kick Awarded?
A penalty kick is awarded when a player commits a foul — tripping, pushing or a handball — inside the penalty area, which is a large 18-yard box that extends from the goal line into the field of play. The total width of the box is 44 yards.
A penalty can be awarded in the run of play or during a Video Assistant Referee check.
Who Takes The Penalty Kick?
The designated penalty taker is usually predetermined based on a player’s proven ability to score, from the penalty spot or otherwise. For example, Harry Kane, the active leading goalscorer for England, is the designated penalty taker for the Three Lions.
How Far Is The Penalty Spot?
The penalty is 12 yards from the center of the goal line, meaning that there are just 12 yards that separate the penalty taker and the goalkeeper at the time of a penalty kick.
What Are The Rules For The Penalty Taker?
The penalty taker is given freedom to confuse the goalkeeper during their run-up to the kick so long as:
- The penalty taker doesn’t attempt a fake kick or a “feint” while attempting to strike the ball AND
- The penalty doesn’t make contact with the ball more than once during their attempt.
If a penalty taker participates in illegal feinting, they will be cautioned and an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
If a penalty taker makes contact with the ball more than once during their attempt and the attempt is successful, the penalty kick will be retaken. If it isn’t, it will be recorded as a miss and play will resume.
What Are The Rules For The Goalkeeper?
The goalkeeper must follow three key rules during a penalty kick: face the kicker, stay between the goalposts and keep at least one foot on or over the goal line until the kick.
If a goalkeeper leaves their line during a penalty attempt and the attempt is unsuccessful, it will be retaken. If the attempt is successful, it will result in a goal.
Additionally, goalkeepers may not touch the goalposts, crossbar or netting as an intimidation tactic. Trash-talking is also not permitted.
How Often Are Penalty Kicks Awarded?
There were 23 penalty kicks awarded at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which was six fewer than in 2018. Argentina led all countries in penalty attempts with five, and its designated penalty taker, Lionel Messi, converted all five attempts.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled ticketing information for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, set to take place at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
According to the cricket board, E-Tickets for the high-stakes fixture can be purchased from tonight, with prices for all enclosures of the aforementioned venue set at Rs500.
Furthermore, the physical tickets will be available for sale from Tuesday morning and can be bought at the TCS Express Centre at the China Ground situated opposite the venue.
The PCB further advised fans with tickets to reach the stadium “well before the start of play” to avoid any inconvenience. Notably, the coin toss for the Qualifier will take place at 6:30pm as per the Pakistan Standard Time (PST), with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the ticket details for the remaining two playoffs, set to be played in Lahore, will be announced in due course.
The cricket board announced the ticketing details hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoffs of the ongoing PSL 11.
Taking to X, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said he had a meeting with the premier, during which the cricket board secured his approval for allowing fans in the stadia for the upcoming playoffs of the eight-team tournament.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging website.
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