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Fullname: Francis McAvennie
aka: Macca, Frank McAvennie, Frankie Bhoy
Born: 22 November 1959
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 2nd October 1987/January 1993
Left: March 1989/May 1994
Position: Striker, Centre-forward
First game (1st spell): Hibernian 1-1 home 3 October 1987 league
Last game (1st spell): Hearts 2-1 home 18 March 1989 Scottish cup
First goal (1st spell): Morton 3-1 home 10 October 1987 league
Last goal (1st spell): Clydebank 4-1 home 18 February 1989 Scottish cup
First game (2nd spell): Airdrieonians 1-0 away 23 January 1993 league
Last game (2nd spell): Raith Rovers 0-0 away 5 February 1994 league
First goal (2nd spell): Saint Johnstone 5-1 home 30 January 1993 league
Last goal (2nd spell): Airdrieonians 1-0 home 31 August 1993 league cup
International: Scotland
International Games: 5 games
International Goals: 1 goal
Biog
| “Frank was a football man. Everybody loved him. He was in it for his team-mates, and he gave 150 per cent every week. He’d make a bad pass a good pass. He lived life to the full, and yes, he liked a drink. But Frank never let you down, on or off the pitch.” Ray Stewart (West Ham), later manager of Stirling Albion. |
With his bleached blonde hair, designer clothes, ‘Page 3‘ glamour model wife, a seemingly unquenchable love of champagne, the ‘burdz‘ and the highlife, Frank McAvennie was the epitome of the tabloids’ clichéd 1980s playboy footballer, as renowned for his scoring off the field as on it.
Yet for all his off-field antics the man known to Celtic fans as ‘Macca’ will always be fondly remembered by the Bhoys support as a wonderful and blessed footballer.
Frank McAvennie possessed a great awareness of space and an exquisite touch. Despite his love of partying the Glasgow-born forward was always prepared to put in a shift on the football pitch.
First stint (1987-89)
A lifelong Celtic fan, McAvennie grew up in Milton and started his professional career at St Mirren where his performances caught the eye of scouts from both north and south of the border. West Ham United won the race to take the striker away from Love Street and it soon became obvious that the Hammers had struck gold as Frank McAvennie forged a forward partnership with Tony Cottee that terrorised defences in the English top flight.
The goalscoring exploits of the duo saw the Hammers make a serious challenge for the league title in 1986 but in the end the Londoners fell just short of the championship, finishing third behind Liverpool and Everton.
In truth the Upton Park side never came close to reaching those heights the following year but Cottee and McAvennie continued to have their admirers. Now a Scotland international, Frank McAvennie was a major star on and off the field, even making an appearance as a guest on Terry Wogan’s primetime BBC 1 chat show which was then an unprecedented move for any footballer. With ITV just starting live TV football round his time at West Ham, he was pushed as the first big star of the new era.
The capture of Frank McAvennie by Celtic in October 1987 for £750,000 was then quite a coup for manager Billy McNeill. He made his debut in the 1-1 draw against Hibs at Celtic Park on 3 October 1987.
Although Macca had not quite maintained the sensational form of season 1985/86 he remained a high profile and sought after asset. His debut season for the Bhoys was the stuff of dreams. Spearheading a revitalised Celtic team Macca formed a prolific partnership with Andy Walker. Frank McAvennie’s touch and vision combined with Walker’s clinical finishing provided the perfect foil for the midfield artistry of Paul McStay as Celtic won a wonderful and eternally memorable league and Scottish Cup in their Centenary season.
McAvennie’s contribution to that success was significant and stylish. On January 1 1988 he welcomed in the New Year with a delectable double against bitter rivals and reigning champions Rangers, his goals giving the Bhoys a well deserved 2-0 victory.
That game had been Frank McAvennie’s second clash v Rangers as a player. The first – at Ibrox on October 17 – was also memorable for Macca, but for very different reasons. Just weeks after arriving back home in Scotland Frank McAvennie found himself at the centre of one of the most controversial incidents in Scottish football history. During a typically frantic derby tussle Frank McAvennie and Rangers keeper Chris Woods squared up to each other after a clash in the box. A melee ensued with players shoving each other and Frank McAvennie was grabbed by the throat as Woods and Rangers skipper Butcher set about the Celtic man.
All three were red-carded during the 2-2 game and the trio – along with Ibrox-based Englishman Graham Roberts – became embroiled in an unprecedented court case where they had to answer charges of “behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace“. This remarkable piece of legal action resulted in Frank McAvennie and Roberts escaping without punishment but Woods and Butcher were fined for their aggressive actions. Frank McAvennie was later to say on the whole matter that “it was the season where they couldn’t even beat us in court!“.
Back on the pitch Celtic swept to the championship in style before Frank McAvennie capped off the season with a typically show stealing performance in the Scottish Cup final against Dundee United. With Celtic trailing Dundee United 1-0, McAvennie pounced twice in the last 15 minutes – the winner coming just seconds from the end – to snatch a dramatic but just victory at a sunbathed Hampden Park. Incredibly, these were his first goals in two months. He had written himself into the annals of Celtic history and he was a much loved player.
The sunshine turned to rain the next season (1988/89) as Celtic’s form slumped. Frank McAvennie was missing the bright lights of London (and his glamour model girlfriend) but on the pitch he still showed his quality on a regular basis and had netted 17 times by March. However, the fallout of that prior incident at Ibrox and the intensity of attention that comes with being a high profile footballer in Glasgow meant that Frank was getting itchy feet. Add to that the fact that Celtic were said to owe him money from when he first signed, then a parting of the ways seemed inevitable.
Frank McAvennie had tasted the bright lights of the party life in London and was addicted to it, with then Celtic manager (Billy McNeill) stating that the first thing out of Celtic Park on a Saturday was Frank McAvennie to get his flight to London for the ‘night life’. Add in that he was at this point spending more than he was earning, so it was inevitable that things were just not going to be sustainable. So just 17 months after becoming a Bhoy, the profligate Frank McAvennie returned to West Ham in a reported £1.5m deal.
A sad loss for the support who had idolised him since he had come back to the club and it was many a year before Celtic got another striker of his ability at his peak again.
Second stint (1993-94)
However, it wasn’t the last the Hoops support were to see of Frankie Bhoy. By 1992 Frank McAvennie was a free agent. His return to London had turned into a disaster. The Hammers were relegated and Frank suffered a broken leg, and his extra-circular activities in London went awry (drugs, drink, girls etc).
His London playing days weren’t the only things to end prematurely, as so was his Scotland career. Despite, his wealth of talent he managed only a meagre five international caps. Some sympathisers may put it down to bias against Celts, which has been historically correct. However, in Frank McAvennie’s case it was all down to him as well as some strong competition. He had a disdain for manager Andy Roxburgh, and his aversion to discipline meant he was little going to to be in favour. A drinking spat on a flight back to Scotland from teetotal Saudi, was the end of his Scotland career.
Critics of the then Scotland manager must accept that Andy Roxburgh was actually a successful manager for Scotland, and did well with them. In truth, modern managers have increasingly moved into a mould similar to how Roxburgh was (disciplined, schoolmasterly, academic etc). Frank McAvennie just did not adjust and could personify at times what was best & worst about Scottish footballers in the days before the Sky & satellite TV boom. It was a loss for Frank McAvennie & Scotland.
The glory days of the past may now have become distant memories, but he was determined to reboot his career. A very brief spell with Aston Villa didn’t work out and he attempted to return to Glasgow to play for Partick Thistle.
However, it became an embarrassing transfer saga that saw Macca first wave a Partick Thistle scarf above his head for a photo shoot before then Celtic manager Liam Brady for some reason nipped in to secure his signature. It was quite poor and reflected badly on Brady especially when he denied knowing that Frank McAvennie was going to sign for Partick Thistle, as it was well publicised and everyone else knew it.
In any case, Frank McAvennie was happy to be back at Celtic, as he was to put it in one of his more sane quotes:
“We all make mistakes sometimes and I know now that I should have stayed at Celtic Park.”
The returning Frank McAvennie was a shadow of his former self but he was probably in no better shape than the rudderless and virtually penniless Celtic he had rejoined. There was to be no fairytale end to Frank McAvennie’s Celtic career which ended without a lining of silverware. In fairness, he did score a fair number of goals to provide a boost (especially at the tail end of the 1992-93 season) but Celtic needed much more than just an elder player winding down his career.
A reunion with Lou Macari at Celtic in Macari’s short managerial spell at Celtic didn’t go down too well with McAvennie (they never saw eye to eye). If anything, they detested each other (stemming from a past poor experience at West Ham).
In February 1994, Lou Macari loaned McAvennie to EPL strugglers Swindon Town, where he made just seven league appearances and failed to score as the ‘Robins‘ were relegated in bottom place at the end of a season in which they managed a mere five wins and conceded 100 goals.
He wound down his career with minor spells at Falkirk & St Mirren. An ignominious end for Macca, and a far cry from the bright lights he craved.
Post-football
| “I asked Frank once what he would be doing if he wasn’t a footballer. He said: ‘Probably stealing cars, selling drugs or in prison with most of my mates’.” Frank McAvennie’s ex-Wife Jenny Blyth (2001) |
Following his retirement from football, Frank McAvennie retained a high media profile in Scotland as he continued to live up to his laddish reputation. But life turned sour for Frank McAvennie as he became addicted to cocaine, lost his wife and he began to have regular brushes with the law. In 1996 he was found guilty of being in possession of cocaine, and in that same year he was declared bankrupt; then in 1999 he was found guilty of drink driving. Life remained as unbalanced as this for years to come, which saw him pulling off any old stunt to pull some money together.
Frank McAvennie’s playboy persona had become heavily parodied in the BBC Scotland TV football sketch show ‘Only An Excuse’ by Jonathan Watson who gave Macca the now (in)famous ‘Where’z the burrdz?’ catchphrase, although he himself has said to have grown to hate the line. It became much over-used and too much of a cliché, with a one-off TV spin-off show (“I, Macca“) flogging the joke to death in which even Frank McAvennie himself had a cameo in the show. It’s not the best way to remember Frank McAvennie.
Whatever people think of Frank McAvennie’s old lifestyle & decision-making he has remained generally a well liked figure among many in the Celtic support (he’s a lovable rogue). What cannot be disputed is the fact that on the football field he was a very genuine talent who in that glorious Centenary season made dreams come true. Off the field is a different thing all together, and he is a real mixed bag.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1987-88 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| Goals | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 1988-89 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 32 |
| Goals | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 17 |
| Total (1st stint) |
55 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
70 |
| Goals |
27 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
35 |
| 1992-93 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Goals | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 1993-94 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 16 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Total (2nd Stint): |
30 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
36 |
| Goals: |
10 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
15 |
| Total (overall): |
85 |
10 |
7 |
4 |
106 |
| Goals: | 37 |
4 |
8 |
1 |
50 |
Honours with Celtic
Scottish Premier Division
Scottish Cup
Quotes 
“Frank was a football man. Everybody loved him. He was in it for his team-mates, and he gave 150 per cent every week. He’d make a bad pass a good pass. He lived life to the full, and yes, he liked a drink. But Frank never let you down, on or off the pitch.”
Ray Stewart (West Ham), later manager of Stirling Albion.
“There’s as much chance of [Frank] McAvennie moving as there is of Rangers beating us 5-1 tomorrow.”
Billy McNeil, Celtic (Manager) commenting on reports that Macca was heading back to London.
We did lose 5-1 the next day, and Macca was to leave back to London later that season!
“I was in the Celtic side beaten 5-1 at Ibrox (in August 1988), you just go home and shut the door for a week. Well, apart from Frank McAvennie but he operated under different rules from the rest of us.”
Billy Stark
“When I put the second one in, the whole stadium erupted and the crowd began singing “Happy Birthday Dear Celtic”. Anyone who didn’t know it was a special year, they would know then. It was all as if it was meant.”
Frank McAvennie on the 2-0 victory v Rangers Jan 1988 (match)
“The old Board were all aresholes! The deal was done on a Holiday Inn napkin. I should have realised something was wrong as I was in the F****** Hilton!”
Frank McAvennie on the old Biscuit Tin board of Celtic
“When I was younger, I used to go and watch Celtic every week. My dad took me home and away. I didn’t start playing football until I was 19, simply because I used to go and watch Celtic and I didn’t think I was good enough. Probably a lot of people would say I wasn’t. My favourite thing about match days was getting up and waiting for my uncle to come with the car to take me and my dad to the game. Walking up to the ground among the crowd and getting that buzz was amazing. I love football because it’s given me such a great life. I’ve made mistakes but we all have – mine just get highlighted a lot more. I just love the whole concept of football. People say it’s being taken away from the man in the street but I don’t think that’s the case. I’m a fan again and I go to watch Celtic and West Ham and I love it.”
Frank McAvennie (2010)
“We all make mistakes sometimes and I know now that I should have stayed at Celtic Park.”
Frank McAvennie (1993)
“My chat-up line used to be: ‘I know a lot of Page 3 birds – show me your boobs and I’ll see how they compare’.”
Frank McAvennie
“It was like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”
Frank McAvennie on his 1987 Old Firm bust-up with Woods, Butcher and Roberts
“Yes, I was Jack the Lad, everyone knows that. I loved chasing after girls… the chase was great.”
Frank McAvennie (2013)
“I wasn’t addicted to coke [i.e. the drugs]. I was addicted to the lifestyle.”
Frank McAvennie
“I asked Frank once what he would be doing if he wasn’t a footballer,” recalls Blythe. “He said: ‘Probably stealing cars, selling drugs or in prison with most of my mates’.”
Frank McAvennie’s ex-Wife Jenny Blyth (2001)
“I used to go to London at the weekends and then come back on the Tuesday. I am a Glasgow boy so it was all right for me, I knew what it was about.
“I was fortunate because nobody ever wanted to fight me. I cross the divide. I do not give a monkey’s about the religion thing and everyone knew that. I never got bothered.
“The only problems I had here was getting up here on a Monday, that was all. That was nothing to do with the club, that was to do with British Airways. The flights were terrible.
“… just take it in because it is hard when you are there but when you leave the club you realise how big it is.”
Frank McAvennie (2014)
“In the final [against Dundee United] after we equalised there were 14 minutes left. I remember late on asking the referee how long was left now and he said: ‘just under a minute.’ Wee Joe [Miller] took the corner and after I scored it took me ten minutes to get back to the half-way line. I knew they would not be coming back from that.
“Going up to lift that Scottish Cup is probably why I’m here talking to you guys. It’s synonymous with the club and that year. There were about 74,000 fans in the old Hampden and 73,000 were Celtic fans. I’m not in the photos that are up at Celtic Park. I must have been doing an interview with you guys at that time. There’s a thousand photos but I’m not in any of them. I only scored the two goals…”
Frank McAvennie on Scottish Cup final 1988 (2019)
Macca: “Heh wee man, do you smoke?”
Lambert: “No Man!”
Macca: “Do you drink?”
Lambert: “No, Frank.”
Macca: “Do you go with the women?”
Lambert: “No.”
Macca: “Well then, you’ll never be a ‘flipping’ player!”
Frank McAvennie to then youngster Paul Lambert when both were at St Mirren (c1985) as retold by Lambert in an interview in 2020
“Sorry Paul couldn’t have been more wrong!”
Frank McAvennie in reply to the above story on his reply to Paul Lambert (2020)
Pictures
Articles
Books
KDS Forum
Typical Macca Stories
1)Interviewer: But surely you get “bother” in Glasgow from Rangers fans…
Macca: No, they’re no problem at all. I’m always treated brilliantly in Glasgow. In fact I was out in a bar up there with a Page 3 girl this one time; short skirt and boobs, the usual. Anyway, this fight broke out and there was beer and glass going everywhere. Frankie Miller, the [Scottish R&B] singer, was with us, but instead of protecting the girl, he dived on top of me to make sure I didn’t get hurt! She wasn’t best-pleased [chuckles].
2)Treasure Hunt!
This doesn’t refer to the old 1980’s program on Channel 4 (although it wouldn’t be past Macca to have tried to get on this show to get close to Anneka Rice’s arse), but refers to his continued charmed life. One day Frank was en route to Holland, when he was stopped and found to have £100k in a bag in the back of his car alongside drugs. The bag with the money was confiscated as being potentially drug money (as were the drugs of course), and Macca you’d think was in dire straits.
So what was McAvennie’s reasoning for the large amount of money in the bag? He claimed that the money was for financing a Treasure Hunt for some sunken ship in the English Channel! Of all the daft stories ever concocted that is right up with them, but he is adamant it’s the truth (as he would in this situation). At least it makes you laugh and smile if nothing else.
As per usual, he got away with it all again (although the money was never returned)! Don’t know what to say about this guy at all. He leads a very charmed life.
3) McAvennie & Monday Mornings (taken from “Celtic Underground” 2010)
Frank McAvennie to his audience at a sportsman’s dinner:“The gaffer (Big Billy) was brilliant to me when I first moved to Celtic. He knew how much I loved the club but understood the life I had in London was a brilliant one for a daft boy from the Milton. We’d agreed that I could fly down to London straight after Saturday’s match and get the early bird flight back to Glasgow on Monday morning.
“After a few weeks the gaffer started getting pissed aff with me as I was always late for Monday training mainly because when my 7am flight from Heathrow was leaving I was also just departing Stringfellows! The fines were eating into my wages big time so as I was telling my story to a mate back in Glasgow who told me he knew of someone who worked for Radio Clyde who could help me out on a Monday morning and it was only half the cost of my fine. Just you be there at the usual time on Monday morning and I’ll make sure my contact gets you to Barrowfield in time for training says the mate.
“There I am worse for wear on the Monday at Glasgow airport feeling rough after another all-nighter. As I stumble into arrivals this guys comes up to me and goes Frank I’m here to get you to Barrowfield on time for training. I’m looking at my watch and thinking to myself who is he Nigel fcken Mansell as training starts in 15 mins. No matter I goes with it but rather than leave the main exit he takes me through another door within the airport.
“I’m thinking what’s going on here but two minutes later we walk outside and turn the corner and there it is, a f**en helicopter! The pilot says strap yourself in we’ll be there in ten minutes and no kidding ten minutes later the Bhoys are doing their warm up at Barrowfield and look up only to see this helicopter landing on the middle of the pitch. They are all thinking what the f**k and they see me popping my head out the door. Everybody is lying about the pitch laughing their faces off and give the gaffer his due he’s pishing himself laughing as well. Just as I’m leaving the chopper I says to the pilot cheers mate thanks for your help oh and by the way whit’s your name. George says the pilot, Captain George from Radio Clyde eye in the sky!”
4) McAvennie & The Booker Prize winner 2020 (Shuggie Bain)
Glasgow-born Douglas Stuart won the Booker prize in 2020 for “Shuggie Bain” (probably the most prestigious book award in the English speaking world). He confesses to not being a football man but, growing up on the city’s Pollok estate, the name and fame of the playboy goal-getter McAvennie was unavoidable. So for his tough tale about a boyhood not a million miles from his own during Thatcher’s 1980s, Douglas Stuart decided to unsubtly give a family the name McAvennie and call one of them Francis! So Macca, it was revealed, was the inspiration for a character in Shuggie Bain and so now he can be Frank “Whaur’s the Booker?” McAvennie!
