Peter Cormack
Encyclopedia
Peter Barr Cormack is a Scottish
former professional footballer and football manager who reached his peak as a player in the first great Liverpool
side of the 1970s.
, Scotland, Cormack was a skilful midfield player who began his career with Hibernian
, who he joined in 1962 having previously been on the groundstaff at local rivals Heart of Midlothian
while playing for Tynecastle Boys Club
.
Whilst at Hibs, Cormack caught the eye of John Prentice
who was then manager of the Scottish national side
, Prentice awarded Cormack his first cap
on the 25 June 1966 in a prestigious friendly with Brazil
at Hampden Park
, Brazil were warming up in readiness to play in the '66 World Cup which was to be held South of the border in England. Cormack's debut was certainly a memorable occasion as the Scots held the reigning World Champions to a 1–1 draw. He also represented the Scottish League XI
six times.
In March 1970, after scoring 75 times in 182 games for Hibs, Cormack joined Dave Mackay's and Matt Gillies
' Nottingham Forest
, costing Forest £80,000. In his 2 seasons at the City Ground
he scored 15 times in 74 league games for Forest, 20 in 86 overall. Unfortunately, for Cormack and Forest they were relegated from the top flight in 1972, they finished bottom of the pile on the same amount of points as Huddersfield Town
, 25, but with an inferior goal difference.
Cormack was signed by Liverpool
manager Bill Shankly
in July 1972 for a fee of £110,000. He made his Reds debut on the 2 September 1972 in a league fixture at the Baseball Ground
. It was not a dream start for Cormack as Liverpool lost 2–1 to hosts Derby County
. Cormack did not have to wait long for his first goal however; it came the following week on the 9th at Anfield
, Wolverhampton Wanderers
were the visitors who beaten in a thrilling match 4–2, with the Reds scoring 3 times in the last 14 minutes beginning with Cormack's goal in the 76th, a Tommy Smith
penalty (80th) and a Kevin Keegan
strike (84th) snatched both the points for Liverpool this after Emlyn Hughes
had scored in the 28th minute.
He was an integral part of Liverpool's midfield as the Anfield club won their first trophies of the 1970s – a League championship
and UEFA Cup
double by the end of his first season for the in 1973
, this was a far cry from the heartbreak of relegation with Forest he had suffered just 12 months earlier. He had more silverware to celebrate by the end of the following season adding an FA Cup
winners' medal to his growing haul, he was part of the team which destroyed Newcastle United
at Wembley in 1974.
In 1976
, Liverpool completed another League
and UEFA Cup
double. Unfortunately an injury to Cormack in October led to him missing the rest of the season including the UEFA Cup final, the conversion of Ray Kennedy
from striker to midfield by Bob Paisley
had dire consequences for Cormack, Kennedy shone in his new role going on to represent England
in the position. Now fit again, Cormack could not dislodge the elegant Kennedy to regain his place in the first team, he had become surplus to requirements. In the November 1976 Cormack swapped Anfield for Ashton Gate
joining Alan Dicks
' Bristol City
for £50,000.
Although not challenging for major honours, Cormack enjoyed yet another cup win, this time it was the Anglo-Scottish Cup
in 1978, City met St. Mirren
in the two-legged final, the first leg was at Love Street with City beating their hosts 2–1 with Cormack scoring the winner, the Saints could not beat City at Ashton Gate only managing a 1–1 draw, the draw meant that City's narrow victory in Scotland was enough to earn them a 3–2 aggregate win and, of course, the trophy.
After four years in Bristol, Cormack returned briefly to hometown club Hibernian, finishing his playing career with Partick Thistle
where he became manager in 1980. He later took coaching roles in Cyprus
and Botswana
, including managing the Botswana
national side, before returning to Hibernian as assistant manager under Alex Miller
.
In December 2000 he had ten days as manager of Cowdenbeath
, where he was sacked without the side playing a game. He also managed Greenock Morton
between July 2001 and March 2002.
He now works on the after-dinner speaking circuit.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former professional footballer and football manager who reached his peak as a player in the first great Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
side of the 1970s.
Life and playing career
Born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland, Cormack was a skilful midfield player who began his career with Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, who he joined in 1962 having previously been on the groundstaff at local rivals Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
while playing for Tynecastle Boys Club
Tynecastle F.C.
Tynecastle F.C. are an association football team playing in the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division.The club were formed by the merger of Tynecastle Boys Club and Tollcross United in 2005...
.
Whilst at Hibs, Cormack caught the eye of John Prentice
John Prentice (footballer)
John Prentice , was a Scottish football player and manager. He played for Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Falkirk and Dumbarton, and managed Arbroath, Falkirk, Dundee, Clyde and Scotland.-Club career:...
who was then manager of the Scottish national side
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, Prentice awarded Cormack his first cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
on the 25 June 1966 in a prestigious friendly with Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Brazil were warming up in readiness to play in the '66 World Cup which was to be held South of the border in England. Cormack's debut was certainly a memorable occasion as the Scots held the reigning World Champions to a 1–1 draw. He also represented the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
six times.
In March 1970, after scoring 75 times in 182 games for Hibs, Cormack joined Dave Mackay's and Matt Gillies
Matt Gillies
Matthew "Matt" Muirhead Gillies was a Scottish football player and manager who played for, captained, coached and managed Leicester City for a total of 15 years between 1952–1955 and 1956-1968. He is the club's longest serving manager, lasting a decade in the manager's seat between November...
' Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, costing Forest £80,000. In his 2 seasons at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
he scored 15 times in 74 league games for Forest, 20 in 86 overall. Unfortunately, for Cormack and Forest they were relegated from the top flight in 1972, they finished bottom of the pile on the same amount of points as Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, 25, but with an inferior goal difference.
Cormack was signed by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
manager Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
in July 1972 for a fee of £110,000. He made his Reds debut on the 2 September 1972 in a league fixture at the Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
. It was not a dream start for Cormack as Liverpool lost 2–1 to hosts Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Cormack did not have to wait long for his first goal however; it came the following week on the 9th at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
were the visitors who beaten in a thrilling match 4–2, with the Reds scoring 3 times in the last 14 minutes beginning with Cormack's goal in the 76th, a Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945)
Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
penalty (80th) and a Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
strike (84th) snatched both the points for Liverpool this after Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
had scored in the 28th minute.
He was an integral part of Liverpool's midfield as the Anfield club won their first trophies of the 1970s – a League championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
double by the end of his first season for the in 1973
1972-73 in English football
The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League announced that a three-up, three-down system would operate between the top two divisions from the following season, rather than the traditional two-up, two-down system...
, this was a far cry from the heartbreak of relegation with Forest he had suffered just 12 months earlier. He had more silverware to celebrate by the end of the following season adding an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners' medal to his growing haul, he was part of the team which destroyed Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
at Wembley in 1974.
In 1976
1975-76 in English football
The 1975–76 season was the 96th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in their...
, Liverpool completed another League
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
double. Unfortunately an injury to Cormack in October led to him missing the rest of the season including the UEFA Cup final, the conversion of Ray Kennedy
Ray Kennedy
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s...
from striker to midfield by Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
had dire consequences for Cormack, Kennedy shone in his new role going on to represent England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in the position. Now fit again, Cormack could not dislodge the elegant Kennedy to regain his place in the first team, he had become surplus to requirements. In the November 1976 Cormack swapped Anfield for Ashton Gate
Ashton Gate
Ashton Gate Stadium is a stadium in Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it has an all-seated capacity of 21,497, with an effective capacity for football matches of around 19,500, with an average...
joining Alan Dicks
Alan Dicks
Alan Dicks is a retired English footballer and football manager. He managed Bristol City for thirteen years and managed clubs in five countries on three continents....
' Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
for £50,000.
Although not challenging for major honours, Cormack enjoyed yet another cup win, this time it was the Anglo-Scottish Cup
Anglo-Scottish Cup
The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for teams in the English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s...
in 1978, City met St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
in the two-legged final, the first leg was at Love Street with City beating their hosts 2–1 with Cormack scoring the winner, the Saints could not beat City at Ashton Gate only managing a 1–1 draw, the draw meant that City's narrow victory in Scotland was enough to earn them a 3–2 aggregate win and, of course, the trophy.
After four years in Bristol, Cormack returned briefly to hometown club Hibernian, finishing his playing career with Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
where he became manager in 1980. He later took coaching roles in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, including managing the Botswana
Botswana national football team
The Botswana national football team, nicknamed 'The Zebras' is the national football team of Botswana and is controlled by the Botswana Football Association. They have never qualified for the World Cup but they have qualified for the 2012 African Nations Cup...
national side, before returning to Hibernian as assistant manager under Alex Miller
Alex Miller
Alex Miller is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian...
.
In December 2000 he had ten days as manager of Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...
, where he was sacked without the side playing a game. He also managed Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
between July 2001 and March 2002.
He now works on the after-dinner speaking circuit.
Honours
- Division 1Football League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1): 1973, 1976 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
: 1973 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 1974 - Charity Shield: 1974, 1976
- Anglo-Scottish CupAnglo-Scottish CupThe Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for teams in the English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s...
: 1978