Luke McCormick: The Football League Player Jailed For Death By Dangerous Driving

The Story of Luke McCormick: Goalkeeper Turned Prisoner Turned Goalkeeper Again

Footballers want to make headlines for their exploits on the pitch, but there are many that get a name for themselves off it.

Jailed during his career and notorious upon his release - Luke McCormick was that player.

Infamous goalkeeper Luke McCormick

But where did it all go wrong for this rising star?

The Sporting Blog explains exactly what happened to the promising goalkeeper!

McCormick’s Rise Through the Leagues with Plymouth

McCormick was born in University Hospital Coventry on August 15 in 1983, going to Cardinal Wiseman School in Potters Green before showing off his footballing ability at Morris Rangers and Coventry Schools, according to Coventry Live in 2008.

A season-ticket supporter of Coventry City, the now 39-year-old would go on to join the Blues at the age of 12, but he didn’t stay long at Highfield Road.

Swindon Town are a former club of McCormick’s, and he also represented Derby County and West Bromwich Albion at youth level, so the ex-goalkeeper had Championship and Premier League opportunities in the mid-to-late 90s.

Revealed in a 2018 interview with the Plymouth Herald, McCormick would join Argyle at the age of 15 and made his debut three years later in 2001.

While regarded as a promising talent, the Englishman had to bide his time before becoming a regular with the Pilgrims.

He made one appearance under Paul Sturrock on the final day of the 2000/01 season, earning a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw at home to Rochdale.

The shot-stopper didn’t play a single minute of football the following campaign, however, as he was behind Romain Larrieu in the pecking order.

Argyle even signed Chris Adamson on loan rather than have McCormick deputise for one game, but things changed in 2002/03.

Larrieu missed a small handful of league games in October and November, giving McCormick an opportunity to prove his worth.

He made three League One appearances and kept two clean sheets, but McCormick reverted to the bench when the Frenchman returned. He played in four games total during that campaign.

In 2003/04, McCormick would nail down a regular starting place after Larrieu picked up an injury early into the season.

He made 40 league appearances and helped Plymouth earn promotion to the Championship as league winners, conceding 31 goals and keeping an impressive 21 clean sheets.

This made McCormick a legitimate threat to Larrieu’s starting spot in 2004/05 and the pair would share playing time throughout the season, making 23 appearances each as Argyle finished 11th in the second tier, but he would eventually lose his place to the experienced Frenchman.

In 2005/06, McCormick made just three appearances in all competitions as Plymouth finished 14th, but he wrestled his spot back in 2006/07 when Larrieu was tragically diagnosed with testicular cancer for the first time.

The goalie would make 40 league appearances that season and he helped his side finish 11th.

Larrieu returned in 2007/08 and was a regular early on before cancer reared its head again, so McCormick would get a run of games between September and November.

Larrieu was reinstalled as first-choice until January before being loaned out to Gillingham FC, so McCormick would keep his spot for the remainder of the campaign as Plymouth finished 10th.

However, a life-changing incident would abruptly end his time at Home Park, just weeks after the season finished…

Four-Year Imprisonment

On June 7, 2008, McCormick was arrested by the Central Motorway Police Group after his Range Rover crashed into a Toyota Previa containing a family of three, on the motorway in Staffordshire.

Children Arron and Ben Peak were killed in the accident, while father Phillip suffered multiple fractures to his body.

McCormick was charged by Staffordshire Police the next day, having driven with excess alcohol in his blood while not being insured.

He was suspended by Plymouth less than a month after the crash and had his contract terminated weeks later.

In October 2008, he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

He served in HM Prison Ranby and HM Prison Channings Wood before being released from HM Prison Leyhill in June 2012.

McCormick’s Release and Return to Football

Prior to McCormick’s release, Swindon Town announced they would offer a trial period to him, but he didn’t end up getting a permanent contract by the time his trial finished in August 2012.

The shot-stopper would end up joining then-Conference South club Truro City three months later and made 11 appearances before returning to the Football League.

McCormick joined Oxford United in January 2013 until the end of the season, playing 15 times before being released over the summer.

Just months later, Plymouth were in talks over re-signing the Englishman and he signed a one-year contract at the end of the campaign.

McCormick was a regular in 2013/14, making 27 League Two appearances as Argyle finished 10th in the table, but he missed the last four months of the season due to a fractured and dislocated finger.

Jake Cole took over responsibilities, but McCormick wrestled his spot back the following campaign.

He was a regular in 2014/15, making 46 league appearances as Plymouth finished 7th, but the Pilgrims failed in the playoffs.

McCormick played in 40 league games in 2015/16 as Argyle once again made the playoffs, but they lost in the final and were resigned in another season in the fourth tier.

McCormick retained his starting place in 2016/17, making 46 appearances as Plymouth won automatic promotion, but he only played nine times in League One before leaving the club.

The Englishman was released over the summer and finally joined Swindon in July 2018 after a successful trial.

Signing a one-year deal with the Robins, McCormick struggled to break into the starting 11 as Lawrence Vigouroux was the first choice between the sticks.

He made 17 league appearances, getting a run in the side near the end of the season, and picked up where he left off in 2019/20.

McCormick was a regular at the start of the campaign but lost his place after two months and would end up leaving over the summer.

McCormick turned down a new deal at Swindon and had an offer to return to Plymouth which he took.

McCormick made three appearances in two years with the Pilgrims as a backup goalkeeper - Argyle finished 18th and 7th in League One.

His retirement was confirmed in the summer of 2022.

He’s rated as Plymouth’s second-best goalkeeper of all time, after making 350 appearances over three stints and helping the club to three promotions. That’s quite a redemption arc.

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