O’Farrell recalls his days as a happy Hammer

At 85-years of age, Frank O’Farrell is the oldest living player to have donned the claret and blue of West Ham United.

As a 20-year-old, O’Farrell supplemented the wages he earned as a fireman on the Cork-Dublin train line by playing semi-professional football for high-flying Cork United.

O’Farrell had always held the ambition of becoming a locomotive driver like his father Patrick and was stoking his way towards that dream when West Ham scout Ben Ives spotted him at the Mardyke in 1948. At the time, the Hammers featured a string of Irish players, including international midfielder Tommy Moroney brought over from Cork United in 1947 and skilful wing-half Danny McGowan, who transferred over from Shelbourne shortly after.