Other Players who never played a game
Personal
Fullname: Patrick McCormick
aka: Pat McCormick
Born: 3rd July 1929
Birthplace: Seafield, West Lothian, Scotland
Died: November 1986
Signed: 1948 (from Seafield Daisy)
Left: 1949
Position: Left-Back
*see notes
Biog
Pat McCormick signed on with Celtic from the imaginatively named ‘Seafield Daisy’ but Pat didn’t make it to the first team at Celtic, although he was named as the 13th man (there were no substitutes in those days). Unfortunately, as a result of a serious mining injury to his left foot, he was unable to train or play and he moved on after one season at Celtic, subsequently going on to play for Leith Athletic (now defunct) in a turbulent time for that club, then Stenhousemuir and Berwick Rangers. He also played one game for the Scotland Under 21 team.
Pat McCormick was unfortunate in the one season he was at Celtic. In season 1947/48, Celtic just avoided relegation, with the potential to be relegated taken right up to the last day of the season, incredible as that may sound. Celtic were really in the doldrums, and after that season a big shake-up was required. However, things were never going to change overnight under manager Jimmy McGrory and the incompetence of the Celtic board of the era.
The legendary football coach Jimmy Hogan was brought in the summer of 1948 to help turn things round, but the problems were too deep seated, and he was likely too old at this stage to have the energy to combat the myriad of problems at hand without the support needed.
In this environment, many players were initially culled and for any aspiring youngsters, it was never going to be an easy place to learn, adapt and make their name. Everyone was likely concerned for their own place at the club.
Still, he arrived at the club at the same time as Tommy Docherty who ended up making a big name for himself in the game, but admittedly away from Celtic. Tommy Docherty was caustic on the attitudes at Celtic at that time, stating that legendary coach Jimmy Hogan was poorly treated. Tommy Docherty had the upmost respect for him. Tommy Docherty credited his success to the initial school of coaching he received from him, as he put it:
“The finest coach the world had ever known“.
However, he described various players’ attitudes to Jimmy Hogan critically:
“It was in the days of Charlie Tully and players like that, and they looked upon coaching as a bit of a joke.”
Tommy Docherty also added:
“It was the happiest day of my life when I signed [for Celtic]. This was the team I supported. This team was full of my idols guys like Charlie Tully. Training was very basic then. You turned up at Parkhead did a couple of circuits of the track and then headed home.”
So, with all this in mind, what could any aspiring player do. Pat McCormick was not to make a name for himself at Celtic, or even win a first team appearance in one of the major competitions.
He left Celtic in 1949, who still were only a touch better than when he arrived. The first team finished 6th in the league, a huge improvement on the near relegation position in the previous season, but still aeons away from Rangers & Dundee who stormed the league.
Pat lived in Seafield, his whole life and he passed away, aged 57, in 1986.
Notes
- Details & corrections on this page courtesy of @McCormack1702
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