West Ham legend Frank McAvennie has recalled his famous debut for the club following his arrival to east London.
Speaking to West Ham’s official website, the former attacker relieved how his first start for the Hammers unfolded, a match in which McAvennie scored a brace against Queen Parks Rangers following an injury to fellow teammate Paul Goddard in the previous game.
McAvennie joined the club in the summer of 1985 from St. Mirren for a fee of £340,000 as a number 10, however, the former Scotland star developed his game and eventually became the starting striker for West Ham, partnering alongside Tony Cottee.
McAvennie said: “My first game for West Ham United was at Birmingham City on Saturday 17 August 1985. Paul Goddard got injured in that game and I got moved upfront for the home game against Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night.
“I made a name for myself by knocking their big centre-half Alan McDonald into the Chicken Run because he was bullying Tony Cottee. I can remember they were all pulling his long hair in there because it was so close to the pitch! I shouldn’t laugh, but he saw the funny side of it as well.
“I scored twice that night and I can remember my first goal, as their ‘keeper came out and I flicked it over him. It was quite funny hearing the fans trying to sing my name after I’d scored because they couldn’t pronounce it!
“That was my first home game and it was under the lights at Upton Park and there’s not an atmosphere like it. I loved every game there but, when they were under the lights, it was very, very special.”
McAvennie went on to score 60 goals in 190 appearances for the Hammers across two separate spells, and the former Scottish international was recently named at number 16 in a poll of the Greatest West Ham Players of All-Time.
