luke mccormick

[london_red]

He's in a prison nearby so we are one of the closest pro clubs so it was the Probation Service who approached us as part of the standard preparation for release stuff.

Surely that changes the complexion of the argument a bit, haven't heard that emphasised in any of the other media coverage. If the club has just responded to the request of a local government organisation - while I appreciate and respect that given the nature of the crime involved it doesn't sit well with some people - it's hardly an egregious error of judgment that should cause such a vicious backlash against the board?

[Barry Scott]

This is so depressing.  We said earlier in the week that this would be divisive, and so it is proving.  Well intentioned, but also completely avoidable.  Feels as if we've been mugged.

Having seen what is happening, I hope the penny has now dropped with McCormick and that he leaves promptly - before any further damage is done.  If he does, this could blow over in a few weeks.

I don't think this will have any effect on the club beyond publicity - which I don't think is negative from a sponsorship stand point (brand awareness is all they really care about and all publicity creates eyeballs, which, when all is said and done, is what matters to sponsors).

I would also be shocked if something like this stops people going. It's all hot air and merely stoked by the polarised opinions around them.

Sure it's a bit shit from a fans perspective as we've all got a different opinion and all know we're right, but like everything in the world of the media circus it's forgotten about in a nano second and once the media forget, the people forget.

I will eat my bollocks if this has any detrimental effect on the club. (Providing he doesn't sign, which although this has been confirmed, some people still seem to think there's a contract waiting for when he's released.)

[jonny72]

I'd read that it was his agent that contacted the club. However, even if they didn't contact the club the prison and probation services would have been heavily involved - they would have to approve the placement, the same as they would where he lives and he'll have to keep in regular contact with them. He would have had to get special permission to go abroad on the tour as well.

Think a lot of people see him being released as the end of his sentence when it isn't, he'll just be serving the remainder of it (with restrictions in place) in the community. You might not agree with it but that is how it works.

[leftside]

I think all of this highlights the difficulties society has with the criminal justice system and vice versa.

Criminals don't 'rot in hell', they get released from prison and return to life outside of prison. Unfortunately, it seems, clearly, that many people find it hard to deal with the whole of the criminal justice process.

An offender gets tried, convicted, sentenced, serves time, gets released (if appropriate) and returns to everyday society. We (society in general) don't seem to be able to deal with this scenario.

Can society ever get to the level of maturity (for want of a better word) where sentences for crimes are understood and accepted, and considered justifyable punishment, and then progress to the next stage whereby the criminal who has served his/her punishment is accepted back into society with the knowledge that the past cannot be changed nor forgotten, but with the intentions that the future can be influenced as possitively and productively as possible?

I don't think STFC is doing the wrong thing with regard to McCormick. However, I would question the length of his custodial sentence as being a suitable punishment for the appalling crime he commited.

[@MacPhlea]

I guess some people will only be satisfied when Sharia law is introduced into the UK and the likes of McCormick are unable to resume footballing duties as a result of his left hand being chopped off...

[Gnasher]

Perhaps he can become a politician. They're a bunch of crooks.

[joteddyred]

I just can't believe the turn this has now taken.   A completely avoidable situation has now turned into a possible reason for Jeremy Wray to quit, which would be a disaster for the club.

 If there was genuinely never going to be any chance of Mccormick signing why was the word 'trial' used? This to me infers seeing how somebody performs over a period of time with a view to signing them permanently if they do well?  If it was made clear from the start this wasn't an option, maybe the backlash wouldn't have been so severe?

I think Wray is a superb chairman, but he surely must have realised even taling him on trial, wouldn't go down well in some quarters, so why take the risk?

It's also interesting that Plymouth washed their hands of him as soon as he was charged and there's clearly no interest from them in helping his rehabilitation?  

Why couldn't we just have a quiet summer basking in the glory of promotion as champions and looking forward to next season?  

[Ardiles]

Agree with that, JTR.  As I alluded to earlier, the Chairman needs a way out of this now.  It's not fair.  He seems to be shell-shocked; completely surprised at the reaction to a gesture that he made with the best of intentions.

The only person who could provide a way out is McCormick himself.  If JW retracts the offer of training/a trial with STFC, he looks as if he has been forced in to a U-turn.  If McCormick pulls out himself, no-one loses face.  The player must realise that there is no future for him here, or at any other club at this level.  He needs to do the right thing, leave us as we were and then keep his head down for a while.

[LucienSanchez]

Having read and listened to a lot, this whole debate has made me want us to sign him now if i'm honest.

[Batch]

Having read and listened to a lot, this whole debate has made me want us to sign him now if i'm honest.

As an anti anti gesture? Or because you have changed/ made up your mind?

[joteddyred]

Having read and listened to a lot, this whole debate has made me want us to sign him now if i'm honest.

Even if it resulted in Jeremy Wray standing down - surely not?

I'm with Ardiles, hopefully Mccormick himself or his agent will put an end to this.  Considering Mccormick now has a child of his own, I'm sure he wouldn't want his family to be targeted with abuse etc.  If this continues to play out in the public eye that is more than likely what will happen (and I don't mean Swindon fans will be the instigators).

[LucienSanchez]

As an anti anti gesture? Or because you have changed/ made up your mind?

No, I think I have genuinely changed my mind... maybe it's sun stroke! Wray should tell all the lynch mob to kindly take their custom elsewhere, I think this was a genuine humanitarian gesture, and I've started to feel for McCormick as there it's nothing he can do but try and rebuild his own life - no crime in that.

[Shaw Rosso]

Tweet of the day

Tans‏@tansstfc1983

@mikeparry8    weight watchers.

 

[Batch]

No, I think I have genuinely changed my mind... maybe it's sun stroke! Wray should tell all the lynch mob to kindly take their custom elsewhere, I think this was a genuine humanitarian gesture, and I've started to feel for McCormick as there it's nothing he can do but try and rebuild his own life - no crime in that.

Fair enough.

I don't think Wray should, will or has ever told people who don't agree with him to take their custom elsewhere though. Disagreeing with a point of view doesn't make anyone wrong.

[LucienSanchez]

I know, i was referring to the hysterical minority who would boycott and generally cause a scene, not the reasonable fellows.