Swindon Town fans hit out at McCormick link (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon Town fans hit out at McCormick link

6:00am Thursday 24th May 2012 in Local

MANY Swindon Town fans have reacted angrily to the news that goalkeeper Luke McCormick will join the Robins on trial upon his release from prison next month.

McCormick, formerly on the books of Plymouth, was jailed in 2008 after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving with excess alcohol when he was involved in a car accident that claimed the lives of 10-year-old Arron Peak and his eight-year-old brother Ben, and left their father Phil with serious injuries.

The 28-year-old stopper has been training with Town while on day release from Leyhill open prison since January and will try to impress manager Paolo Di Canio in pre-season as he bids to win a contract at the County Ground.

Online forums and messageboards have been awash with opinion over the past 24 hours, both critical of the club’s decision to offer McCormick a trial and supportive of the player’s right to rehabilitation and integration once he has completed his curtailed sentence in June.

Interim chairman Jeremy Wray yesterday outlined the reasons why Swindon chose to invite McCormick to join the Robins after Town were approached by the keeper’s agent during the last campaign, and STFC Supporters’ Club spokesman Nigel Bennett said he expected the club to have given full and thorough thought to the matter before making their final decision.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of debate from both ends of the equation,” he said.

“I imagine and hope that the club have considered all the options before making the decision.

“I’m sure there’ll be people from both sides of thinking, but whichever camp you’re in nothing will change.

“What happened in the incident was tragic and there’s no forgetting that.”

Meanwhile, the Advertiser has learnt that striker Andy Williams was at the County Ground on Tuesday ahead of his switch to Wiltshire.

The 25-year-old, who the Adver believes will be one of the Robins’ first summer signings in the coming days, recently turned down a lucrative contract offer at Yeovil in order to move closer to his Hereford-based family.

Reports in the Somerset press that Williams is set to land a £5,000 a week deal at Town appear to be wide of the mark, but the forward is expected to sign on with the Robins in the near future.