Hibs fans gathered at Easter Road to pay respects to one of the club’s greatest players. Club legend Peter Cormack made a final visit to his old stamping ground as his funeral cortege passed the stadium.
The former midfielder, who played for the Edinburgh club and Liverpool, passed away, aged 78 earlier this month after a battle with dementia. His funeral later took place at Warrington Crematorium in Edinburgh.
Scores of fans gathered at the club’s merchandise shop, where some tearfully clapped the cortege of cars as it slowly passed by. An undertaker in sombre top hat walked ahead of the line of cars as the crowd paid respects.
Members of star forward’s family nodded in appreciation for the mark of respect paid by the diehard supporters. In a statement on X, his son Peter junior, 50, said: “Thank you for all the lovely messages, flowers and cards. We have been overwhelmed with the tributes for my much loved dad.”
The family have also thanked staff at Victoria Manor Care Home in Leith “for taking such good care of Peter these past eight months”.
Cormack started his career with Hibs in 1962 and made more than 200 appearances for the club during two spells. He was signed by Liverpool in 1972 and legendary manager Bill Shankly described him as “the final piece of the jigsaw” in his team that would go on to conquer home and abroad.
The Edinburgh-born star won two league titles, two UEFA Cups and the FA Cup in four seasons with Liverpool in the ’70s. He also played with Nottingham Forest and Bristol City and was capped nine times for Scotland.
In 2019, Cormack, his wife Marion and their children decided to go public with his Alzheimer’s diagnosis as his condition deteriorated. The family have said a collection will be held at his funeral for Alzheimer Scotland and Forget Me Notes choir, a charity that organises singing sessions for people with dementia.
A minute’s applause was held before Liverpool and Hibs’ matches at the weekend in honour of Cormack. Cormack managed a host of clubs after retiring from playing in 1980, including Patrick Thistle and Morton, and also coached in Cyprus and Botswana. His last job was at Morton in 2002.