Friday eleventh October, 2024 at 4:29pm
Following information of the passing of Peter Cormack, the membership gives the next tribute to our former player-manager from 1980 to 1984, a gentleman of the sport.
In the beginning, we’d prefer to reiterate that the ideas of everybody related to Partick Thistle are with the household, shut associates and family members of Peter at this troublesome time.
The Partick Thistle males’s first group will put on black armbands throughout tomorrow’s fixture towards Falkirk whereas supporters and all in attendance will likely be invited to hitch in a minute’s applause in reminiscence of Peter previous to kick-off.
Peter arrived at Firhill in 1980, appointed as player-manager, though that’s a considerably deceptive title given his matches served as Jags supervisor outnumbered these he spent in pink and yellow on the pitch, by 182 to at least one respectively.
He took up his first managerial position with an impressive pedigree as a participant, most notably with Hibernian and Nottingham Forest then particularly with Liverpool, the place he would win First Division titles, an FA Cup and a UEFA Cup. Additionally capped 9 occasions for Scotland, with a debut in 1966 towards Pele’s Brazil, he travelled to the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany albeit was unused.
His process within the dugout at Firhill was an unenviable one, not solely having to reside as much as the problem of changing Bertie Auld however seeking to start a brand new period of success following essentially the most celebrated decade within the membership’s historical past. All this on the age of simply 34.
Cormack’s footballing philosophy was certainly one of entertaining and attacking soccer, in distinction to a extra cautious method by the earlier administration which the gamers he inherited had been used to, and so the general report card of his tenure would conclude that the sought-after success was not achieved.
A reputable sixth-placed top-flight end on the finish of season one (for which he was in cost from December) was adopted 12 months later by relegation from the 10-team First Division. ‘Undertaking promotion’ was instantly reactivated however successive fourth and third-placed finishes within the second tier had been pretty much as good because it acquired because the Jags simply didn’t make it again up underneath Cormack’s steering.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, removed from it. The primary half-season introduced silverware as successive 1-0 victories over Rangers within the semi-final and Celtic within the closing (an Iain Jardine winner in entrance of 5,000 at Firhill) introduced the Glasgow Cup to Maryhill.
After which got here Maurice Johnston. Probably the most talked about Scottish footballers of his era, teenager Mojo would blossom underneath Cormack, following up his breakthrough season, throughout which a purpose in a 2-0 win at Ibrox was a spotlight, with a shocking 34-goal return in season 1982/83 just for Thistle to fall simply 5 factors in need of promotion (earned by Clydebank and Hearts).
The identical margin denied Cormack’s squad in season 1983/84, regardless of a membership file seven straight league wins to kick off the marketing campaign, with the membership pressured to promote Johnston to Watford mid-season amidst monetary pressures. Because the marketing campaign faltered, Cormack provided his resignation lengthy earlier than the ultimate fixture of the season though he did stay in put up till its finish, a season which additionally marked his solely look as a participant in a defeat away to Brechin Metropolis.
Cormack’s size of steady time in control of Thistle’s males’s group has solely been bettered by John Lambie, Ian McCall and Alan Archibald since. He would go on to handle overseas in addition to having fun with quick spells at Cowdenbeath and Morton.
Tributes throughout Scottish and English soccer right this moment display simply how extremely Peter Cormack was regarded and, setting apart any views on his file within the Firhill dugout, the unanimous sentiment throughout the membership from those that knew him was that he was a tremendous man, a gentleman and a very nice soccer man, who will likely be sorely missed.
Peter Cormack – relaxation in peace. As soon as a Jag, all the time a Jag.