The following season, 1988–89, was not a happy one for Celtic and the team finished in third place in the league behind winners Rangers and second-placed Aberdeen. McAvennie, however, was one of Celtic's few form players that season and he'd scored 11 goals by Christmas time. However, a broken arm sustained in the New Year game at Ibrox against Rangers curtailed his goalscoring. McAvennie also wished to return to London to enable him to spend more time with then girlfriend, glamour model Jenny Blyth. After a public row with manager Billy McNeill over being dropped for a league match at Tynecastle in March 1989 against Hearts, Celtic relented to McAvennie's repeated requests for a transfer and sold him back to West Ham.