Frank McAvennie

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Francis "Frank" McAvennie (born 22 November 1959 in Glasgow) is a former Scottish football striker. He grew up in Milton and attended St Augustine's Secondary. McAvennie started his playing career in Scottish Junior League football. His first senior football club was St Mirren.

Good form saw him sign for West Ham United F.C. in 1985 and he formed a formidable partnership with a young English striker called Tony Cottee and help West Ham reach their highest ever position in English football when they came third in the 85/86 season and he scored 26 goals one fewer than Gary Lineker, in the English Football League. That West Ham team became known as The Boys of 86.

McAvennie was called into the Scotland national team in December 1985 for the World Cup qualifying play-off with Australia. McAvennie scored on his debut in a 2-0 win. He was subsequently called up to the Scotland national team for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, under Alex Ferguson. In October 1987, he moved back to Scotland with Celtic F.C., for £750,000, helping them win the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup double. The Cup Final was particularly memorable for McAvennie as he scored two late goals to beat Dundee United 2-1.

McAvennie returned to West Ham United the following season in a £1.2m deal and again scored on his debut against Norwich City. According to then Celtic manager Billy McNeill's autobiography, McAvennie wanted to return to London and his model girlfriend Jenny Blyth. McAvennie claims in his autobiography that Celtic were refusing to pay him a signing fee.

In any event this second spell in London was not as successful as his previous one. After turning down the chance to join the champions that season Arsenal instead joining West Ham who were relegated the same season. Things got worse for McAvennie and West Ham when the striker suffered a broken leg early in the 1989-90 season, following a challenge by Chris Kamara, which put him out for almost a season. McAvennie signed off in style at West Ham however, scoring a hat-trick in his final match against Nottingham Forest but West Ham had already been relegated yet again.. In 1992, he moved to Aston Villa F.C. for a short stay before moving back to Celtic. He had spells at Swindon Town F.C., Falkirk and his first club, St Mirren before retiring.

More recently, he has been parodied regularly on the BBC's football comedy programme Only An Excuse with such catchphrases as "where's the burds?" - the character became so popular that there was a short lived spin-off entitled I, Macca.

Frank also has a place on the Saturday morning football show, Soccer AM - where the car park is named after him. During the regular spot where fans and celebrities try to kick a ball through a hole in a target, McAvennie missed, and in his frustration, lashed out out the ball. The ball hit one of the ballboys in the face and since that day, it has been known as the Frank McAvennie Car Park.

During his playing career he reputedly enjoyed a playboy lifestyle involving drink, drugs and women. ^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ icNewcastle - Face to face: Frank McAvennie

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