So I’ve been speaking to a Scots person recently. Very fine, very funny and absolutely wonderful person…for a Scot at least. And it got me thinking to a West Ham and Scottish connection. More specifically, and connected to said Scot, a Glasgow Celtic connection.
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Now, my all time footballing hero is Paolo di Canio. His goal against Chelsea when Trevor Brooking recalled him in 2003 choked me up, and for years I’ve been planning my di Canio tattoo. A few years ago I ended up with a match worn shirt of his, ideally it would have been a West Ham one, but alas it was Celtic. However, that’s not to say he’s our only ex hammer to have worn the glaswegian green.
Allen McKnight was a Northern Ireland goalkeeper with a future ahead of him when signing in 1988. Behind Pat Bonner in the pecking order at Celtic, McKnight was brought in to compete with Tom McAllister and an ageing legend in Phil Parkes. Despite a clean sheet in his debut v Wimbledon, a 1-0 win, McKnight unfortunately had a very disappointing West Ham career going down in fans’ folklore as a bit of a joke.
Frank McAvennie holds the honour of swapping between the two sides on three occasions. A successful first tenure at West Ham that saw him become an east end legend, raised the interests of Celtic. The opportunity of joining his boyhood heroes was too good and Frankie Mac took his chance and left. After a further jaunt of success that saw McAvennie score the winning cup final goals, John Lyall bought him back. Though not as productive as his first spell, his efforts and goals were once again appreciated by the claret and blue faithful. After a hat-trick on his final West Ham performance, Frank once again departed for green pastures.
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Stuart Slater made his name at West Ham, specifically in the 1991 FA Cup quarter final against Everton. A young, quick exciting wide man, Slater was a future star waiting to happen, all it needed was for a ‘bigger’ side to take a risk on him. That side (you may have guessed!) was Celtic. However, excitement for Celtic fans soon turned to disappointment. Slater didn’t really live up to his promise and was comically christened ‘Jigsaw’ by the fans due to going to pieces when in the box. His difficult few years at Celtic were ended when Ipswich took him back to the English game.
Like McAvennie and di Canio, a successful striker to play for both sides was John Hartson. A £5million signing from Arsenal, Johnny made his name at West Ham. Keeping us up in the 1997 season and being a huge asset in the following seasons, Hartson’s career at West Ham ended shortly after a training ground ‘bust-up’ with Eyal Berkovic, when he signed for Wimbledon. After Wimbledon came Coventry, before signing for Celtic where he had the most productive years trophy wise. Looking back, the two best club achievements were West Ham and Celtic.
Along with the above, others to have played for both West Ham and Celtic are Marc Rieper, Ian Wright and Jeremie Aliadiere amongst others. Where this article may not be ground breaking, it was only on talking to a Celtic fan that I realised the connections are teams have.
And to that fan… God bless you! Keep blowing bubbles Smudgy
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Eyal Berkovic
Brother Walfrid founded both Celtic and West Ham. Old news, I thought everyone knew of the connection.
John Hartson
Bobby Moore Testimonial:- West Ham 3 Celtic 3
Pretty tenuous links , as most top flight teams have some players who have been transferred between or played for both.
Funnily enough as a Celtic fan I like West Ham for other reasons, firstly my Dad would always harp on about the stylish attacking football that West Ham of the 60s and 70s would play and compare it to our famous attacking style at Celtic, which to the fans was in some ways more important than the winning itself.
Second , I remember games against that now defunct team called Rangers in the 80s where right wing Chelsea thugs would come up and team up with the RFC fans to fight the Celtic fans. I have hated Chelsea ever since and remember one game where West Ham fans had came up too but on our side.
Third, I love the “bubbles” song !
Fourth, there doesn’t seem to be the arrogance attached to West Ham that seems to permeate through the fans of the other big EPL teams.
Hope you have a good season lads!!
You have forgotten the late John Cushley. Harry Redknapp described him as a lovely & very hard man. Cush played centre half for the Hammers in the mid to late sixties.
West ham were always one if my favourite English teams they always seemed to be involved in great mud week cup games and they always seemed to be on Sports night with Coleman remember that and Of course Bobby Moore the prince of players come on the hoops and always good luck to the Hammers !!!
Ian wright
Craig bellamy
I love the Celtic- West Ham connection, both sets of supporters have great sense of humour, both teams have always loved the characters of the game, as we see from the names mentioned in the other posts. I’m in Australia and my best mate here is a ‘Hammers’ fan. Favourite player to have played for both clubs is John “hollow legs” Cushley. John played the game for fun and also became a great drinking pal of Bobby Moore who could also sup quite a few pints. John was a fan’s legend for both Celtic and West Ham who, like his mate Bobby Moore, passed away at a very young age. These legends live on in articles like these so thanks for the memories.
Brought up watching Celtic win the European Cup and playing testimonials for the best of the best.
Like most other Scottish fans I had/have an English team which I favour… West Ham, without a doubt one of the best footballing teams in the history of English football.
Oh! and unfortunately, the best team ever to be relegated.
The problem then was West Ham were to much football and zero bite.
great memories of watching the ‘ammers down through the years.fans second to none in england.good luck for this season and always remember there’s only ONE clyde best!!
Was with a group of about 8 west ham fans in seville at the uefa cup final all there to support celtic none had tickets but wanted to come for the atmosphere top guys who loved the hammers and the bhoys hail hail
I remember back in the 80s at Upton Park, there were folks in the North Bank who would wear wooly caps with a Celtic insignia on one side and Hammers symbol on the other.
west ham are the biggest cheats in football…should have been demoted instead of sheff utd..but because saint fucking blobby played for them..and that shit brooking worked at the fa..they cheated justice.and as for loving the anti english,provo loving,pub bomber worshipping,terrorist supporting organisation that is celtic…….worst ham can die
Ok im going to reply about your part to do with Celtic- I’m a loyal celtic fan and im not anti English, some of my best friends are English. As for the provo loving part i wont deny there is an affiliation with Ireland and therefore the IRA (and with good reason too, many celtic fans have decendants from ireland who were treated like shite by the occupational forces) thats not me saying its ok to support them but one mans freedom fighter is another mans terrorist. I do disagree with of course the drug selling and the killings of innocents (even though its no where near as bad as what the british army did) anyways. COYI and HAIL HAIL
I’m a Celtic Fan faithful through and through however since i used to live in london i went to alot of games at different park and the only place where there wasnt an arrogance or hint of racism was Upton Park, now i try my best to make as many games as possible. Never had a spot of trouble with you hammers, been down to many a game in a hoops top and not one has said a bad thing bout it. God bless you hammers. COYI COYBIG Hail Hail
Cracking article. Although not a Hammers fan, I have to say I enjoy watching West Ham more than any other English side. The club is real, supporters are real, something missing in today’s game.
Being a Celtic supporter who was taught by John Cushley at high school, he would regale us with stories of the Academy of football, how they are the only side a Celtcould support in England. My favourite English side was, and still is, Everton, but having been to The Boleyn a few times and in amongst Hammers supporters on many occasions,there’s certainly strong affection for the Club.
As much as we are different we are very, very similar in our love for our club.
All the best lads.