McCormack Jim Image 1 Third Lanark 1920

Description

rmack-jimGarnkirk (perhaps Whifflet), Lanarkshire born right back Jim McCormack began his football career as a half back with Lanarkshire League club Bellshill Athletic prior to the First World War, and during the conflict he signed for Scottish First Division club Third Lanark in 1917, where he played for nine seasons, scoring 4 goals in 234 appearances for The Warriors but while with them he won no major trophies, the closest he got being a defeat to Rangers in the Glasgow Cup Final in 1923. McCormack toured North America in the summer of 1921 with ‘Scotland’ (but in reality this was Third Lanark with a number of capable guest players and was not an official representative tour), and played for Thirds until 1924, when he transferred to Hamilton Academical.

While with Accies he was involved in a memorable match while playing against Rangers in 1927: being required to take over as goalkeeper when Alex Binnie suffered a broken leg. His team were awarded a penalty which he scored, and the opposition then missed a penalty of their own. Rangers eventually equalised but McCormack made several saves and Accies held out for a draw. McCormack spent four seasons at Douglas Park, scoring 7 goals in 101 appearances, and finished his career by joining Ayr United, for whom he made 2 appearances in their 1928-29 campaign, before his retirement from football.