Frank McAvennie

Early career

McAvennie started his playing career in Scottish Junior League football. In 1979 during an amateur game with a local side, the 200 Club, in Kirkintilloch, McAvennie, playing well, came to the attention of local scouts. He was recommended to local junior side Johnstone Burgh signing for them for a £500 fee. He completed a trial for Partick Thistle playing in a single game where he was sent on as a substitute only to be substituted off in the same game and be told by manager Bertie Auld that he would never make a career in the game of football. Before turning professional, he had joined the Territorial Army and later had trials with the British Army but was not accepted for a role with them due to his inability to hit the target during shooting practices. He also had a spell working as a road sweeper. He did not move into professional football until he joined St Mirren in 1980, at the age of 20. His league debut came in the 1981–82 season in a 4–3 defeat of Airdrieonians. Playing as a midfielder, McAvennie scored two goals. In 1982, he was named Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year. He made 135 league appearances for them over the next five years, scoring 48 goals.

West Ham United

His strong form in Scotland attracted attention from south of the border and McAvennie had talks with Luton Town and their manager, David Pleat, in the summer of 1985. With talks progressing well McAvennie decided not to sign for Luton due to the attitude of their…

McAvennie was called into the Scotland national team late 1985 for the World Cup qualifying play-off with Australia at Hampden Park on 20 November. Following a 58th-minute goal by Davie Cooper, McAvennie scored in the 60th minute on what was his international debut. The game finished 2–0 to Scotland. In the return leg in Melbourne on 4 December 1985, which was McAvennie's 2nd international appearance, the game finished 0-0 resulting in Scotland qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Having travelled with Scotland to Australia he returned to the UK and only three days later scored the only goal for West Ham in a 1–0 win at Loftus Road against Queens Park Rangers. He was called up to the Scotland national team for the 1986 World Cup, under interim national coach Alex Ferguson. He made two appearances in the World Cup in Mexico, both as a substitute and both defeats, to Denmark and to West Germany. He won five caps for Scotland, the last against Saudi Arabia in February 1988 in a 2–2 draw in Riyadh.

International

Born in Glasgow, McAvennie grew up in Milton and attended St. Augustine's School there.