Player Profile

Cormack had already attracted Shankly's attention as a 20-year-old Scottish international with Hibernian, possibly under the recommendation of Bill's brother Bob, who managed Cormack while he was on loan at Toronto City in 1967. He entertained fans with his brilliant tricks on the ball. His experience and creativity added something extra to the Liverpool squad that had narrowly missed out on the championship in 1971/72. It was a lightning deal according to the Daily Mail when Cormack was transferred to Liverpool. Forest secretary Ken Smales told the Daily Mail: “Liverpool moved fast. I didn’t know anything about the transfer until a few hours before it went through.” Cormack had a few weeks of pre-season training behind him at Forest when he arrived at Liverpool in the summer of 1972, mainly consisting of running through the woods. When he told Shankly how he had been preparing for the season Shankly looked incredulously at him and said: 'Snooker champions don't do swimming every day.' Cormack was an important part of Shankly's 'new' team that won not only the first division title for the first time in seven years but also the club's first-ever European trophy, the UEFA Cup. Cormack had to wait until the seventh game of the season at Derby's Baseball Ground before being handed his debut, but he scored in his first game at home against Wolves the following week. His highlight came in his first Merseyside derby three months into his Liverpool career when he headed the winner with 13 minutes to go. "When you score the winner against Everton you're a hero for life," Cormack told LFC Magazine. "Larry Lloyd picked me up as we celebrated and said: 'You've made it now.' It was a terrific feeling and I didn't spend much money that night." Cormack never looked back after that, finishing with 52 games with ten goals to boot in his debut campaign. 

The 1973/74 season was another successful one for Cormack. He figured in all 42 league matches and added an FA Cup winners' medal to his collection. He was again a regular in the following season and aged 29 when the 1975/76 season began, he looked to have a couple of years of success ahead of him at Anfield but his campaign finished in December. "I've always had this problem with my knee," Cormack told Mark Platt. "My cartilage was cracked. I was told I could keep playing, but that eventually, it would give way. One day it did just that, after a game against Manchester City, and I never played for Liverpool again." While Cormack was recuperating Bob Paisley converted Ray Kennedy from a lumbering forward into a left-sided midfielder so successfully that on Cormack's return he was surplus to requirements and no real surprise when he moved on to first division Bristol City in November 1976 after being stuck in the reserves. Thirty-four-year-old Cormack left Bristol in 1980 after the club was relegated and returned to Hibernian where he started his career. After a brief spell, he moved to Partick Thistle where he was the manager for four years. His managerial career took him to far-away places like Cyprus and Botswana. His last job was with Greenock Morton, who he left in 2002 and he went on to take part an gold events and work as an after dinner speaker. His son, also Peter, made 234 league appearances in the Scottish lower divisions between 1990 and 2006. In 2020 it was announced that Cormack was suffering from dementia. He passed away aged 78 on 10 October 2024.