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(FINAL DRAFT COPY) This Draft Copy is covered by Copyright DENIS LAW ''Lad to Legend'' The Biography of a Footballing Legend Born in Aberdeen, From a fan's perspective By The Very Rev. William K. Mackie Sold in aid of The Gordon Highlanders Museum Fund St. Luke's, Viewfield Road, Aberdeen AB15 7XH The Gordon Highlanders Museum If you would like further information about the Museum, the shop, or the tea rooms etc. Please contact: The Gordon Highlanders Museum St. Luke?s, Viewfield Road, Aberdeen AB15 7XH Tel: (01224) 311200 Fax: (01224) 319323 The Museum is a Registered Charity 'BYDAND' The Gordon Highlanders 1774 - 1994 This book is dedicated to all the officers and men who have ever served with The Gordon Highlanders. The Gordons celebrated their 200th. Anniversary on 25th. June 1994, and then in September of the same year, they were forced by the Government to amalgamate with the Queen's Own Highlanders to form the new regiment simply known as "The Highlanders." Although the Regiment may no longer be with us, by purchasing this book, you have contributed towards The Gordon Highlanders Regimental Museum Fund. And thus helping the Regimental Association, of which I am a Life Member, to ensure that their memorabilia, and name will remain at the Regimental Head quarters and Museum at St. Luke?s, Viewfield Road in Aberdeen, the home town of Denis Law. Bydand A poem Composed By Jimmy Stewart of Glasgow The Gordons, after many years, Have reaped a scant reward. For, a gang of Politicians, Have put them to the sword They stormed the heights of Dargai They fought at Waterloo. In sang they are referred to, as ?The Lads Sae Staunch and True.? They fought in many Campaigns, In countries near and far. They took part in that epic march, Kabul to Kandahar. In Africa, at Ladysmith, They fought against the Boer. And they helped to conquer Tipoo, India?s Sultan of Mysore. You may amalgamate them. But we?ll know them apart. For once you?ve been a Gordon, It?s engraved upon your heart. So when life?s Battle?s over, And you reached the Promised Land, You will recognise the Gordons. For you will hear them shout ?Bydand?. Photographs This page to be completed later. Contents Page Photographs 5 Foreword by Lt. Gen. Sir Peter Graham KCB, CBE, DLitt 7 The Prologue 9 Chapters 1 The wee loon fae Printfield Terrace 16 2 Leeds Road, Steak and Shankly too. 26 3 The Italian Job 39 4 Turmoil, Torino style 45 5 A Busby Babe - who me ? 55 6 Glory, glory Man United...? 72 7 Domestic Glory....then go for Europe 94 8 European Glory - 10 yrs after Munich 108 9 Managerial changes. 131 10 Scotland......the road to glory 148 11 Scotland......the journey continues 168 12 Scotland......The World Cup Finals 1974 181 The Epilogue 192 Foreword In 1991 the Gordon Highlanders were told that they would face amalgamation with the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons). It gradually became clear that the Government also intended to sell the Regimental Headquarters of the Gordon Highlanders, which was based at St. Luke's, Viewfield Road, Aberdeen. The wonderful collection of artefacts, silver, medals, pictures and so forth would have to be sent elsewhere. The Regimental Trustees felt that if this happened, nothing would be left of the Regiment in its own area after 200 years, bar war memorials. Part of the heritage of the North East of Scotland would be destroyed. The Trustees therefore mounted a campaign to raise money to purchase, develop and fund the Gordon Highlanders Museum for the future. The new Gordon Highlanders Museum now exists at St. Luke's, Viewfield Road, Aberdeen. It has a strong educational theme, has a beautifully laid out exhibition and a lovely tea and shop. Further, the gardens around the Museum are simply beautiful. It is a Museum worthy of the old Regiment and indeed of the new Regiment The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons). The Campaign has therefore been hugely successful, largely because of the generosity of the people of the North East of Scotland and those who served in the Gordon Highlanders. William Mackie was attached to the Regiment from the Royal Army Pay Corps and served with the 1st Battalion for a number of years. He offered to write a book on Denis Law to sell it to try and raise money for the Museum. Needless to say, I am extremely grateful to him for his efforts and this book is the result. The proceeds from it will go to support the Museum. In short, this is another example of the affection with which the Gordon Highlanders was held by those who served in it. William Mackie has worked long and hard to produce this book and I hope it will sell well for the benefit of the Museum. Lt. Gen. Sir Peter Graham, KCB, CBE, DLitt The Prologue The day that the telephone call came through inviting me to consider researching for this biography, was perhaps one of the saddest days in Denis Law's life. I am sure that it was one of the saddest days in the history of Manchester United. Because the day in question was Thursday, 27th. January 1994, the day of Sir Matt Busby's funeral. Sir Matt Busby was a footballing manager who displayed a true vision and genius for the game. During his 25 year reign as manager at Old Trafford he built up 3 teams, that won him 5 League Champions, as well as 2 FA Cups, not forgetting his greatest achievement when in 1968, he guided his team to win the European Cup, Glasgow Celtic won it in 1967. But Busby's men were the first English side to lift that trophy. His great triumph came 10 years and 5 months after the club's saddest moment in their history, the flight that crash on February 1958 at Munich, when many of the original Busby babes, club officials and press men all perished. Sir Matt Busby died at the age of 84, and literally 10's of thousands were lining the streets of Manchester to say farewell to the Grand Elder Statesman of English football. As for myself, I have been a keen fan of Scottish football since I was but a lad at my very first New Year's Day match at Pittodrie between Aberdeen and Dundee United. That was almost 40 years ago, and in that time I have seen some first class football players, Charlie Cook, Jim Forest, Martin Buchan, Joe Harper, Gordon Strachan, and Willie Miller. Sadly I never saw Denis Law play for his home town nor in any friendly games at Aberdeen, Denis left the Granite City at the age of 15 to pursue a career in football, and has never lived this side of the border since. So why now that he has been retired for over twenty years, should anyone want to write another book about this living legend? Two books have been written about Denis Law already, "Denis Law Living for Kicks" by Kenneth Wheeler, the second book was a joint effort by Denis Law himself and Ron Gubba, entitled "DENIS LAW, an Autobiography." I can find nothing new about Denis Law, nothing that is since 1979. There is nothing either that I can find that has been written from the viewpoint of an ordinary football fan. I accepted the challenge of researching for this book so that I could therefore, write about a footballing legend from my home town, and to write from the view point of the punters who almost worshipped his every move on the field. Most of the research for this book has been running in parallel to my being a mature student at Aberdeen University studying for a Bachelor of Theology degree. Which I am glad to say I gained in July 1997. As a student of World Religions, I think that I can say that I know a thing or two about icons and idols, and people and their forms of worship. Over the years, I myself having witnessed first hand many worshippers attending their respective places of worship on Saturdays, and even the mid-week service on Wednesday evenings, worshippers in their thousands, with their well versed "Songs of Praise". The tunes are age-less only the words have changed over the past three decades. You can still hear the perennial favourite "Come on you Reds", at Aberdeen, Liverpool and Manchester United, but in the case of Manchester United's footballing shrine, their famous Old Trafford stadium now referred to as the "Theatre of Dreams". The main choice of praise chorus was for awhile, "Ooh Aah, Cantona." But now he too has left football. In the past there have been such greats as Sir Bobby Charlton, Georgie Best (who for all his wine women and song, was still a far superior footballing talent than Paul "Gazza" Gascoine ever will be.) Martin Buchan who captained both Aberdeen and Manchester United to become the first player ever to pick up both the Scottish FA Cup and the English FA Cup. With Aberdeen, a victory over Celtic in 1970, and in 1977 when Manchester United beat Liverpool. There is Sir Alex Ferguson, who took Aberdeen to great heights in Europe and is now the most successful manager in the long and proud history of Manchester United. But no matter how many great players that have arisen in British Football over the past 40 years or so, for me: - "Denis Law is still the KING of British Football" Although I was originally approached to start my research for this book in January of 1994, my Academic studies have had to take priority. It was my intention to have this book completed by the end of Summer 1998, and to be published in time to coincide with the Sixtieth Birthday of oor wee loon fae Printfield Terrace. To look back on his contribution to professional football. To look at the life of Denis Law as a player. To reflect on a career that was to span for nearly twenty years, and bring joy to thousands of fans week in, week out. And to look at how he also became an inspiration to those wee boys in the back streets of their home towns, who ever kicked a can about for a game o' fitba, and dreamed of scoring at Hampden. It is also to mark the fact that although it has been over 25 years since Denis Law last scored a goal for Scotland, a record which whilst it has been equalled, it has not yet been beaten. It is hard to imagine that it has been more than a quarter of a century since this living legend last scored in the blue shirt of Scotland. Denis Law's final goal was against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on May 20th 1972, Scotland won 2-0. The Very Rev. William K. Mackie OMD CCR BTh Ex Royal Army Pay Corps Corporal attached to 1st Bn. The Gordon Highlanders 1977 - 1981 Acknowledgements My wife Heather, and the kids, Faith, Aaron and Simeon, for keeping out of the way when the keyboard got the spelling wrong. To my grandfather the late William K. Mackie, who introduced me to football in January 1959, it was a New Year's Day game, and Aberdeen played Dundee United. But other than that I can remember nothing about the game. I was only four and a half at the time. It must have made some impression because during my Army career, I went to as many games as I could, even to the point of forming the Gordon Highlanders branch of the Aberdeen Football Club Appreciation Society, whilst in Northern Ireland. I can recall how when I was a child and we were living with my grandfather, he would tell me stories of the magic wee footballer we saw on the Television on a Saturday night, and Granda even tried to convince me that this wee footballing genius was from Aberdeen. To the lads and the lassies of Aberdeen Central Libraries, in Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen for their help, with the some of the facts, match dates and scores. Searching for old archive microfiche, and making endless photocopies of it for me to use in the compilation of this book. Lt. Gen. Sir Peter Graham, KCB, CBE, DLitt, my Commanding Officer when I was posted to the Gordon Highlanders in July 1977, for having faith in me to complete this venture on behalf of the Regimental Museum. Most especially, to the subject of this book. Denis Law for the pleasure and inspiration given by him to thousands over the years. He made no effort to get in touch with me, deciding to publish his own version of events (again). So this has been published on the web to let all know that Denis Law was the most professional player ever to wear a Scotland shirt. Chapter One The wee loon fae Printfield Terrace Denis Law was never a big lad. In fact to look at old photographs of this living legend of our National sport, you would hardly believe that he would ever have turned professional, let alone become the living proof that the Scots are still able to do battle against the auld enemy, England. Yes! And not only could Scotland be as good as them we could even beat them. Denis Law would play football as a lad any time he could find something to kick about, he rose to play for one of the Giants of British football he continued to play until his final appearance for his beloved Scotland playing in the World Cup Campaign, playing his final game against Zaire in June 1974. There have been many footballing legends, over the years, but for me the forerunner of them all, was the wee loon fae 6 Printfield Terrace, Woodside, Aberdeen, Scotland, Denis Law. Denis Law was born on the 24th. February 1940 at his parent's humble Aberdeen home, at 6 Printfield Terrace, in the Woodside part of the city. Aberdeen was enduring its first long winter of World War II. Denis was the youngest of seven, having three brothers and three sisters. He lived in a typical Aberdeen council tenement, which at the time of his birth had concrete air-raid shelters out the back. I can remember playing in those old shelters when I was a boy; they were very small indeed. Looking at his home life, and given the fact that Denis' father worked on the Aberdeen trawlers, Denis, would have been more ready perhaps to go to sea rather than play professional football. Either way in those days there was not a lot of money for either occupation. Unlike Denis, I was born after the war, and have no first hand knowledge of the hardships that Aberdeen families had to endure during those long war years. I do recall from my own family, the stories of hardship, but everyone was in the same position, and the community spirit which kept everyone together I am sure was very evident to Denis even in his earliest years. The simple fact of the matter was that, at the time Denis was growing up during the war, and indeed for quite a long time after the war was over, there was not a lot of anything going about. No-body had much of anything, but what they had was shared around. It is fare to say that Denis Law had what some might call a deprived childhood, but coming from a family that was in a similar predicament, it was not a bad thing really, because you learned quickly the true value of things, and the true value of friendship. Certainly such a beginning has not done anything to stop Denis from climbing to the top of the Footballing ladder, and unlike some other players, that came along a little later than Denis, he was able to cope with success and the fame that came with it. Denis has an older brother George, four years his senior, whom Denis would go and watch playing football. Who knows perhaps, George might have had as good a career in the game as his younger brother Denis, but sadly, he broke his leg when he was eighteen years old, and that put paid to a footballing career. I can recall stories of Denis when I was younger of how he would practise playing football in his mother's kitchen. Not with a regular football you understand, but with a ball of wool which he suspended from the pulley (this was a wooden and metal frame work for drying clothes on, which hung from the kitchen ceiling). I remember my late grandfather telling me that Denis would practice in the kitchen with this ball of wool. Keeping it up as long as possible either by using his feet and kicking it up, or by using his head. My grandfather used to say that this is where the great talent that Denis would later display before the world, started. Perhaps it is because there were no television sets in those days that made Denis the great star he later became, no television, so the kids would create their own entertainment and amusement. Football was something that nearly all the boys in post war Aberdeen would get involved in, but you didn't need a ball. Basically, due to the shortage money for essentials, like food and clothes, playing with a real football was out of the question, and no one could afford to buy a pair of football boots, so you would have to make do with an old tin can or something similar. I think that when it comes to playing football, the only thing that Denis and I had in common, was our first pair of boots, we both started off with a second hand pair of football boots. In Denis' case he got his first pair of boots from his neighbour and friend, George Geddis. The Geddis family had a bit more money than the Law family, and they had hot water 7 days a week, in Denis' house they only had hot water once a week. When George was given a brand new pair of boots, George gave his old pair to Denis. This was a stroke of luck in a way for young Denis who was now about 9 years old. Thanks to George, Denis had been selected to play for Hilton Primary school's under 11's. But there was a problem, Denis did not have boots, and if you didn't have boots, you didn't get to play, so George's gesture with his old boots was blessing in disguise for young Denis Law. The young Denis Law played for Hilton primary school for a year before moving on to Kittybrewster School where he continued to play football until he was old enough to move up to 'the big school'. Denis' footballing career nearly took a tumble for the worse. Young Denis, was not only a good learner in the art of football, but he was rather good in the classroom as well. He was quietly pleased with his schoolwork, pleased that is until he learned that he had scored such a high mark in his 11+ exams, that he was destined to go the Aberdeen Grammar School for Boys. This would have been a great honour for any child especially from a family with little or no money as was very often the case with Denis' family. There was only one school in Aberdeen that was better than the Grammar, and that was Robert Gordon's College. Sadly, there was one grave problem for Denis, no not the fact that money was in short supply, and you had to wear a uniform, far worse, they DIDN'T PLAY FOOTBALL only rugby and cricket. NO FOOTBALL, that was tragic for young Denis, and so he made the decision that surely changed the course of Scottish Sporting History. He refused to go to the Grammar, but that wasn't good enough his family had now to try and convince the powers that be within the Education Department that this was the correct decision for Denis to take. Eventually the family were able to convince the Education people that they had no money to pay for the uniforms, the rugby kit, the cricket strip etc., but they really felt that they could not let Denis go to a non football playing establishment. So Denis went instead to Powis Secondary School, which is now called St. Machar Academy here in Aberdeen. This was a good move for the rising star, as Powis had a number of football teams. In his first year at Powis he was selected to play for the Aberdeen schoolboys under 12's team, which went all the way through to the Schoolboys' Cup Final. Sadly even though Denis' side lost, he felt that it had been a privilege to be able to play at Motherwell's Fir Park football ground. It was not until Denis was 13 years old before he was given his first pair of brand new boots. His mother had joined a credit scheme, which a number of the stores in Aberdeen ran at that time. I remember back in the 1950's and even into the 1960's, my own family were in the Co-op's Mutuality Club, this allowed you to buy now pay later, or you could save up in advance before making your purchase. Denis was given his mum's card from the Clydesdale store and told to go and get himself a "new pair of boots." In his book "Denis Law an autobiography" he gives a very vivid account of that day, the journey into town, the selection of his brand new Hotspur boots. Then he explains how when he got home, he sat with his feet in the sink to soften the leather, because in those days the boots were brick hard, not like the boots on the market today. One disadvantage that Denis had to over come was the fact that he had a squint in his right eye, and he had to wear glasses. That did not trouble him so much as the teasing that he would have to endure when his glasses were broken, as they often were when playing street football. But this was not going to stop our Denis from playing his favour sport at his best. He developed the knack of playing an entire match with one eye closed. This he believes is what made him a tough competitor. As his ability to play the game grew, so he moved up the schoolboys league table until he was eventually chosen to play in the Aberdeen Schoolboys Football Team. Here he was to play with other boys who would also later go on to become professional football players. Such as John (Tubby) Ogston who later played as a keeper for Aberdeen and for Scotland at under 23's level, Gordon Low who later played for Huddersfield and for Bristol City, and Alex Dawson who played with Denis later in life at Old Trafford with Manchester United. Later Denis was selected for the Scottish Schoolboys team to play away against Northern Ireland, but sadly he sat on the bench all through the match, that was of course in the days before substitutes were allowed. Denis never got the opportunity to play for Scotland at the Schoolboy level. This was because one day, not long after the Northern Ireland match, there was a knock at the door, the man at the door was Archie Beattie, the brother of former Scottish international, and now (1955) the manager of Huddersfield Town, Andy Beattie. Archie was acting as a talent scout for his brother, and was there to ask young 15 year old Denis if he would travel to Huddersfield for trials. Denis was thrilled at the thought of getting a trial from an English Club such as Huddersfield Town, but he was convinced that he would be back in Aberdeen in only a matter of weeks. So it was that Denis left school in Easter of 1955 and travelled down to Huddersfield with his older brothers George and John. Denis still convinced that he would be back home in a few weeks, said farewell to his brothers once he had settled into his digs. They set out on their journey back to Aberdeen, whilst Denis Law remained in Huddersfield, where he embarked on a journey that was to take him to the heights of English football, the glories of Europe and to a place in the record books and Scotland's Footballing Hall of Fame. The title for this opening chapter, "The wee loon fae Printfield Terrace," the phrase "Wee Loon" is not a dig at Denis' mental state. That is in fact how we Aberdonians refer to small boys. So had Denis been born on the other side of Hadrian's Wall, the opening title would have read, "The little boy from Printfield Terrace." But Denis Law was born in the Granite City of Aberdeen, and because of that fact, we are glad that we can claim with pride that, Denis Law, footballing legend, "yer oor wee loon." Chapter two Leeds Road, Steak and Shankly too. Honest, I'll be home in Aberdeen, inside a month, at least that is what Denis Law thought, but this was just the start of a footballing career that was going to turn this small, under nourished, youth with a squint, from a Lad to a Legend. He was also going to be under the wing of one of the finest Scotsmen ever to become a manager in English League football, I refer of course to the late great Bill Shankly who later went on from Huddersfield to do great things with Liverpool. Early photographs of Denis when he first arrived at Huddersfield Town would instantly have you thinking, he'll never find the stamina to keep up with the others in the team, he'll definitely be going home inside a month. But he stayed and despite the fact that Shankly would take him out to a cafe near to Denis' accommodation, after a workout and feed him on a diet of steaks and milk, he never put on much weight. But being as Denis had been the youngest of seven from an Aberdeen trawling family, the sight of a whole steak on a plate all for him was like giving a pauper an invite to a Royal banquet. This was where his ability to play without his glasses, i.e. to play an entire game with one eye shut was to pay off, or was it? It wasn't long before Huddersfield Town employed the young lad from Aberdeen as a member of the ground staff. He received a whole £5.00 per week and on top of that he was allowed to play for the clubs youth team as an amateur. Denis was sure that this was as far as his footballing career was going to take him, but at least he was in an atmosphere purely football orientated and that for just now was all that matter to young Denis. But the duties of the ground staff weren't all football and glamour. Far from it, there were many essential tasks to perform even before the training sessions started. There was the laying out kits for the senior team players. Then the dressing rooms had to be cleaned out. And someone had to sweep out the rubbish left behind by the fans on the terraces; someone had to brew the tea and all sorts of little meaningful tasks that had to be done before you got to hit the big time. After a very heavy day Denis would return to his lodgings at Pond House, run by a Mrs. Clark. The evenings were usually spent at the cinemas, or playing records, or even playing cards. Denis soon settled in to his new accommodation and to his new life style, but Andy Beattie could see that deep down he was home sick. So one day he called Denis to his office and enquired if he knew of anyone back home who might like to come and play for Huddersfield. Or at least come down for trials, straight away Denis mentioned the name of Gordon Low, one of his former teammates when Denis played for the Aberdeen Schoolboys Team. A few months after his arrival in Huddersfield, Denis Law was called back to Aberdeen, to Woodend General Hospital to be exact. They were going to operate on his bad eye and hopefully rectify his squint. Normally such an operation would take a little over a week but because of infection this operation took twice as long. But once those bandages came off, despite the bruising, and the swelling, Denis could now look in the same direction with both eyes at the same time. Denis had hoped that this would mean no more need for spectacles, but that was not to be the case, but even so, there was no longer the need to feel self-conscious about having a squint, because it was no longer there. He could now play his football with both eyes open. His performance could only get better, and as the record books show us, it certainly did. Denis and Gordon played together in the youth team, and in one match they played opposite another old schoolboy team mate, Alex Dawson, who played against them for Manchester United, this was in the days of the 'Busby Babes' and a good two years before that tragic disaster at Munich. Denis and Gordon must have felt that they were on a roll, it was a wet November afternoon Denis and Gordon played for Huddersfield Town against Manchester United in the Youth Cup, Huddersfield Town was 2-0 up by half time, but sadly they lost the game by 4-2. When the game was over a kindly Scots gentleman, came up to Denis Law and complimented him on his game, and then explained what he felt Denis should have done in order for Huddersfield Town to win. Denis was taken by this kindly fellow Scot, and Denis couldn't help but think that he had seen this man's picture some where. This kindly Scot, was Sir Matt Busby, who was as history now shows to do much to enhance Denis Law's playing career, but being 2-0 up at the interval against the great Manchester United, only then to lose the game 4-2, must have been devastating for the young players. It had been rumoured that Matt Busby had offered something like £10,000 for the young Denis Law, but Huddersfield Town's manager Andy Beattie rejected the offer, besides that was an awful lot of money for a player that had only turned sixteen. Bearing in mind of course that the record fee at this time was a staggering £30,000. 1956, saw the team drop to the second division, by this time the late Bill Shankly had come and joined the club, and was placed in charge of the reserve team. Despite the club being relegated to division two, opportunities were about to start knocking. By now many of the team had reached their thirties, and therefore were near the end of their professional careers. The club was in no financial state to start paying out transfer fees to bring in new talent to replace the old boys of the club; the new talent had to come from within. Members of the reserve team found themselves elevated to the first team, and then Denis got his big chance, he was to play for the reserve team, this meant that he would come under the wing of Bill Shankly. By the time that Christmas had arrived that year of 1956, Denis Law was a well-established player within the reserve team. Two months short of his seventeenth birthday, Christmas Eve 1956, Denis made his league debut at Meadow Lane; Denis was on the winning side with a scoreline of 2-1. Two days later, on Boxing Day Denis was to make his home debut against Notts. County, not only did Huddersfield town win comfortably with a scoreline of 3-0 but Denis Law scored his first league goal. This was his first of a total of 16 league goals that he was to score before leaving Huddersfield Town, he was also to score a further three goals for them in the FA Cup before departing from the club. In 1958, Andy Beattie left the club, and the helm was taken over by Bill Shankly. Shankly was very strict about the players and their level of fitness, and it wasn't long before he would go to work on this eight stone wimp from Aberdeen. Shankly made arrangements for Denis Law to go to the cafe across from The Pond, boarding house, and Denis was put on a diet of steak, milk and chips. This diet was okay with Denis because he was never one for eating a lot of meat, given that he was from a family of seven children, money was short, and dad worked on trawlers, and therefore fish would have been in great supply. So ALL this meat on the plate was ALL for Denis. Bill Shankly was totally different in his approach to the game, than Andy Beattie had been Andy Beattie was a quiet man, and Shankly was almost an extrovert by comparison. All that he ever spoke about was football. Nothing else just football, and in his opinion, compared to his team, (Huddersfield Town). All other teams were rubbish. The big English clubs, the big continental clubs, it didn't make any difference to Shankly. They were all rubbish, and only his team were any good, and of course if we look back at his success record with Liverpool, and the record of those who came after him at Anfield, you can see that what ever it was about his methods. You have to agree that his methods worked. One thing that Shankly did not like about his players was when they got themselves injured. As Denis was to find out to his cost, Shankly would simply ignore you, you could have been the best player in the whole world, but if you dared to go and get yourself injured, Bill Shankly would just refused to acknowledge you, he would simply ignore you. Few football fans will be without some knowledge of the name and fame of the great late Bill Shankly. But apart from footballing fans, outside the Tayside city of Dundee, can anyone honestly say that they have heard of Bill's brother, Bob Shankly, who as a manager, took Dundee F.C. to the very first Scottish Division One title, in their history. There was also a third Shankly brother, Johnny. Johnny Shankly never made a name for himself in the field of football management, but he was a footballer himself, having played for Greenock Morton and for Alloa Athletic, whilst brother Bob, played for Falkirk, and Bill played for Preston North End. Matt Busby gave Denis Law the biggest break so far in his footballing career. No not a transfer to Old Trafford, that was several years away. Only eight months after the Munich disaster, Matt Busby was at the helm as manager of Scotland. Denis Law, as did all young "fitba daft' wee lads, just longed for, and dreamed of the day that the would be called upon to pull on the famous navy blue shirt of Scotland. For many this is no more than a pipe dream, but only four months short of Denis' nineteenth birthday, he was selected to play against Wales at Ninian Park. He had won his first cap, and on that debut occasion he was to score the first of his record breaking thirty goals for his National side (Denis Law actually scored 31 goals in a Scotland shirt. More details further on in this book). In fact his first goal for Scotland was by all accounts something of a fluke. A Dave Bowen clearance struck Denis on the back of his head and went in past the Welsh keeper Kelsey, Scotland won the match 3-0, which was probably just as well because Dave Mackay missed a penalty in that game. The team line up for that game was Brown (Dundee), Caldow (Rangers), Grant (Hibs), Mackay (Hearts), Docherty (Arsenal), Toner (Kilmarnock), Collins (Everton), Leggart (Fulham), Herd (Arsenal), Henderson (Arsenal), Denis Law (Huddersfield). Less than a month later Denis Law made his home debut for Scotland, at Hampden Park, this time the opposition was Northern Ireland. Playing in front of a home crowd at Hampden must be one of the greatest experiences that a Scottish footballer can ever experience, certainly as a fan, there is nothing that I have experienced that can compare with the Hampden roar. For Denis Law this first game at Hampden was a great experience, sadly there was another player on the pitch that day that did not share the joy of that experience. The player in question was the captain of Northern Ireland, the late Danny Blanchflower. Danny complained after the game about the way in which Denis Law played in that match, Law was far to zealous for Blanchflower's liking, Blanchflower claimed that he was covered in bruises because of Law and his style of play. Denis Law missed matches for a few months after that, because as 1958 came to an end, whilst playing against Charlton Athletic, he damaged his cartilage and had to under go surgery. However he soon bounced back and was available for an international tour by May 1959, beating Holland 2-1, and losing 1-0 in Lisbon to Portugal. Later that same year Scotland beat Northern Ireland 4-0 in Belfast, and drew at Hampden 1-1 against Wales. 1959 saw a few changes that were to affect Denis Law and his career, Bill Shankly moved to Liverpool as manager in December 1959, Shankly was replaced at Huddersfield by Eddie Boot, and if Denis thought that compared to Shankly, Beattie was a quite man, Boot was even quieter. With Bill Shankly away from Huddersfield Town, Denis Law knew that it was only a matter of time now before he too would depart for pastures new. Where ever he went to from Huddersfield it had to be to a bigger club, after all Denis Law might only have been nineteen, but he was an international footballer and there would several teams coming to look for his signature. Wherever he moved to, the newspapers were sure of one thing, who ever landed his signature would have to pay out a new British Record signing on fee to get it. When considering where he should like to move to, to play football, Denis quite fancied a move to the London club Arsenal because his pal Tommy "The Doc" Docherty was on the playing staff there. As it was to turn out he did not move to Arsenal, and much later in his playing career, the "Doc" was to be less than a friend to Denis when Docherty became his manager 14 years later. Huddersfield Town had in fact had interest shown in this young talented Scot from, Arsenal, Glasgow Rangers, Manchester City, West Bromich Albion and Chelsea, no sign of Matt Busby calling for him to join Manchester United. Had Denis Law signed for Glasgow Rangers, I doubt if I would have taken up the challenge to research for this book. As a die hard Aberdeen fan, I have little respect for Glasgow Rangers, and with present players, and former ones, like "Gazza" hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons, I find them a turn off - no skill just big bucks. In fact when the fee was agreed upon, it was a new record, £55,000 and Denis signed for Manchester City in 1960. It was not the £55,000 transfer fee, nor was it the sum of £300 that Denis got for signing that swayed him, Denis was desperate to play First Division football. Denis could not have been aware of it at the time, but his time with Manchester City was to be a brief period. Despite that, in 1961 Denis made a name for himself by scoring SEVEN times in a FA Cup game against Luton Town, only to be on the losing side. The final score was 3-1 to Luton Town. Actually there were two matches, and in the first match, Denis Law did in deed score six goals for Manchester City against Luton Town, but the match had to be abandoned, and despite Denis Law scoring a goal for Manchester City, they lost the replay 3-1 to Luton Town. Having signed for Manchester City, Denis was disappointed that Matt Busby had not made a bid for him. Perhaps, one day he would sign up for the 'Busby Babes'. Maybe Matt Busby would come knocking on the door, with players on hand like Bobby Charlton, Alex Dawson and Denis Violett, really there was no room at Old Trafford for the rising young international, not for the moment anyway, but only time would tell. Denis Law knew before leaving Huddersfield Town to go to play at Maine Road, that Manchester City were struggling for survival in the first division. But he did so much want to play in the first division, and besides the conditions at Maine Road would far superior to anything he had seen whilst at Huddersfield. Poor Denis was in for some thing of a culture shock when he arrived at Maine Road. He had risen from the back streets football of post war Aberdeen to now be a star at the Pinnacle of English Football. But when he saw the state of the football strips at Maine Road, and compared them with the strips at Huddersfield which were always immaculate. Whereas at Manchester City, the kits looked like some thing that had been rejected by the Oxfam or Cancer Research Charity shops. They were in a terrible state. Was this perhaps a reflection of the teams' place within the first division? Denis Law scored in his debut match for his new club in a match at Ellen Road against Leeds United, but he still managed to end up on the losing side, Leeds United won 4-3. Denis Law played a total of seven games for his new club before the end of that season, and the team did managed to avoid going down. Chapter three The Italian Job Denis Law, despite being the highest transfer fee player in Britain at that time, was not destined to stay at Maine Road for very long. Denis had read in the newspapers about Johnny Haynes, and how he had turned down an offer to play Italian football with Milan. Meanwhile Denis was finding himself the centre of attention from another Italian Club, Inter Milan. Denis was being asked to consider signing for Internazionale for a signing on fee of £20,000. All that money just for Denis' signature? Well he did have to sign a three year contract to get that money, and he could hope to earn with bonuses something in the region of £200 per week which was 10 times the maximum salary for a British footballer at that time. So was Johnny Haynes correct in refusing such a lucrative offer? So What should the young Aberdonian do? For the moment he was to do nothing but wait, because Inter Milan were unsuccessful in striking up a deal with Manchester City. Denis Law did not have to wait for too long, which was probably just as well as he had already packed his suitcase and was just waiting for the right offer to come along. Along it came and it came from another Italian team. Denis was about to be transferred to Torino in the Italian league for yet another record transfer fee. And so it was that in June 1961 Denis Law still only 21 years old, was transferred to Torino the Italian league for the sum of £110,000. Perhaps now he would be able to settle down and play his sort of football. His new club arranged that Denis Law should receive one tenth of his transfer fee from Manchester City, this meant that young Denis would pick up a further £11,000. Manchester City tried to temp him to stay with the offer of £80.00 per week, not forgetting that previously the top wage for a footballer in Britain was only £20.00. Before signing for Torino the then chairman of Manchester City, Mr. Alan Douglas, had tried to convince the young Law that he would not be happy over in Italy. Denis ignored this advice and signed for Torino, but as things were to turn out, Alan Douglas was to be proved correct about Denis not being happy in Italy. That's the thing about us Aberdonians, we always seem to have to do things the hard way, but we do get there in the end. Denis Law had played against Torino whilst still with Manchester City, he scored the only goal of the game, but due to heavy rain the match had to be abandoned. Denis was impressed with his first sights of Turin; it was a clean and beautiful city. The main industry in the city was the Fiat motor factory, and the owners also owned Torino's main rival, also based in Turin, Juventus. Torino had been the main club for many seasons until the tragic air crash back in 1949, which killed eighteen players from Torino. This was the first team Denis Law would play for that had to recover and more or less start all over again after a tragic air disaster had wiped out most of its players, of course the second team that I refer to here is Manchester United. Denis Law was to join fellow Scot Joe Baker whom Torino had recently signed from Hibernian, in Edinburgh. Although Italy was and still predominantly a Catholic country, Denis Law was to discover that the main religion of Italy was football. He had never known such rivalry between opposing fans. After all there were two football teams back in Manchester, and Joe Baker had known the rivalry of such fans, because Edinburgh also sported two football teams, Hibs and Hearts, but the rivalry of the fans in Turin had to be seen to be believed. Denis Law and Joe Baker were to be treated like gods by the fans and press alike, but as Denis and Joe were to soon discover, gods in Italy are the property of the masses. Unlike here where a sports journalist my ask if he can talk to you, in Italy journalists acted as the though they had a divine right to just come to you and expect you to talk to them. Due to the large transfer fee that Torino had paid out to get the services of Denis Law, he was now a big target for the news journalists and photographers. And this was to continue for many months, as Denis was to find to his cost. It was to be a very turbulent relationship between Denis and the pressmen of Italy. In one occasion he was voted the ''number one'' footballer which for Denis was quite an honour, but then another magazine named him the ''number one lemon'', because they felt that he was the least co-operative player in the Italian football league. In yet another newspaper, he was compared with one of those Torino players that had lost their lives in the 1949-air crash. They compared him to the late Valentino Mazzola, the article was entitled 'Valentino Law', this was the greatest of all the tributes and praises the Denis Law received from the Italian press, and it made a nonsense of the article which had him as being a 'lemon'. When Denis Law first arrived in Turin to play for Torino, the newspapers were full of conflicting stories about who own him. Denis had signed to take up an option with Torino. But it would seem that only days before he had signed for Torino, he had signed papers for Inter Milan. Manchester City had however refused to let him go, and when Torino came along, Denis law who was determined to sample the footballing life in Italy, signed up for Torino. Of course, Inter Milan insisted that he was their man and so did Torino. Inter Milan took their complaint to the Italian Football Association to try and have Denis Law banned from appearing for any other team. In the end, as no one had signed on behalf Manchester City releasing Denis to Inter Milan. He therefore wasn't their player, but on the other hand, there was a signature from Manchester City on Torino's contract, then legally that would appear to indicate that Denis Law was Torino's player, and there was really nothing that Inter Milan could do about it, and they knew it. They did not have a legally binding contract for the player; therefore they had no prior claim to the player. Even so Denis Law was not really sure if, with all these claims and counter claims, as to whether or not he had a future in the Italian football league. After the friendly between Manchester City and Torino in Turin, City travelled back home to Maine Road, but Denis remained behind in Turin to sort out all the legal and medical requirements and then to begin to get to know his new teammates. The first thing that came as a barrier to the young Scot, was the language. He spoke no Italian and only a few of the players spoke very poor English, the rest knew no English at all, it would have helped having Joe Baker around, but although he had already been signed by Torino from Hibs, he had not arrive in Turin yet. The club had a Sporting Director, Gigi Peronace, who acted as an interpreter for both Denis and Joe, a very handy man to have around, and he was to become a close friend to both the young Scots players. By the time the football season came to an end in Italy that year, the wrangle over which club Denis Law was to play for was still going on. In the mean time, Denis who was about to return home to Aberdeen to see his family, was assured by the President of Torino, Angelo Fillipone, that all these problems would be settled by the time he came back from Scotland. Eventually Inter Milan gave up there feeble challenge for Denis Law and instead they went to Aston Villa and signed up Gerry Hitchens. The whole Italian league took on a new British flavour because in that same closed season period, AC Milan had signed up Jimmy Greaves. And having players such as Eddie Firmani and the first Welshman ever to sign for an Italian club, John Charles, already well established within the Italian league framework, Britain was certainly well represented by the time the 1961-62 Italian League season had kicked off. Young Denis Law and fellow Scot, Joe Baker, were heading for the big time. Chapter four Turmoil, Torino style The new season started, the training was hard, but they were living in the lap of luxury, nothing but the best for these players. "Hang on, no-body told us we had to pay our own hotel bills." Yes it turns out that although it was a case of nothing but the best, the players were expected to pick up their own Hotel bills. If that wasn't a dampener on the supposed "High Life", as a player in the Italian League, there was more yet to come. Torino lost their first match of the season to Sampdoria. Neither Joe Baker nor Denis Law could understand the language that was used by the club officials to get their point across that there were more than just a little bit disappointed by loosing this match, but they certainly got the gist of the comments. Later that same day the whole team sat down together for an evening meal, here again Denis was to discover that playing for an Italian team was not all a bed of Roses. Denis never had much of an appetite after a match, and so he decided that he fancied a salad, but the salad never came. As it turns out that the club secretary had cancelled Denis' salad, if he did not want what was on offer on the Menu, then he would simply have to do without. And so it was that Denis sat through the entire meal with nothing and watched as his teammates tucked into their meals. If Torino had won, and had Denis Law score the winning goal, they may well have sent over to Aberdeen for some Haddock, but as it was, this was his real "Welcome to Italian Football." You had to take what was on offer or do without. In their first home game for Torino, Joe Baker scored two goals and set up a third. Then he appeared to be pocked in the eyes by an opposing player, and he lashed out with his foot. This got Joe Baker into hot water with the Referee, and so it was that Joe Baker, who back in Scotland was well known for his clean playing, was given an early bath, and Torino went from being 3-0 up, to struggling to hold on to a 3-3 draw. It wasn't long though before Denis Law was to find himself in trouble as well. He tackled an opposition player. Actually he stood on his ankle, albeit by accident, but he was fined by the League and suspended for seven days. This cost him £210 in fines, the £10 that the League fined him for the incident, and then there was the £200 that Torino fined him for failing to make an appearance due to the seven-day suspension. There was more trouble brewing for the duo, and it was to come in the rather large shape of one Signor Cillario, although he was an Argentinean, he was the President of the Torino Supporters' Club. And when he spoke, people usually listened. He was a man of wealth, and money has a habit of speaking louder than people at times. On one occasion Joe Baker and Denis Law had made the mistake of getting on the wrong side of Signor Cillario, with the end result, that he explained to them both, in no uncertain terms that he had the power to put them both out of the game for good. Soon between the threats and the power abuse by Signor Cillario, and the behaviour of the Italian fans towards the Scots pair, they were soon beginning to regret ever having come to Italy. There was an incident that involved both Joe Baker and Denis Law being pestered by an Italian photographer. He became such a pest, that when Joe thought that he was about to be thumped by the photographer. Joe decided that he would get in first and they both fell to the ground, and of course there was another photographer around, to get all the lovely photographs of Joe Baker brawling in the streets with an Italian. Joe Baker was given a very heavy fine by the club, and the injured photographer, was well compensated for his trouble, not to mention the free publicity that he received, in fact the photographer was now something of a celebrity in his own right. The boys spent most of their time in their hotel, travelling by taxi to and from the ground to avoid further confrontations. They would sit in the Hotel all day apart from training sessions; they were quite literally getting on each other?s nerves. These lads were hot blooded high-spirited Scotsman, and yet here they were being cooped up in a hotel room, with no way, apart from training and the games on Sundays of letting off steam. Eventually the boys moved to their own apartment that overlooked Turin, this was a five roomed job, nothing like the Law's humble dwelling in Aberdeen, this was pure luxury. The only escape from the boredom was their football matches on Sundays, but things were going belly-up here for the boys as well. What with suspensions and fines, really was this what they had been told to expect when they were targeted back in Britain? Denis' attitude was, "As long as the money is good I can take it." Joe Baker on the other hand was not quite so philosophical about the whole thing. Joe was a quiet natured lad, and the perfect gentleman, on and off the field. The sad fact was that because of the attitude of others on the field, and because of the boredom of life off the field, Joe was like a time bomb ready to explode. Unlike Denis, Joe had never been away from home before, and Joe was feeling very home sick. One night after a win, the boys were out for a meal, and it was their first break from their apartment for weeks, the boys then went into town in Joe Baker's brand new Alfa Romeo. Joe was not used to driving on the wrong side of the road as they do in the continent. Once whilst taking a corner, he realised that he was driving on the English side of the road, and not on the continental side of the road as he should have been. Thus in his attempts to rectify his mistake the car crashed. Joe Law, Denis' brother had been in the car with them, he had come over for a visit. After the crash, they all ended up in hospital, but Denis and his brother were not too badly shaken by the ordeal, where as Joe Baker was in a bit of a state, and Denis and his brother were quite concerned for him. To make matters worse photographers were now crawling all round Joe Baker's hospital room taking pictures of the football star in his hospital bed, the staff stood by and did nothing, Denis on the other hand was ready to go and punch every one of them. Joe Baker was in a pretty bad way for a number of days. As you might expect, given the way our own media react today when a sports star has a mishap, the Italian press turned this unfortunate accident into a "Lager Louts Drunken Orgy." But such was the pressure put on young unsuspecting British footballers that had been lured to Italy by the thought of big bank balances, European class football, and a life style that back in Britain, the players could only dream of. On the other hand, if the players that migrated to Italy had been allowed to live their own lives in much the same way as they would expect to do if they had remained with British Clubs. The pressures would never have built up, and in the case of Denis Law and Joe Baker, the accident with the Alfa Romeo might never have happened. It most probably would not have received the same amount of media hype in this country as it did over there. Back on the field the club were not having the best of things, and if the team looses, the players suffer, and the discipline regime gets into over drive. It became as though the players were living under a giant magnifying glass; everything they did was under scrutiny. Things had to change. Denis felt that up until now the language barrier had been a problem, but it is amazing how, when you are in a foreign land, and you are forced to learn something of the language. The first things that you learn tend to be how to ask for a beer, how to ask for fish and chips, and how to swear like a native. Denis had been taking lessons, and now he felt that he knew enough rude words to get HIS own message across. Denis Law had seen that the Italian football scene was full of thugs, crooks, and little Hitler's (or perhaps that should be little Mussolini's). From now on he was going to give 110% on the field as he had always done, but off the field, it was to be a different ball game altogether. One day after suffering a fourteen days confinement to quarters sentence for showing a lack of competitive spirit during a Cup tie, Denis found himself being summoned by the Torino Club President Signor Angelo Fillipone, Denis was informed that Signor Fillipone had sold his contract to Turin rivals Juventus. The thing was, that only forty-eight hours earlier he had been informed by Signor Fillipone that his contract had been sold to Manchester United. So what was going on, who did have his contract? If nothing else, Denis Law was sure of one thing, given the rivalry between both clubs, and the fact that he had been very unhappy almost since he arrived in Turin, changing from Torino to Juventus would not be a smart move. If he thought that his time thus far in Italy had been unhappy, just think of the uproar a transfer like that would cause amongst the rival fans, not to mention the Argentinean Signor Cillario. A move like that, no way, Denis would have been better off if he'd been a leper, but Denis decided that his next move would be back to Britain, so when he refused to sign the transfer papers, he wiped the smile of the millionaire's face. No money was every discussed at this meeting, because now Denis was sure that there was not enough money to justify him remaining in Italy any longer. Denis Law would never play for another team outside of England, except of course for the Scottish National side. Denis wrote to Signor Fillipone to request a transfer, but no one ever acknowledge receipt of the letter, and every time he asked to see Signor Fillipone, he was never around. Then to make matters far worse, Denis Law was sent off the field during a game, it was the first time in his career that he had been sent off, but it was Torino who had him sent off. The ball had gone out of play, Denis picked up the ball to take a throw-in and the Torino coach went ballistic, and had the referee throw Denis Law, off the pitch for taking the throw. Apparently Denis had been told not to take throw-ins, by the coach so this was seen as a deliberate breach of pre-match orders. That was it Denis Law left the ground later that day after a blow out with Signor Fillipone, it didn't achieve anything, but Denis' language lessons had come in very handy as he departed the Torino ground, with a few well rehearsed Italian words. Denis Law was leaving Torino for good. Being sent off is bad enough for a player to endure. But when your own side has sent you off. That is too much for anyone to tolerate. And so the Baker + Law double act was severed, and Denis Law never did play for a foreign side ever again. The thing was where he goes from here? But for the moment that was purely academic to young Denis, all he knew was that he had endured more than enough. His first priority now was to get back to Britain, other than that nothing else mattered. There would be time enough to sort out the rest once he arrived home. Chapter five A Busby Babe - who me? Okay, so what had go wrong? Torino was travelling to Lausanne to play in a Cup-tie, and Denis was told that he was travelling to Lausanne as well. Denis was not travelling there to play for Torino. He was travelling to Lausanne to meet up once again, with that nice Scotsman who had spoken to him, when he had played for Huddersfield Town's youth team and lost 4-2 to Manchester United. Yes Denis Law was going to meet up with Matt Busby, there were rumours that a transfer deal was on offer. This was it, recognition from Matt Busby, Denis Law was about to go back to Britain, could this really be happening, was Denis Law really about to become a "Busby Babe"? NO! Denis travelled back to Turin with the team only to find out that he had in fact been sold to Juventus. Denis Law was adamant, and he told Signor Agnelli, the only place this young Scot would be going was home, and that was that, end of conversation. Denis wasted no time in getting his things together and getting out of town, and before anyone knew where he was, he was in Britain, heading for the familiar sights and sounds of home, Denis was heading for Aberdeen. Things had happened so quickly. Denis had not even had enough time to say farewell to the other half of the footballing duo. Joe Baker had not been in the apartment when Denis returned to pack and dash for the airport, so Denis had to leave a hastily written farewell note. When Denis got back to Aberdeen, and to the family home. His parents were rather disturbed by the reports that they had read in the papers, and Denis had to explain the whole sordid affair. Perhaps in a while he might go back and sort things out, but why bother. After all he had been sold to Juventus and that as far as the Italians were concerned was that. Denis however, had other ideas. He had made his point crystal clear, if they had anything to say to young Denis, then he'd be in Aberdeen if anyone wanted to speak to him. Whilst at home in Aberdeen, Denis did receive a telegram ordering him to return to Turin immediately, he never bothered to reply, instead, Denis was lapping up just being around those who really cared about him, his family. To the young truant soccer star, the family at this time was more important than anything else in the world. It had now been several weeks, since Denis flew home from Turin, and although things may not have improved over there in Italy, at least back home in Aberdeen, Denis could improve on his golf. There are plenty of Golf courses in and around Aberdeen to practice on. Then one day out of the blue, Denis got word that he had to meet with a representative from Torino, he had to travel to Edinburgh to meet with Gigi Peronace, who had been sent over to Britain with the club's authority to sell Denis Law to Manchester United. Yes, now the war was over and the time had come for both camps to sign the surrender documents that transferred Denis Law to Manchester United. It would seem that whilst Denis was in Aberdeen polishing up his golf, Matt Busby had been locked in bitter transfer wrangles with Torino to try to sign Denis for United, and thereby resolve the whole matter. But when you try to do business with the Italians, things take time, and they get very heated, but Scottish perseverance on the part of Matt Busby, ensured that both he and Denis got there in the end. Denis Law signed for Manchester United in July 1962, and a few days later the other half of the Torino Twins, Joe Baker, signed up for Arsenal. They had both escaped from the "Turmoil of Turin", and they were now back in Britain, where even if the money wasn't quite so good, at least you were treated a bit better, by the clubs, the fans and the journalists. The Italians may have pulled the wool over the eyes of these two young lads, they had used them and abused them, but now it was Denis Law and Joe Baker who could look back and laugh at what had happened. Mind you, there was a certain gentleman who as Chairman of that other Manchester football team, did try to warn Denis that he was about to make a big mistake by going off to play football in the Italian League. That was over a year ago, and Denis had learnt his lesson. Now all he wanted to do was to get down to what he did best and that was to play football at the highest possible level. Surely now that he was safe under the wing of Matt Busby, at Old Trafford, he could now get on with his game and his career. Denis Law found his way back to Manchester, and to his former landlady, Mrs. Atkins. He would have to remember that in future, when he departed from her front door to go to work, he would now be heading for Old Trafford and Manchester United, and not as before, when he set off for Maine Road and Manchester City. The first day of the new season 1962-63 had now arrived, and Denis went for the usual pre match meal with the other members of the team. Then it was back to the ground and prepare for the opening match of the season. Manchester United was at home to West Bromich Albion, and was Denis Law nervous, you bet he was. Hearing the sounds of fellow Aberdonian, Ian Moir in the dressing room was like calming music to Denis' ears. The ritual of getting kited out had began, right boot on first and then the left, Denis followed his routine carefully, there was no telling what might happen if he got it wrong, there was no way of telling what was soon to happen, because he got it right. The teams came out on to the field, and Denis was now on that hallowed turf. He was wearing that famous red shirt of Manchester United, and with less than ten minutes of the game played Manchester United were leading by 2 clear goals. It was Denis who had scored the second goal and he just lapped up the cheers of the crowd, he knew that he had "arrived", Denis Law was now very definitely a "Busby Babe." What a dream start to a league career that was to last only days short of eleven years. Sadly the dream debut and the 2-0 lead was reduced to a draw. The high scoring rate and the high winning rate that you would have expected from a club with such a vast supply of talent just did not come up to everyone's expectations. Pretty soon they were to find themselves at the wrong end of the league table and if things did not improve they could be facing the possibility of relegation. In that season of 1962-63 there was another couple of new faces who had joined the ranks of the famous "Busby Babes." Neither of these lads would have turned your head if you had passed them in the street, they were small in stature, but on the field these wee lads were giants and they were to become household names, both at club level and for their contributions to international soccer. They were Johnny Giles of the Republic of Ireland, and Mancunian Nobby Styles who I imagine will be remembered as much for his toothless smile during and after the World Cup Campaign triumph of England's in 1966, as for his footballing skills on the field. With the results not going quite to plan, Matt Busby took Denis Law to one side and suggested a few tactical changes, and of course Denis was only to eager to do anything that Matt Busby would suggest. The team winning was all that matter, and so it was that soon after the tactical talks, that Manchester United found themselves travelling to Portman Road to play against the current League Champions, Ipswich Town. The chat between Denis Law and Matt Busby would appear to have done the trick. Manchester United were leading 4-1 by the time the referee blew his whistle for half time, and Denis Law had scored three of the four goals, with Irish International Johnny Giles scoring the fourth goal. After the second half got under way, Ipswich Town hit back with two quick goals, to bring the game back to 4-3 in favour of Manchester United. Then along came Denis Law and banged in his fourth goal of the game to put the result out reach of Ipswich Town. Manchester United came out on top in this eight-goal extravaganza, but as the team made there way back home to Manchester and the other results came filtering through. Alf Ramsay's Ipswich Town the current League Champions now found themselves down in the relegation zone. Four goals in one game, that is no mean achievement for any player playing in the top stream of English football. Trust Denis Law to go and score four goals from his sides five to bring home another victory. Then he did it again. Only four days after scoring the first four goals against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. This time the venue was Hampden Park, and Denis Law was wearing the Navy blue shirt of Scotland, and the defeated opposition on this occasion was Northern Ireland, who went down 5-1 to Scotland that night. Eight goals in four days and both club and international level, Denis would soon be climbing up the leader board of top scorers. Denis Law was now with one of the Big Guns of English football, he was highly rated, and he was certainly very highly priced, and now he was with his fourth football club in as many years. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to consider putting down some roots, and start to make a name for himself in the press for activities on the field, and not off the field as had been the case because of the problems in Turin. Now was a good time to forget the Italian job, and all those nasty nightmares. He was now under the wing of Matt Busby, and Denis Law was about to become a significant figure. He was to feature large in the third great team to be built up by Matt Busby, who had put Munich behind him, and was turning tragedy into triumph for the Old Trafford side. Matt Busby had lost eight players from the second team that he had created in that flight from Belgrade via Munich on 6th February 1958. They had been the original Busby Babes, now he had signed Denis Law to help create team number three and Denis Law was now to rub shoulders with players that were already household names, and with a few players who were yet to become that well known. When Denis Law arrived at Old Trafford, Manchester United were not actually pushing for glory, by being near or at the top of the First Division of the English Football League as you might have expected from a team with such a pedigree. In fact they had come very close to being relegated and could only finish 15th. in the league at the end of the last season. Denis had joined a team that was in the process of rebuilding. It was now 1962 and only just over four years since the Munich disaster. Matt Busby was not yet fully recovered from his injuries. He left most of the training sessions to his assistant, Jim Murphy, who despite the Irish sounding surname was a former Welsh International who had also played for West Bromich Albion. Matt Busby had met Murphy during the war. Matt had been a Company Sgt Major, and Jim Murphy, had reached the position of Drill Sgt by the end of World War II. Having an ex C.S.M., and a former Drill Sgt. running things, was sure to provide results. Since the crash, Jim Murphy, who had not been on the flight, stepped into Matt Busby's job as acting manager until such time as Matt Busby was well enough to resume the mantle of responsibility fully. Jim Murphy was actually watching Wales who were playing against Israel, and the first that he knew that there had been a crash was when he got back to the club bar. He wondered why the place was deserted, and he had to be told twice before he understood that the plane crash that he was being told about was the team's plane. Twenty-three people died that night among them were staff, players, and sports writers, what might the outcome been if Murphy had also been on that flight? Matt Busby was fighting for his life in a Germany hospital, and things were touch and go for some time. But Murphy never the less, took his task as caretaker manager very seriously, and the first thing that Murphy had to do was to get a team of eleven players together, to keep the momentum of the team in league and domestic Cup competitions going. Such was his grit, that thirteen days after the ill fated flight, Jim Murphy, fielded a side of players, borrowed, quickly signed, and some reserve players to take part in FA Cup competition for 1958. Jim Murphy's make shift heroes made it all the way to a Final at Wembley. Where sadly the Manchester United team lost 2 - 1, to Bolton Wanders, even though it seemed like the whole world wanted Manchester United to win the Cup for Matt Busby, and for the eight players and three members of the ground staff, who never made it back from Munich. (I have been told that some people took the letters of the word "Munich", to spell out the sad message, "Man United Never Intended Coming Home.") Denis Law was soon to discover that at Old Trafford, all Manchester United players were treated exactly the same. Whilst at Manchester City, he was seen as the main man, whom the rest of the team had to revolve around, and his role in Turin with Torino, was to have been similar. Being the most important player with any football club, for a time is a great feeling, but then you are hit with the stark reality, that everything rests with you, and that can be a terrible burden for anyone to shoulder. But now Denis Law was a Manchester United player, and despite the record transfer fee, he was nobody special, he was just one of the boys. This was okay with our young hero, because in the past such a responsibility of being the main man could actually put you off your game. But under Busby, he was just another player. This was fine with Denis, because he could get out there and just concentrate on his game on the day, in short he could simply get out and enjoy his football, and that was exactly what Denis Law wanted, nothing else really mattered. In his first season as a Busby Babe, 1962/63, Manchester United was to display a bag of mixed fortunes as regards their abilities on the playing field. On the one hand they were able to go all the way through to a Wembley final and win the FA Cup, but once again, like the previous season without Denis Law, Manchester United came very close to the relegation zone. This showed that although Matt Busby, with Jim Murphy in support, had been successful in building a third team, since the end of the war, and more especially since Munich. Their joint efforts in rebuilding the team had been triumphant in that they had won the FA Cup. But the fact that in the same season that they had once again ended up too close to the relegation zone for comfort, revealed that there was still a lot of room for improvement, both in their game, and in their development of skill and confidence. Earlier in this chapter, you will remember that, in his debut game in a Manchester United shirt, Denis Law scored the second of Manchester United's goals, with less than ten minutes of the game having been played, and then eventually they had to settle for a 2-2 draw. This underlined the way that things were to go for the rest of the season. It was to show up as the season progressed, where the flaws in this new side lay. Yes they had the talent for the game, they had the creative ability to go out there and score goals, but they didn't play as a team. There was no sign of strength through unity, and although they were scoring goals against the other teams, as was expected of them, the other teams were scoring even more goals against Manchester United, and quite often they were scoring with great ease. The "New" Busby Babes, had yet to settle down and gel into a unified footballing force, Manchester United, were anything but "united" on the field, not yet. A prime example of this came near the end of the 1962/63 season, when over the Easter period, Manchester United were away to Leicester City, Denis Law scored a hat-trick in that game, and yet Leicester City won the game 4-3. The team had to appreciate that, yes scoring goals was a very important feature of the game of football, but the object of the game is to score more goals than the opposition. Things were going to get better, but it was just going to take some time. On a more positive note, the experience that Denis Law had gained during his unhappy spell in Italy playing in the Italian league was to pay dividends for Manchester United. Marking, marking on the continent was far tighter than in the domestic football in Britain, Denis Law had to adjust his game to cope with the tight marking in Italian football, to enable him to display his footballing talents and his goal scoring ability. Now that he was playing in the English Football League, Denis Law found that there was no such tight marking, and this left him with plenty of open space for passing, or running with the ball or for setting himself up to score a goal. Although there were plenty of goals forth coming in Denis Law's first season at Old Trafford, Manchester United still found themselves sliding ever closer to the relegation zone. Denis Law scored a total of 23 goals for Manchester United in that 1962/63 season, but even this was not enough to put Manchester United into a league position worthy of gaining them a place in Europe the following season. With talented players such as Nobby Stiles, Noel Cantwell, Bobby Charlton, and the immanent arrival from Celtic of Pat Crerand, things were surely going to get better for Manchester United. (Sadly, as I research for this particular chapter, it has just been announce on the news that another great Scottish Footballing legend has died, Jock Wallace former manager of both Glasgow Rangers and Leicester City, has died of a heart attack, he was 61. July 1996.) If you were to read Denis Law's autobiography, he gives his own personnel account of what he feels was wrong with these games and why things were not exactly going according to plan for Manchester United. It was Bobby Charlton; or rather it was Matt Busby's choice of playing position for Bobby Charlton that was wrong. Denis Law comments in his autobiography, on how Matt Busby at Manchester United and Sir Alf Ramsay in charge of England, both got it wrong when they chose to play Bobby Charlton in a midfield role rather than as a winger. This according to Denis Law would have been a more natural and a more beneficial position for both managers to play him in. Denis Law believes that Bobby Charlton was one of the finest wingers in the world. Denis Law was sure that had Bobby Charlton played on the wing for both club level and for his country, then both teams would have been far more successful than they actually were. Given the fact that Bobby Charlton was with England on July 30th 1966 when they beat Germany 4-2 and won the World Cup. Also how two years later Bobby Charlton was with Manchester United when they beat Benfica 4-1 and won the European Cup, (and became the SECOND British team to do so. Celtic having won the trophy a year earlier). This was according to Denis Law, was "in spite of the fact rather than because of it." Chapter six Glory, Glory Man United? In that opening year as a Manchester United player Denis Law was a very busy fellow, and he was also very well travelled. This was not just because he was travelling all around England playing for Manchester United, but every Saturday night whenever possible Denis Law would fly back home to Aberdeen. Denis Law was travelling home to see Diana Thomson, whom he had met whilst at home waiting for the Torino problems to be resolved. In December 1962, Denis Law signed a new contract and this he did with the full support and blessing of Matt Busby, Denis and Diana were married on the 11th December 1962. Matt Busby was a great believer in his players having the steadying influences of shouldering responsibilities, for one thing it would be less likely for you to see bad press headlines about a married soccer star attending all night booze ups. (I wonder what Sir Matt Busby would have thought about Gazza?) Besides as Denis Law says himself, "When you were treated like god at Old Trafford, to then be coming home to nappies and dirty dishes brings you back to earth pretty quickly." Now Matt Busby may have been in full agreement with the contract that Denis and Diana had signed, but as for the newly weds having a Honeymoon, what was one of them? The Laws were married on the Tuesday, and Denis was back on the field in action for his club on the Saturday afternoon, Denis was back to work as usual, this time the opposition was West Bromich Albion away. For all the wrong reasons, this was to be a football match that Denis Law would never forget. It had nothing to do with the fact that he and his bride had not been afforded the rights of newlyweds to go off on a honeymoon. But because this was the match that was to result in Denis Law becoming a marked man as far as the match officials were concerned. This persecution by referees and linesmen, wasn't to last for just a season or two, it was to continue to haunt Denis Law for the rest of his playing career. Denis Law it is safe to say did not have a good game that day, and all because of the match referee. A man who is supposed to be a neutral official in charge of the game. But he kept hurling abuse at Denis, and Denis could not begin to imagine why this supposedly neutral match official was treating him in this way, because Denis Law was sure that they had never met before, so why was Denis being singled out for all of this abuse. The match ended 3-0 in favour of West Bromich Albion, and needless to say the constant barrage of abuse from the referee Mr. Gilbert Pullin, had most definitely put Denis Law off of his game that day. In fact Denis Law was so upset by the whole episode, that he went to Matt Busby and told him the whole thing. Matt Busby thought that this was outrageous, and reported the matter to the English Football Association, and so the FA set up a disciplinary hearing and they listened to the evidence from both sides before they gave their findings. There was no way that Denis Law had done anything wrong, either during the game which would have justified the official to treat him in such a way, nor was there any reason for Denis Law to worry about the referee being brought before the disciplinary committee. The disciplinary committee found in favour of Denis Law, and Mr. Pullin, was severely reprimanded for his behaviour during the West Bromich Albion match. Mr. Pullin decided that he could not accept the committee's findings, and so he chose to resign as a referee. This effectively ended his career as a match official at any level. Justice as they say, was seen to be done, or was it? Denis Law and Matt Busby would have been forgiven for thinking in this way. Sadly though as our wee Scots hero was to find out over the course of the remaining eleven years of his footballing career. Denis Law's decision to report Mr. Pullin to the FA for his behaviour whilst in charge of the West Bromich Albion versus Manchester United match, was actually going to haunt him. Denis Law was correct to report this obvious non-neutral official. It would seem that the FA disciplinary committee agreed with the decision of Denis Law and Matt Busby. But the men in black, the other match officials had now got their backs up, and sadly for Denis Law, there were some of these referees, set out to ensure that Denis Law would pay for reporting "one of their own" to the FA. In some ways, it is a bit like the Police, neither the police nor referees like to have bent officials within their ranks, but just try and report one such official, and they close ranks very quickly, and the victim, suddenly becomes the criminal. It must have something to do with the fact that referees and policemen both wear black uniforms. Soon after that abuse filled game, there was a severe frost and the wintry conditions were such that no football was played for several weeks. During this long lay off because of the weather conditions, Denis Law as asked by Matt Busby to advise the boss with the problem of choosing between two Scotsmen for the position of wing-half. Should Busby sign Jim Baxter from Glasgow Rangers, or should he go for Celtic's Pat (Paddy) Crerand? So whom did Denis Law think Matt Busby should go for? As it turned out, Denis Law opted for Celtic's Paddy Crerand. In actual fact his first choice was Jim Baxter of Rangers, but at the same time Denis Law did not think that Jim Baxter would fit in with the Manchester United team. He felt that Jim Baxter would not be able to adapt to the difference in the pace of English football as well as Pat Crerand might. And so it was that Paddy Crerand joined Bobby Charlton and co. and teamed up with Denis Law to form a very formidable double act. Crerand would make the play and chip the ball, and with the ability that Denis Law had to read the game, he would be at the right place on the field when the ball passed by Crerand, dropped out of the sky. When Crerand joined Manchester United from Celtic, Britain was gripped by the big freeze. Pat Crerand signed on the 6th February 1963, five years to the day of the Munich air disaster. Because of the long freeze up over Britain, once the long awaited thaw came all matches at both league and Cup level were backed up. So much so that Manchester United played in and won three rounds (3rd. 4th. and 5th.) of the FA Cup in the space of two weeks. And in the process Manchester United beat Huddersfield Town 5-0 in the 3rd. round, with Denis Law scoring three of the five goals. Manchester United beat Aston Villa in the 4th. round, and then went on to beat Chelsea in the 5th. round 2-1. Manchester United's quarterfinal opponents were Coventry City from the English Second Division, and only two weeks after disposing of Chelsea; United beat the second division side 3-1. In their continued run of good fortune in the FA Cup, it was easy seen that Manchester United were doing quite well, but their league position left a lot to be desired. In the semi finals of the FA Cup, Manchester United went into the draw with Liverpool, Leicester City and second division Southampton. With a place in the 1963 FA Cup Final at Wembley at stake, and with their league campaign in tatters, Manchester United could be forgiven for hoping that they drew an easy side in the semi-finals. But given that all four of the remaining teams had all had to do well to get to the semi-final stages of the FA Cup, there was no real way of saying that any of the teams that were left in the competition were easy. Although the fact that Southampton were a second division side, would make them the under dogs, and so they could be seen as the easier club of the four. As it was Manchester United's semi-final opponents were Southampton, but the semi-final match itself, by all accounts was nothing worth writing home about. Manchester United managed to win by the narrowest of margins, with Denis Law scoring the only goal of the game. Which as it turned out was more fluke that football skill. He went to kick the ball into the back of the net, and fell on top of the ball instead, he some how managed to scramble the ball onto his foot and he kicked the ball beyond the reach of the goal keeper and into the back of the net. Relegation was staring them straight in the face, and yet here they were heading for a FA Cup Final at Wembley. Looking at Manchester United's league table placing and at the matches that they still had to play before the end of the season, it seemed inevitable that one of the two Manchester clubs were to face relegation to the second division. With only three league matches left to play the two Manchester sides met, by now it was a case of the team that won this match would stay up in the first division, whilst the team that lost were assured to be playing second division football next season. All seemed lost for the Old Trafford faithful, as they saw there team loosing by 1-0 to City. When out of the blue, Manchester City's goalkeeper, Harry Dowd pulled a stunt that almost certainly cost Manchester City their place in the first division that season. He brought down Denis Law inside the penalty box, Denis was not in a scoring position, nor was he likely to score, but Harry Dowd, pulled him to the ground. Denis Law was awarded a penalty, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. That penalty gift to United, meant that City had to win their last game of the season which was against West Ham United away at Upton Park, where as Manchester United only needed to take one point from their two remaining games. The two Manchester teams went to their respective games the week before the FA Cup Final, officially the last day of the season, but Manchester United still had to play one more league match to finish of there league season. Manchester United were at home to bottom of the league Leyton Orient, who opened the scoring against United, but it was Manchester United who took both points by winning the game 3-1. Meanwhile their neighbours City lost to West Ham United 6-1 and was relegated with Leyton Orient to he second division. Five days before they appeared in the 1963 FA Cup Final, Manchester United played their last league match of the season. It was just as well that they had managed to avoid the drop to division two, on the Saturday, because they lost their last match 3-2 to Nottingham Forest away from home. But all that mattered now was for Manchester United to concentrate on winning the FA Cup and salvaging something from what had other wise been a very dismal season. Manchester United's 1962/63 season had certainly been a mixed bag of disappointments and good fortunes, and it has to be said that they were certainly most fortunate in not being relegated at the end of the season. They certainly seemed to have enjoyed more than their fair share of good fortune in reaching the 1963 FA Cup Final at Wembley where their opponents were Leicester City, who had beaten Liverpool in the other semi-final. Leicester City's season had been in stark contrast to Manchester United's, Leicester City had been pushing for the League Championship, and lost out to Everton who finished the season on the top spot. At one point it looked very much like Leicester City were going to do the double and win both the League Championship and the FA Cup. Now all they had to aim for was the FA Cup, which they too needed to win to salvage something for their season?s hard work. But first they would have to over come the equally determined men of Matt Busby. For Matt Busby the 1962/63 season had been a time of re-building and re-grouping in the wake of Munich. Here now was a side which whilst they were still not quite championship contenders, they had gelled enough to take them all the way to a domestic Cup Final. Busby's efforts, skill and patients were at last paying off. When the Cup Final match was a mere quarter of an hour old when the Law - Crerand partnership swung into action which let Denis Law through to score the opening goal past Leicester City's Gordon Banks. By the half time whistle had been blown, David Herd had scored a second goal for Manchester United. After the interval Leicester City managed to pull back a goal, but David Herd stepped up to score his second and Manchester United's third to send the FA Cup, North to the Old Trafford Trophy Cabinet. Meanwhile Leicester City who had come some close to winning the league and cup double, were now without a single piece of silver to show for their long hard fought league and cup campaign. Denis Law was more pleased than most with this result, because both Manchester United and Manchester City had paid out vast sums of money to obtain his services, and both teams had come very close to relegation whilst Denis Law was on their team. Torino had also paid out a fortune for his services, only for the dream to turn drastically wrong. So now after all the money that had changed hands for his services, Denis Law was able to savour the feeling of winning an FA Cup Winners Medal, He was now in a team that had silver in the trophy cabinet. Looking back on his first full season with Manchester United, it was certainly very eventful for Denis Law, he had joined Manchester United with the intention of settling down, his plans for his time at Old Trafford, were, he hoped, to be long term. He had married Diana and set up a home in Chorlton - cum - Hardy. So was this now where Denis Law was meant to be? Would this be where he would find footballing glory in the shape of winners medals, for Cup Finals, and League Championships? Would there be the glory of European trophies at Old Trafford? Only time would tell, and Denis Law at the age of 23 had all the time in the world. The Manchester United team that defeated Leicester City in the 1963 F.A, Cup Final were, Gaskill, Dunne, Noel Cantwell was captain, Bill Foulkes, Setters, Pat Crerand, Albert Quixall, David Herd who had scored two of the goals, Nobby Stiles, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. During the summer break Manchester United travelled around Italy playing various Italian teams and their first port of call was, would you believe it Turin, but Denis Law could relax the opponents were not Torino but their rivals Juventus. Back home and the opening march of the 1963/64 season saw Manchester United as FA Cup Winners playing in the FA Charity Shield against Everton who were the 1963 First Division Champions. The two sides met at Wembley, and the Old Trafford side got off to a very bad start to the new the season by loosing the Charity Shield Match to Everton, by a humiliating 4-0. However Manchester United did gain revenge for loosing that match at Wembley to the League Champions, once the league match got under way. They had their chance to make up for the previous seasons poor performances and in the third league match of the new season. Manchester United was at home to Everton. On this occasion it was Manchester United who came out on top, with a final score of 5-1 to the "REDS". A short time later Manchester United travelled to Ipswich Town, where they hammered them 7-2, Denis Law score three of his sides seven goals, which if you remember was one goal less than the number he scored against the same team at the same venue in the previous season. Soon after, and having dropped only two points from a possible maximum fourteen, Manchester United found themselves sitting on top of the English League Division One. But for how long? This season was to be one of the most memorable in Denis Law's playing career. One game in which he featured large, and yet is not mentioned amongst the statistics listed in Chapter twelve of this book, this is not because of any oversight, but because it was a game that was not covered by any of the categories listed in that chapter. This very special football match found Denis Law being given one of the highest honours of his playing career. Denis Law was to find out that he had been selected to join an all star international team to represent "The Rest of the World", to play in a match at Wembley, a match that was scheduled to be an exhibition of international footballing skill, with England as the opposition. Denis Law was only 23 years old and yet here he was about to join the ranks of, and rub shoulders with many of the all time giants of international football, such as Yashin of Russia, Eusebio of Portugal and Puskas of Hungary, to name but a few. Denis Law was not the only Scotsman to be selected to join this 16-man squad of football's international elite. Glasgow Rangers' Jim Baxter was also named as part of the squad. This International display of footballing talent was played at Wembley on 23rd October 1963; (this was just four weeks before the world was rocked by news of the assassination of America's President John F. Kennedy). Denis Law scored for The Rest of the World team, but this was not enough to prevent England from winning the match by 2-1. Perhaps if the Brazilian Pele had not had to miss this match because of injuries, the match may have turned out to be a fantastic display of talent and skill, and had Pele played, I doubt if England would have won the game. On the European front, Manchester United as FA Cup winners, were entered into the European Cup-Winners Cup Competitions, their first round opponents were Willem II, and they were easily over come, their 2nd. round opponents were the Cup holders Tottenham Hotspur, and Spurs won the first leg 2-0. The tables were turned only a few weeks later when Manchester United came out on top after the second leg, they won by 4-1 in extra-time, and although Denis Law missed the game through suspension and the Spurs and Scotland skipper, Dave Mackay broke his leg during this game. It was a game full of tension and excitement. This meant that having beaten the holders, Manchester United were now into the quarterfinals where they met Sporting Lisbon at Old Trafford. Manchester United won the first leg of the tie 4-1, and so they went to Lisbon for the second tie of the quarterfinal with a very good chance of proceeding possibly all the way to the finals. Their play in Portugal let them down, and something went sadly wrong on the day, and Lisbon beat Manchester United 5-0, and so won through to the semi-final stages by an aggregate of 6-4. Things were going very well for both our young hero and for Manchester United. United were riding on a high, they could appear to do no wrong. Then in November 1963 Manchester United were playing at Villa Park against Aston Villa, when the bubble burst. Manchester United was defeated 4-0, and following a barrage of physical abuse by Villa's Alan Deakin on Denis Law, Denis snapped and made a gesture towards Deakin. Unfortunately the referee made a gesture towards Denis Law, and Denis found himself being sent off the field and heading for the dressing rooms and an early bath. Denis Law had only been sent off once before, and that was during his unhappy spell with Torino. But now he had been ordered off during a domestic game, and he had anything but a clean sheet when it came to discipline on the field. He had already picked up three cautions that season, and so now he would have to appear before the FA disciplinary committee for a suitable punishment to be given for this action on the field. Denis had been given a seven day suspension once before from the committee, but he had not served this as he went to Italy. Now that he was back playing in England would they take this into consideration or would they judge him on his record since his return to Britain? Twenty-eight days suspension! That was an unheard of punishment, surely there had been a mistake. Had they confused Denis Law with some one else, or had they swiftly re-written the punishments just especially for Denis? Twenty-eight days, and yet Denis was the victim and not the villain of the match. Alan Deakin had been the villain and yet as has happened so often, Deakin was never brought to book for his offences on the field. And all because yet another supposed neutral match official decided to excise a little selective blindness, and only see what he wanted to see and disregard anything else that happened. This sadly was nothing new in the 1960's and it is still happening in the football of the 1990's. The game of football has suffered over the years by these supposed neutrals who seem to go power crazy - perhaps, as the fans often call out from the terraces, it has something to do with their parents and whether or not they were ever married. I have seen many games over the last 35 years or so, and many a game has suffered because of the "b*****d" in charge of the match. Perhaps in this case the match official was just exercising his right to be a pure "b*****d" on the field. There again, perhaps he was one of those officials who applied the 11th Commandment (as not contained in the FA Rule Book) "Thou shalt not report bent, or unfriendly match officials (such as Gilbert Pullin) to the FA, because if you do, "WE WILL GET OUR OWN BACK". Three weeks before the Christmas of 1963, Denis Law played in his last game before his "enforced" break from football started. Manchester United was at home to Stoke City, and Denis Law, played his last pre-suspension game with flair and dignity. He was going to go out in style, his style, and Manchester United won the match comfortably by 5 goals to 2 and Denis Law went out with a flourish, and scored three of those five goals. During Denis' enforced lay off, a legend was born, George Best played only his second game in three months whilst Denis was out of action. In fact George Best's debut appearance was also in the absence of Denis Law, but then it was because of injuries. George Best appeared in the last match in December of 1963, and he scored, and from then on only suspension or injuries kept him out of the team. George Best had now become a regular member of the team. Was it possible that this teenager from Ireland, could be the final piece of the puzzle in Matt Busby's plans to rebuild Manchester United? Shortly after his suspension had been served, Noel Cantwell was dropped from the team, and the mantle of team captain was given to Denis Law. At this point in the season, Manchester United were looking at the possibility of lifting not one but three trophies by the end of the season. But as so many great clubs have learned to their cost. When you are successful in more than one competition at a time, there is the danger of having to play in too many games in too short a space of time. Sadly the outcome is that you end up at the end of the season with nothing on the trophy cabinet but dust. This is how it the 1963/64 season turned out for Manchester United, they were to miss out on the European Cup-Winners Cup, and the FA Cup, and they were also to fail in their bid to be the First Division League Champions. First of all they lost in the semi-final of the FA Cup to West Ham United. Then five days later they lost 5-0 to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, in the Cup-Winners Cup, and then Manchester United's hopes of becoming League Champions ended when Liverpool 3-0 beat them in the last weeks of the league campaign. Liverpool was crowned as the league champions that season and Manchester United had to settle for being runners-up. The 1963/64 season saw Manchester United resembling Leicester City only 12 months ago, they too had so much to hope for and yet they ended their season without a trophy. Then again when you compared the two seasons 1962/63 and 1963/64 Manchester United had been so near to relegation, yet they won the FA Cup, this time they had no trophy, but they had reached the last four of the FA Cup. They had reached the last eight of the European Cup-Winners Cup, and they finished runners-up in the first division, so apart from the obvious, "No Trophies", their season had actually been much better than the previous one. This was a team that would soon be on the glory trial once again. The rebuilding would seem to have been completed, it was now only a case of refining and polishing up the talent and skills that were at hand. They may have ended up without a trophy. But now Manchester United had a team that were "united" in name, and "united" in their commitment, and after all as runners-up in the first division, meant that Manchester United would now be entitled to play in next season's Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. (Now known as the UEFA Cup). The forth coming season of 1964-65 would surely have much to offer this new look Manchester United team, giving the players and fans alike something to cheer about, but most importantly, perhaps at the end of this new season, there might just be some silverware in the Trophy Room. It's a boy! The Law's were proud to announce in that Summer of 1964 that they now had their very own bundle of sleepless nights. Gary Law was born in June, and gave dad Denis more responsibilities. Goal scorer, National hero and a Dad. All at the same time. For most of the rest of us being a parent, and holding down a full time job are hard enough, but as for being a hero, that is something that we tend to leave to others. Chapter seven Domestic Glory....then go for Europe Much had to be done to bring Manchester United to European glory or even domestic honours. But Matt Busby, had taken over as manager of Manchester United after the war, and had had to rebuild a team and a reputation. A decade later he was rebuilding a second team with a great reputation. Sadly this team was all but totally killed off as a result of the Munich disaster. It almost killed Busby as well, but such was the resolve of this quite giant from Scotland, that he not only survived the crash, but he came back to the helm at Old Trafford. Where he once again set to the task of rebuilding a team. And not just an ordinary team, making up the numbers in the English Football League. This was a team who would grow in stature, this was a team that was going to put fear in the hearts of the opponents, and this was going to be a team that was going to have a worldwide following. But this was far off yet, and here they were at the start of the 1964-65 and if they didn't start getting some silverware for the at present empty trophy room, Busby would have to try and find another use for the brasso in his bottom drawer. They could not linger on the FA Cup win that had given them hope after their poor showing in the League campaign of 1962-63, that was history, and Manchester United needed more than memories of a domestic cup win. Europe had to be their main goal, if you can be successful in Europe, then you know that you have a great team, but after a poor league campaign in 1962-63, and nothing in the trophy cabinet for 1963-64, things must improve in this new season of 1964-65. It was time for Manchester United to prove to the world that they were at last a side to be reckoned with. The new season got under way, Denis Law was now a dad, and there was now a new face in the line up as Manchester United made their bid for the 1964-65 League Championship Trophy. Matt Busby had signed John Connelly, who had been playing on the right wing for Burnley two seasons before when Burnley had come to Old Trafford, and after a 7-goal spree, had left victors beating Manchester United 5-2. Manchester United had paid £56,000 to Burnley to obtain the services of John Connelly. Busby had seen that United's problems appeared to be on the right wing of the field, so by acquiring Connelly, Matt Busby was hoping that he had finally solved their problems, and now he had hopefully found his missing link. Was it coincidence or was it providence that saw John Connelly make his league debut in a Manchester United RED shirt against West Bromich Albion, both Denis Law and Georgie Best had made their league debuts in that famous RED shirt against West Bromich Albion. Denis believed that for the first time since he had arrived at Old Trafford, that they now had a settled team. As you can appreciate, this new team needed a few games together before they could gel into a united fighting force. They dropped points galore in the first half dozen or so games but by the time Christmas was approaching they were sitting on top of the league with Chelsea a very close second. Not only had there league campaign taken a turn for the better, in the same period, they had been more that victorious in Europe. Manchester United dumped Djurgaarden 7-2 on aggregate, and then they dumped Dortmund by 10-1 aggregate score, both games taking place in the then Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, now called simply the UEFA Cup. Large scores at home too; they had beaten Aston Villa 7-0 at Old Trafford in the same spell. Had they turned the tables? Was this the finished version of what Matt Busby had twice before set out to achieve? They were playing much better, they were definitely a "united" side, but the end of the season was still a long way off. They had been in the running last season and ended up with nothing in the way of honours or silverware to show for their efforts. During this 1964-65 season, violence on and off the field was very much an area of concern for the FA bosses down at Lancaster gate. Several ideas were been tossed about as a means of getting tough with the bad guys of English football. On such punishment that was hinted at by the then FA Secretary, Denis Follows, was that they might introduce a half season ban as a way of getting the bad guys to set a better image for the game and for the fans on the terraces. So with the possibility of getting banned from the game for a whole "half" of a football season, Denis Law goes and gets himself in trouble with the big boys at Lancaster Gate yet again. Once again Denis Law had fallen foul of the men in black. Manchester United was playing Blackpool away in the league. Denis Law had a few clashes with Blackpool's Alan Ball, (later to play in the 1966 World Cup Team, and go on to several none too successful managerial posts.) Eventually the referee booked Denis for a foul on Alan Ball. United team Paddy Crerand, knowing that Denis would not be well pleased at being booked yet again, came over to the wee Aberdonian and tried to get him to calm down. Well that was Paddy's big mistake, but it was Denis who would pay the price for Crerand's well meant gesture. Denis Law was not in the mood to listen to anyone, not even fellow team mate, Paddy Crerand, and Denis gave Paddy quite an earful of a savoury, selection of words in purest Doric, (Aberdeen's native twang). Now Denis knew he was swearing at Paddy Crerand, and Paddy was in no doubt that Denis was indeed swearing at him. Needless to say, however that the man in black, was convinced that the choice words were in fact aimed at him, and him alone, and so Denis Law was ordered off the field. It was daft, but what else could Denis do but walk from the park. Having been sent off yet again, Denis Law was fearing the worst possible punishment was about to be handed out to him by the game's administrators at the FA H.Q. So was Denis Law about to get the half season ban? The popular belief was, YES, the FA Chiefs were "going to make an example of Law". As it turned out Denis Law was not a scapegoat, but he was suspended for 28 days, not for half the season as first was feared, and he was given a £50 fine. He had been let off lightly, but at the same time he was actually being punished incorrectly. Denis felt that he was he victim of circumstances, but his suspension did mean that he could take his wife and young Gary back to Aberdeen for Christmas. Did he plan to get sent home in time for Christmas or was this just a lucky break from a hectic league programme? In Aberdeen we have a saying that "What goes round, comes round". In other words, we believe that if some one does us a wrong deed, then there is no need for us to try and get our own back, because that person will get their "come uppance", with out any involvement from us. After Christmas, Denis returned to Old Trafford to start training prior to the end of his suspension, to get match fit. The match referee at the Blackpool game was a Mr. Rhodes, and it looked like he indeed was about to get his "come uppance", he had been giving confidential information about Denis Law's hearing at the FA headquarters to a certain Sunday newspaper. The FA for this breech hauled him over the coals in confidentiality, and he was ordered against doing anything like this ever again. The warning obviously made no impression on the referee, an he certainly appeared not some much to get his "come uppance", but he did get something, as Denis Law mentions in his book "Denis Law an Autobiography", "Some years later I bumped into him at Barcelona airport when my wife and I were on holiday in Spain. I went into the men's cloakroom and there was this familiar-looking chap standing next to me. He recognised me immediately and, to my amazement, boasted to me that he had made £7,000 out of stories he had given the newspapers concerning trouble he had had with Malcolm Allison and me. 'I made a lot of money out of you,' he said. I could hardly believe his cheek. That chance encounter put a dampener on my holiday. I couldn't get his words out of my mind. I had lost nearly £1,000 in wages and bonuses, and he was boasting about having made £7,000 out of it." On the brighter side of things, it was whilst Denis was serving his suspension for the swearing and fouling at Blackpool, that he was named as the European Footballer of the Year. Denis Law became only the second British player to be given this prestigious award, the first being the late Sir Stanley Matthews. The new year had arrived and like previous seasons, Manchester United was chasing not one, but three, items of silver as the run into the end of the season began to take on an emphasis. With every point becoming more and more valuable as teams fought to be champions and others were fighting to save themselves from relegation into the lower leagues. Manchester United had been replaced at the top of the first division. Not by the boys in blue at Stamford Bridge. No not Chelsea, but newly promoted Leeds United led by the late Don Reevie, had taken the top slot, and the leagues new boys would have to be toppled if Manchester United were to win the league, but this was not to be a two horse race. Denis Law came back from suspension to a place against Nottingham Forest at the City ground, in January 1965. Forest was also in with a shout at the title. Denis Law was please to come back from suspension and score both of United's goals in the 2-2 draw that day. Manchester United's European campaign was still very much alive. They had beaten two of Europe's finest teams in the first two rounds of the Fairs Cup, now they were to meet fellow English league team Everton in the third, they drew 2-2 at Old Trafford, and then went on to win 2-1 the following month at Goodison Park. This took Manchester United into the quarterfinals where they were drawn against Strasbourg. Manchester United won the first leg of the match handsomely taking a 5-0 lead to the second leg at home at Old Trafford. Before that second leg Denis Law was presented with his golden football, his trophy for being European Footballer of the Year. This was the highlight of the night, because the game was a goal less draw, but Manchester United were now in the semi-finals of a European tournament. Their opponents in the semi-final were to be the Hungarian team Ferencvaros, at that time one of the top teams of Europe. One of those playing for the Hungarian side at this time was Zoltan Varga, who, after gaining political asylum, was able to come and play for Aberdeen at Pittodrie and he became a great favourite with the Aberdeen fans. (So much so that I remember hearing on the local news on Northsound Radio that a "12 year old boy had fallen from an old Air Raid shelter, in the Woodside area of the city". (Where Denis Law was born), But it continued, "Zoltan Varga Anderson, was able to go home after treatment at the local Royal Infirmary." That wee boy must be about 20 or 21 years old (by the time of publication.) The two teams met for the first leg at Old Trafford where Manchester United won 3-2 Herd scoring two and Denis Law making it three. Having had to endure tight security measures and long bus journeys and border check points that resembled something more often akin to the film, The Great Escape, than a trip to a European semi-final second leg match. Manchester United lost the match 1-0, and with the aggregate score at 3-3, and you may have though that with the away goals rule, Manchester United were out of the competition. This was 1965, and there was no away goals rule. The managers had to toss a coin to see who would have the home advantage for the replay match. Not only did Matt Busby loose the toss, but also Manchester United subsequently lost the match 2-1. Once again then their European dreams had been shattered but they had been beaten by the club that went on to beat Juventus 1-0 in the final to lift the Fairs Cup. This was their second semi-final defeat of the season as they had already been knocked out of the FA Cup by Leeds United who under Reevie seemed destined to go on to greater things. The FA Cup semi like the Fairs Cup had gone to a replay, and United were out. Once again a season that had promised so much and yet from three trophies looking set to take pride of place in the trophy room at Old Trafford, here they were out of two of those competitions. Leeds United were clear of Manchester United at the top of the league, they had beaten Manchester United in their first league meeting of the season, they had dumped Manchester United out of yet another FA Cup, which was Manchester United's fourth FA Cup semi-final defeat in four successive seasons. It seemed to most that Manchester United was destined NOT to go to Wembley. They still had one chance to get revenge against Leeds in the league, but the needed Leeds to fall from the top place in the league. When they did meet at Elland Road, Leeds was 3 points clear at the top of the league. John Connelly scored the only game of the match to close the gap on Leeds who were now only one point in front. John Connelly, who had been the man Busby had bought to complete his team, had certainly paid back his transfer fee and how. Since that first match at the beginning of the season against West Bromich Albion, but Connelly, Busby and the others knew that there was still a lot of hard work ahead of them if they were to clinch that top stop and win the league. Having beaten Leeds United at Elland Road, Manchester United then went to St. Andrew's Park and beat Birmingham City 4-2, they were now siting on the top of the English first division, but the league was not won yet. Arsenal came to Old Trafford on the last Monday in April 1965; this was Manchester United's penultimate match of the season. Leeds United were playing that same night at St. Andrew's Park against Birmingham City, it was all a case of "ifs", "if they do this and we do such and such". The only way to get that league trophy was to go out and beat Arsenal, and see what news came through from St. Andrew's. The Arsenal match was one that Denis Law felt sure he was going to have to sit out, because he had needed stitches in his knee after the previous game against Liverpool. Denis was stunned to hear the boss tell him that he WAS going to play against Arsenal that night. Denis played with his knee well strapped up and he still managed to score two of Manchester United's three goals in their 3-1 win. What an atmosphere there must have been in Old Trafford that night. Law with his leg strapped up scores twice. United win the match 3-1 and then the news came through from St. Andrew's Park that Leeds United were loosing, YES, loosing 3-0 to Birmingham City, but then it was 3-1 Birmingham, then it became 3-2 Birmingham, then Leeds United pulled the score back to 3-3. Then the final whistle went at both stadiums. Manchester United had not only won the match. But because Leeds United could only muster a 3-3 draw, Manchester United, with still one match in the league to go, could not now be caught, they had done it at last, Manchester United WERE League Champions for 1964-65. More especially for the manager Matt Busby, that night was extra special. Only seven years after that fateful night in Munich, he had taken a raw side, moulded it, re-shaped it, re-built it. Yes he had for a third time taken a Manchester United side re-built it, and now they were heading back to Europe as contenders for the European Cup. Once again Matt Busby had Europe's greatest Football Trophy in his sights. That night belonged to Matt Busby. Chapter eight European Glory, 10 years after Munich Now that Manchester United had won the league, the other first division teams were more determined to beat them in the 1965-66 season, because it is a fact that everybody wants to be able to say, "We beat the Champions." Managers of all league teams that have won their respective league titles and especially those who have entered the European Cup campaign as a result, retaining the league title and maintaining a successful European campaign is virtually impossible, although Liverpool did manage a magnificent double back in 1977. The 1965-66 league campaign was no different for Manchester United, their league form dropped especially after playing a mid week game in Europe, loosing badly in the Saturday league match. Well if you don't seem to be able to hang on to your league title, better try and win a trophy, but which one? European glory is always that main aim of any club team in the top flight of the game. It seemed to all intents and purposes that Manchester United were going to go all the way in Europe in 1966, they had beaten Helsinki, and then they beat off ASK Vorwaerts, then came Benfica in the quarter-finals. Benfica had appeared in four of the previous five European Cup Finals, and Manchester United knew that they were not going to be an easy team to beat. At Old Trafford in the first leg, Foulkes, Herd and Law all scored and it looked like they were heading for a 3-1 victory. However near the end of the game, the score was 3-2, and a single goal lead going to Portugal for the second leg was not going to be enough to ensure a semi-final place. The second leg was seen as being a very tight test of skill on the part of Busby' Boys, and skill they displayed in abundance. With only a one-goal lead going into the game, the odds were most definitely against Manchester United. Benfica were not ready for the Irish magic from the feet of Georgie Best, he scored twice in the first half, and John Connelly made it three by half time, and Bobby Charlton and Paddy Crerand brought the final score round to 5-1. Was it a miracle, well if it was it was an Irish miracle, and the Portugese Press dubbed George Best "El Beatle". Now Manchester United were the favourites to lift the 1966 European Cup, and in doing so, become the first British team to do so. But they were soon brought back down to earth with a bump, when the lost their semi-finals to unknown Partizan of Belgrade 2-1. Meanwhile back home on the domestic front, the FA Cup run was showing fruit, Manchester United defeated Derby County, Rotherham, Wovles then Preston North End, but the Preston tie proved to be very costly, as Georgie Best was brought down and aggravated a cartilage. Manchester United had made the record books by gaining a place in the FA Cup semi-final for the fifth season in a row. But like their cup runs of previous season, they fell in the semi-final in a scrappy match against Everton who won 1-0. Two semi-finals in less that two weeks and Manchester United lost them both by an odd goal. To add to Denis' displeasure, Scotland were not in the 1966 World Cup Finals, and they were being held in England, and to add insult to injury, England had recently beaten Scotland 4-3 at Hampden. Yet another lost game by yet another odd goal, but he did manage to score one of Scotland's goals. Whilst Britain was settling down to get to grips with the World Cup Finals coming live on TV and radio from England, the news in the Press was that "Manchester United had Transfer Listed Denis Law." Actually Denis Law did not want to leave Old Trafford, but he had sent Matt Busby a letter and an ultimatum, regarding a signing on fee, as his contract was about due for renewal. He also wanted more money, and if Matt Busby didn't come up with the cash, Denis Law wanted a move. As I said all he really wanted was more cash, but Matt Busby called his bluff and issued a press release stating that Denis Law was now on the transfer list. That was the last thing that Denis Law wanted, especially with his wife about to give birth to their second child A new child on the way and by all accounts no job guarantee. Bye the way the song that was Top of the Pops that week was a Beatle's song, which appeared to be rather appropriate, given Denis Law's predicament. That song was, "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away." As it turned out he did get a pay rise and so he signed his new contract, but that was never issued as a Press Release. On July 30th 1966 everyone and his dog, in Britain was watching the World Cup Final from Wembley, everyone except Denis Law and his friend John Hogan, they were actually playing golf near Denis' home at Chorlton-cum-Hardy, anything rather than watch England, that was Denis' idea. Back in the clubhouse, members couldn't wait for Denis to come back in from his round of golf to announce that England had won the World Cup. The new season 1966-67 had began and they had no need to worry about getting beaten in Europe this season, because they had not qualified for any of the European tournaments. So they could look forward instead to a season chasing another league championship and see if they could indeed be the first British team to lift that famous trophy. Denis Law so the new season as being very special because he had scored 12 goals in the first dozen games of the season, and more so, his second goal against Everton at the start of the season was his 100th League goal for Manchester United. It took him 139 league games and was spread over 4 seasons. Two seasons before hand John Connelly was brought into the side to make a difference, and make a difference he did. So why now was he suddenly being sold off to Blackburn Rovers? He had previously been Manchester United's top scorer in Europe with six goals in their European Cup campaign. But he was gone and that was that. George Best took over Connelly's role on the right wing and John Aston moved to the left wing. Another change that season was the signing of the new goalkeeper Alex Stepney. Following these changes the league campaign was full of ups and downs, players sold off, points dropped, then the big push to win the league championship again. Manchester United lost 4-1 to Nottingham Forest; dropping only one point out of a possible sixteen followed this. Aston Villa then beat Manchester United 2-1, then they pulled off a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Old Trafford, they then lost 2-1 to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, and this was to be Manchester United's last ever defeat in the league for that 1966-67 campaign. Manchester United again failed to get to Wembley in the FA Cup being knocked out by second division Norwich City. With no cup run to hold them back Manchester United had only the title race to go for. Manchester United didn't score many goals in their run up to the end of the season winning by the odd goal in each game but they were winning meant 2 points per win, be it by one goal or by a landslide. Then they were held to a goal less draw by Newcastle United at St. James Park. That draw was enough to take them to the top of the league table. By the end of the season Manchester United were sitting four points clear at the top of the league and so they were to be crowned the First Division Champions again. They were back on the road to European Cup Glory. Yes, Manchester United had yet another chance to try and lift that European Cup, but they now knew that before they started their new European Campaign, that they were not destined to be the first British Club to lift the European Cup. Glasgow Celtic beat them to it by one season, Celtic under the management of the late Jock Stein, were to be the first British team to bring home the European Cup and the did so in 1967. Well done the Lisbon Lions. Celtic beat Inter-Milan 2-1. Looking forward to this new season of 1967-68, knowing that they had been beaten to that all illusive European Cup by Jock Stein's Glasgow Celtic, Matt Busby, had to lift his team to the point where they would out play ALL opposition and go for European glory themselves. After all Celtic was not an English team; therefore Manchester United could still be the first ENGLISH league team to win the European Cup. They did after all have World Cup Medal winners in the Manchester United side, players like little Nobby Styles with his now famous toothless grin. He had a reputation for being a very formidable tackler, which he was. I remember seeing him on many occasions after the World Cup Finals. He was a tremendous player, but he did not deserve the reputation given him by the fans and the press for being a dirty player. Manchester United also had Bobby Charlton in their side, who of course was one of the survivors of the 1958 Munich crash, he had won a World Cup Winners medal, but he was still looking for glory in the European Cup. Now Sir Bobby Charlton, he is still with the Manchester United side now serving them as a Director. He never felt the urge to go into management with United or with any other team, unlike his brother Jackie Charlton formerly of Leeds United and England, who made such an impact on the International scene as the manager of the Irish Republic. The new season was full of prospects of glory and winners medals - European glory could be theirs, it was theirs for the taking. However for Denis Law this was not to turn out to be one of his better seasons. The knee injury he had picked up way back on 23rd May 1965 playing for Scotland against Poland at Chorzow. Denis Law had scored Scotland's only goal in the 1-1 draw, but the knock that he had taken on his knee during that match was to haunt him for the rest of his career. It was to lead to Denis Law calling a halt to his professional career earlier than the fans would have liked him to. During the season his quick temper was once again going to get the better of him. He was trying very hard to control his temper on the field, he had not been in trouble with the match referees for quite some time, but one day fellow Scot Ian Ure was to get on his wrong side and fireworks went off and so did both players. The match referee sent them both packing for the violence that erupted on the field after some heated exchanges by both players. So once again Denis Law had fallen foul of the man in black, and he must therefore make yet another appearance before the FA Chiefs at Lancaster Gate. Manchester United were playing Arsenal that day and the match was inside the last few minutes of the game, when after yet another fierce tackle, Denis Law found himself flat on his back on the grass. That was that, Denis had had enough and he was looking for revenge. Suddenly all those chats in Busby's office about his temper, just evaporated. Denis Law decided to land one on Ian Ure's chin, but he missed. It mattered not because even though he missed, he was seen by the match referee, and so both Denis Law and Ian Ure were ordered off the field, so both of them would have to appear at Lancaster Gate. Would Denis Law get the six-month ban that had been suggested on an earlier occasion, they both had to wait and see? In the end they were both given a six-week suspension from league football. Not long after the sending off both Denis Law and Ian Ure were to be teammates for Scotland on 21st October 1967 in their match in Belfast against Northern Ireland, which Scotland lost 1-0. Denis Law's knee injury was again to bother him as a result of another kick to the same knee during that match in Belfast. The six weeks suspension should have been fine for resting this troublesome knee but it wasn't to be. Injections of cortizone did nothing to help. By January 1968 with the build up to the team?s hopes of European glory, Denis Law had been advised that he would require surgery but not until the end of the season, which was months away. Matt Busby decided that Denis Law should perhaps see another specialist, and so it was that Denis Law went to Harley Street. This time the specialist reported that Denis Law's knee would not last more than ONE more season in first class football. Denis Law had had an operation to remove a cartilage almost a decade ago when he was with Huddersfield Town, but now it would seem that there was still something there that should not be. But even fresh surgery could not guarantee to stop Denis Law's knee from degenerating and leading to the end of his football career. But only ONE more season in first class football? Surely not. There was just the slightest of chances that if Denis Law was to under go fresh surgery, that his career in first class football could be extended, but it was not certain to work. It was something of a gamble that the player and his club management would have to consider very carefully. Sadly the medical attention shown by British Clubs in the 1960's was far behind the quality of medical care given to players playing in Europe. Despite views to the contrary, a club's medical provision for the playing staff required them to have more than a box of Band Aids, a jar of Vaseline and that all import 'Magic Sponge." Things have changed at the bigger clubs over the last 30 years or so, but the European league teams can still put our top league teams to shame over what they provide in the way of medical facilities for their players. Denis Law was to miss out in the European Cup run as well as missing many of that season?s league campaign matches. He was due to play in the home leg of the third round of the European Cup, but he reacted badly to a pain killing injection, and was unable to walk let alone play football. Despite not having Denis Law to help them in the bid for European glory, Manchester United beat Gornik Zabrze of Poland 2-1 on aggregate, having already progressed to the third round without Denis who was out because of suspension, again. Law-less Manchester United were now into the semi-finals of the European Cup for the fourth time in their history, and having only been in the tournament four times, this was some achievement. The had however never as yet appeared in a European Cup Final. It was now a decade after Munich, would they be able to keep the momentum going and reach that final? For the first few months of 1968 Denis Law was to go through periods of shear hell because of the pain and suffering caused by his knees. Denis Law was now at home in Chorlton-cum-Hardy by himself as Di and the two boys had returned to Aberdeen to await the arrival of their third baby. Manchester United were having their own problems on the field in their campaign to retain the League Championship, they had been sitting pretty with points in hand over their opponents, but then a run of defeats saw them loose their grip on that top spot. To rub salt in their wounds, as if loosing the league title wasn't bad enough; they went and lost it to neighbours Manchester City. Desperate for anything that would ease the pain Denis Law started seeing an osteopath, visits to the osteopath were to continue until the end of his footballing career. On a brighter note however, Di gave birth to a third son, Robert Law was born on April 14th. Denis himself was now having to set his sights on playing for Manchester United in the European Cup semi-final against Real Madrid, less than a fortnight after the birth of young Robert. He was not match fit and did not feel that he should be playing, but play he did and thanks to a Georgie Best goal, Manchester United came out on top 1-0, but would a one goal lead be enough to see them through the second leg in Madrid. In Madrid Denis Law had to decide what he was to do, for the best as far as Manchester United were concerned, and for the best as far as not doing further damage to that knee of his. He did not want to play, and felt that he could not drop out for this match then expect to just waltz back in for a place in the final. Denis Law did not play in that second leg semi-final. It looked very much like Real Madrid was going through to the final, as they were 3-1 up on the night against Manchester United. But the Old Trafford men fought on and came back to draw 3-3 on the night and therefore go through by 4 goals to 3 on aggregate. Denis Law was to be admitted to hospital for the all-important surgery to his knee before the European Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. This was to be England's second most important Football Final from Wembley in two years, but for most in the whole of Britain, this Final was more important than the Jules Rimmet Trophy that Bobby Moore had held aloft on that July Saturday back in 1966. This was ten years after the crash in Munich that had all but killed off a Manchester United side that seemed destined for European glory. I doubt if anyone one in Britain wasn't willing Matt Busby's men on to victory that night. Everyone would have been remembering Munich, and although nothing would ever wipe out the memory of that awful night, Manchester United just had to win, but not for themselves, as much as for their manager Matt Busby. And win they did, and I wouldn't be surprised if all of Europe shed a tear that night as they shared the joy of the victory for Matt Busby, and yet also shedding a tear for those who had perished ten years before. And so the ex - Company Sgt Major, who had taken over as manager at the end of the Second World War, and who had successfully re-built the team three times, finally this was HIS night. The night that he had been aiming forever since he first arrived at Old Trafford. Manchester United had come to Wembley with one thought in mind, to win the European Cup. And they had to over come the Portuguese side Benfica, but they had the edge in as much as they had scored five goals against them in Portugal the last time both sides had met. Plus Manchester United had the home advantage of playing at Wembley. I watched the match in Gibraltar on Spanish TV with the volume turned down because we had a radio near by with commentary from the BBC. The match was the best game that I had ever seen and apart from watching Aberdeen beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Gothenburg in 1983 to win the European Cup Winners Cup, I doubt if I have ever seen such a game of football. I remember when that final whistle went that night back in 1968. Gibraltar erupted, car horns, hooters. You name it they made a noise with it, and in the morning as I walked to school near the RAF base, I could see the result of the Manchester United victory had been grafittied on many of the otherwise whitewashed walls. Man Utd 4 - Benfica 1 in bright red paint all over the place. Denis Law had to watch the cup final in hospital, but by then he had had his operation, and they had found something, slightly more than an inch in length, so at least he knew that as some had inferred, it was not all in his head. He did not receive a winners medal, but he was a clubman, and the club had won the greatest Club honour that ever there was. Manchester United were the best in Europe and now it was official. The match itself was a nail-biting event that went into extra time; Manchester United opened up the scoring with the old maestro of the team Bobby Charlton scoring his 20th goal in European matches. Brassa scored the equaliser for Benfica and so the final went into extra time. The extra time session was only three minutes old when Georgie Best scored Manchester United's second goal. United?s third goal was scored by Brian Kidd who was celebrating his 19th. Birthday, and so that goal, I am sure was a very welcome birthday present. The final say in the match went to their opening scorer who, because of the crash in 1958 was robbed of a possible final appearance then. Bobby Charlton closed this chapter of events for Manchester United by scoring their fourth goal of the game and his 21st. goal in Europe. As the celebration got under way, I am sure that Mr. Busby and others involved with the club, staff players and fans alike, would have reflected on what might have been a decade ago. Thinking back to the night when twenty three people travelling on the same flight with the club died in Munich, including, 3 staff members, 8 sports writers and 8 team players, Flight Crew and two others. The following pages are a list of those that perished and of those who survived the crash of British European Airways Charter Flight 609 Zulu Uniform that crashed in Munich at 15:04 hrs. on Thursday, 6th. February 1958. "LEST WE FORGET" The Team Geoff Bent (reserve left back), Roger Byrne (left back), Eddie Coleman (right half), Duncan Edwards left half) Mark Jones (centre half), David Pegg (outside left), Tommy Taylor (centre forward), and Billy Whelan (inside right). The Club Officials Walter Crickmer (Club Secretary), Tom Curry (Trainer) and Bert Whalley (Coach). The Press Men Henry Rose (Daily Express) , Alf Clarke (Manchester Evening Chronicle), Don Davies (Manchester Guardian), George Follows (Daily Herald), Tom Jackson (Manchester Evening News), Archie Ledbrooke (Daily Mirror), Frank Swift (News of the World), and Eric Thompson (Daily Mail). Frank Swift had been a player with Manchester City. The Flight Crew Captain Kenneth G. Rayment (Co-pilot) and W. T. Cable (Steward). The Others Mr. B.P. Miklos (Travel Agent) and Mr. Willie Satinoff The Survivors Matthew "Matt" Busby (Manager) The Team Johnny Berry (outside right), Jackie Blanchflower (centre half), Bobby Charlton (inside left), Billy Foulkes (right back), Harry Gregg and Ray Wood (goal keepers), Ken Morgans (outside right), Albert Scanlon (outside left), and Denis Violet (inside left). The Press Men Ted Ellyard and Peter Howard (both photographers with the Daily Mail), & Frank Taylor (News Chronicle). The Flight Crew Captain Jas. Thain (Pilot), G. Rodgers (Radio Officer), Margaret Bellis & Rosemary Cheverton (Stewardesses), The Others Mrs. Vera Lukic and her baby, Mrs. B.P. Miklos and N. Tomasevic As for further glory in the European Cup Competitions, British clubs were not to get this close to another European Cup victory until Leeds United were the next British team to reach a European Cup Final in 1975, sadly they lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich. The defeat of Leeds United disappointing as it was, did spark what was almost a decade of dominance in the European Cup by English clubs. Glasgow Celtic may have had to live in the shadow of rivals Glasgow Rangers for the last decade or so, but Celtic were the last Scottish side to reach the final. English clubs however, made an impact that spread from the defeat of Leeds United in 1975, to the defeat of Liverpool 1-0 by Juventus. Then English clubs were banned from Europe because of a minority of mindless thugs, whose behaviour need closed the doors on further European campaign glory to many English clubs for years. The ban did not apply to Scottish teams, but Scots teams made no great impact in Europe since Aberdeen's victory in the Cup Winner's Cup in 1983, and then their victory in the European Super Cup, (which isn't a cup at all, but never mind Aberdeen won it.) English Clubs continued to show their domination in the European Champions Cup between 1975 and 1985. Below is a list of teams dates and results, with the winning teams shown in block capitals : 1975 Bayern Munich 2-0 LEEDS UNITED 1976 NO BRITISH TEAM IN THE FINALS 1977 LIVERPOOL 3-1 Borussia Moenchen gladbach 1978 LIVERPOOL 1-0 FC Bruges 1979 NOTTS FOREST 1-0 FC Malmo 1980 NOTTS FOREST 1-0 FC Hamburg 1981 LIVERPOOL 1-0 Real Madrid 1982 ASTON VILLA 1-0 Bayern Munich 1983 NO BRITISH TEAMS IN THE FINALS 1984 LIVERPOOL 1-1 Roma 1985 Juventus 1-0 LIVERPOOL Chapter nine Managerial changes... Following the Munich disaster Matt Busby received a CBE from the Queen in 1958. Now that he was the manager of the European Cup Champions, he was on his way to Buckingham Palace, this time he was to become a Knight of the Realm. Sir Matt Busby was born in Orbiston, Bellshill, Lanarkshire in Scotland. He had not intended going into football. Matthew Busby wanted to become a schoolteacher. Unfortunately as a result of the First World War, Matt had lost not only his father but also ALL of his uncles. To bring money into the family home he would have to go down into the pits. The family decided to make a fresh start in the United States, and so they made arrangements to emigrate to America. Young Matt Busby was not able to go with his family because of Red Tape. His visa application was delayed, and so instead of going off to America with his family, he emigrated to England, where he joined Manchester City. He played right back for Manchester City, and he found success with the club during the FA Cup run of 1934, where the went all the way through to the Final where they defeated Portsmouth 2-1. In 1936 Matt Busby transferred to Liverpool, where he became the team Captain. He made 118 appearances for the Anfield side until the outbreak of the Second World War interrupted his playing career. Whilst in the Army, and on his way to becoming a Company Sgt. Major, Matt Busby was to Captain his national side Scotland in a series of specially arranged matches. After the war was over, Matt Busby had been thinking about returning to Anfield to join the coaching staff at Liverpool. Manchester United however decided to offer him the sum of £750.00 per year and a managerial office. He accepted the money, but as he discovered when he arrived, his office, thanks to German bombing raids did not have a roof, in fact most of the stadium was bomb damaged. What he then went on to achieve with the help of Jimmy Murphy is now very well recorded. Busby was now the manager of the best team in Europe; they had the trophy to prove this. Busby was now a knight of the Realm, what could he now do to top that? He was even given the Freedom of the City of Manchester. Sir Matt Busby was now approaching his 60th. birthday and he decided that he should step down as the manager of Manchester United at the end of the 1968-69 season. The Club accepted Sir Matt's resignation, and then they appointed him as General Manager of the Club and eventually moved up to become firstly a Club Director, and then he was appointed Club President. With the success rate that he had eventually achieved, especially creating three different teams over a twenty three-year period in charge at Old Trafford, who could possibly take over and keep that momentum going? The first replacement manager brought in to replace Sir Matt, was Wilf McGuinness, he was appointed as chief coach first then in his second season he was promoted to team manager, but the honeymoon between the new manager, players and the fans was short lived. McGuinness was over officious in his approach to replacing a legend like Sir Matt. He dropped Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, he then as good as ended the career of Billy Foulkes, who like Charlton had survived the Munich crash, when he too was dropped from the first team line up. Result - Fans Unhappy and the Players were unhappy. He even went as far as Transfer Listing Denis Law, this time it was not because Denis Law was pushing his luck for a change in conditions and wages in exchange for a new contract, No. This time Denis Law was on the transfer list for real. Although appointed team manager before the kick off of the 1970-71 season, McGuinness was to be out of a job before the end of the Year. Sir Matt was brought back to guide the team until the end of the 1970-71 season. This in itself saw an almost instant increase in the players? morale. So the club went out looking for another managerial candidate, and they appointed Frank O'Farrell, formerly the manager with Leicester City as their new manager. Frank O'Farrell had taken his Leicester City No.2 Malcolm Musgrove with him to Old Trafford. The new two-man management team had worked wonders at Filbert Street, now they appeared to be doing great things for Manchester United. Things were really going well for Manchester United. One of Frank O'Farrell's signings for the Old Trafford club, was the talented Captain of Aberdeen, Martin Buchan, who had in 1970 led the Dons to a 3-1 victory over Celtic in the Scottish Cup. The need for Buchan and then for Ian Storey-Moore from Nottingham Forest, was to stem the sudden breach in the ability to score goals without conceding more than they could score. But the season ended with Manchester United not high enough up the league table to qualify for Europe. Morale took a nosedive. Georgie Best started to become a problem; he was not showing up for training or for International duties with Northern Ireland. The 1972-73 season saw many problems for O'Farrell and Musgrove, not just the absenteeism of Georgie Best, but the team results were poor, at times they were very poor. O'Farrell was also to leave sooner rather than later. The 1972-73 was to be over before the end of the year as far as O'Farrell was concerned. McGuinness left the club in December 1970, likewise the managerial pair from Filbert Street, were to depart Old Trafford in December 1972. The same day that O'Farrell was dismissed from Manchester United, the club issued a press release that Georgie Best has been transfer listed and he was to stay on the transfer list, and that he would not be selected to play for any Manchester United side in the future. In fact he did make a brief comeback, but really Georgie Best's career with Manchester United was all but over. The fans had tasted success; they wanted to return to the glory days that they had become accustomed to under Sir Matt Busby. It took six managerial changes before Manchester United were to taste that same success again. This time with the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson who had made Aberdeen the team of the decade in the 1980's with eleven trophies in as many years, including 3 league championships, Scottish Cup Final victories, the European Cup Winners' Cup Final victory and the European Super Cup. The only Cup that he failed to pick up was the Coca-Cola Cup. This was the man to bring glory back to Manchester United, and he has down just that making Manchester United the team of the decade for the 1990's. But Sir Alex Ferguson was the sixth replacement brought in after Sir Matt gave up the reigns of the club. Frank O'Farrell was replaced by Thomas Henderson Docherty, better known as the "The Doc". Tommy Docherty was to remain much longer than the two previous managers, and when he did eventually leave Manchester United it was not because of poor results, but because of his affair with Mrs Mary Brown, the wife of Laurie Brown, who was member of the club's back room staff. Tommy Docherty was a great favourite of Denis Law's, especially when Denis Law was serving his International apprenticeship in a Scotland shirt. That was back in the late 1950's when they were both playing for Scotland and their manager was Matt Busby. This was now the early 1970's and Tommy Docherty was now the boss, he had been brought in to take over the managerial mantle of Sir Matt Busby. Being friends on the field when both playing for your nation is one thing, and that was in the past. Docherty had been taken on to drag Manchester United out of the state of desperation that they now found themselves after two failed managerial changes. Friends they might still be but the "Doc" had a job to do and priorities had to be sorted out and quickly if he was to last longer than the previous managers. One way to ensure that he stayed was to do as the Sir Matt Busby had done, get silver into the trophy cabinet in Old Trafford's boardroom. Earlier in the year, Tommy Docherty as Scotland team manager had given Denis Law's International career a new lease of life, when he was recalled for Scotland after a 3-year absence. He came back in a Scotland shirt and was to lead the team out as team Captain. To show how much Denis Law appreciated being brought back from the International wilderness, he scored one of Scotland two goals as they beat Northern Ireland. Sadly for the fans this was to be Denis Law's last goal in a Scotland shirt. Given what Tommy Docherty, as Manchester United's manager, was about to do to end Denis Law's reign as "KING" of the Old Trafford faithful, it is somewhat ironic that it was mostly thanks to Denis Law that Docherty was in fact offered the Manchester United manager's job. And so it was that within a few days of Frank O'Farrell's swift exit from Old Trafford, that Tommy Docherty, gave up his Scotland managerial job, and took over as manager of Manchester United. His first priority was to prevent Manchester United, who five seasons earlier had been crowned the Kings of European Football, from falling any lower in the league, and being relegated to the Second Division. If nothing else happened in the remainder of that 1972-73 season, survival in the First Division was the main aim of both the new manager and the players. Denis Law found that his ongoing injury problems were not only to rob him of his first team place, but have the knock on effect of robbing him of a place in the Scotland side as well. One Saturday night whilst Tommy Docherty was dining with Paddy Crerand, (now his assistant) and Mrs Crerand, the Laws and others. The "Doc" made the comment that whenever Denis Law was ready to hang up his football boots for good, there would always be a job for him at Old Trafford. It is nice to know that you don't have to look around for employment once you decide to stop playing professional football. The thing was, that Denis Law had not yet reached that stage in his footballing career. Had he? Surely not, after all, Denis Law had played football at International level under Tommy Docherty just a few months earlier, and nobody goes down hill that fast. Do They? Never mind, what ever was to happen in the future, he knew that he would always have a job with Manchester United. Besides Denis Law still had a few good seasons of football left in him. Guaranteed employment when he hung up his boots, that what the "Doc" had said in front of others. So why now in the privacy of his manager's office just a few months later was he telling Denis Law that the club had decided to give him a FREE transfer? Had Denis picked him up wrong? A free transfer, but that was silly. Denis still had a year of his contract to run, and then there was his testimonial match against Ajax at the start of the next season. Hang on! That was it! Denis would stay long enough to get his testimonial match, collect the money that such a match would bring him, then immediately announce that he had decided to retire from football. He made this suggestion to Tommy Docherty, and they agreed, Denis would retire after his testimonial match against Ajax, and there would be no further mention of a free transfer. Fine, that's agreed then. Denis Law was saved some blushed, and did not have to explain to his wife Di, why he was suddenly out of favour with the club he had been with, and served so faithfully for the best part of eleven years. Docherty, for his part, by agreeing to give Denis his testimonial, had saved Manchester United from having to pay out a fortune to buy out the rest of his contract, which still had about a year to go. Manchester United went off to play against Chelsea in London, and Denis Law with his pride still intact went to Aberdeen, where his children were spending their Easter holidays. The Saturday after making the agreement about his career with Tommy Docherty, Denis Law was in an Aberdeen pub with some of his friends. Whilst watching the football preview programme on the television, his photograph appeared together with an announcement from Manchester United that both Denis Law and Tony Dunne were to be given FREE Transfers. So what had happened to the agreement that they had made in Tommy Docherty's office. It would seem that Denis Law's doubts earlier about not really truly knowing the man Tommy Docherty, whom he had help secure the manager's job at Old Trafford, were real. He didn't really know Tommy Docherty at all. His word meant nothing. He made agreements one minute, then went and did the opposite the next. Those two words "FREE TRANSFER" in the space of time that it takes to say them had caused so much damage to the life of Denis Law and his family. Denis Law sat in that Aberdeen pub struck dumb, looking and feeling absolutely stupid. How could Tommy Docherty have done this to him? But by issuing the statement about a free transfer, Denis Law had been robbed of his dignity, his self-esteem, and of his lucrative testimonial match against Ajax, in a few seconds, those two words had shattered his world. What of the effect on his family, on Di and the kids? Denis took his kids back to Manchester in his car, and nothing he could think of saying or doing could alter the facts that his career with Manchester United was now over, and he knew that there was no way of reversing that very public and humiliating announcement. The truth about the agreement made between Tommy Docherty and Denis Law in Docherty's office before Denis Law travelled to Aberdeen did eventually come out in court. Tommy Docherty had taken out a libel case against Willie Morgan in November 1978, and Denis Law was called to give evidence in favour of his old comrade and fellow Scot, Morgan. Docherty's case fell apart after "The Doc" admitted that he had told lies in open court. Then the truth of the Denis Law Free Transfer "agreement" came out. So now the whole sordid affair was made public. Denis Law felt relieved that now everyone knew what had really taken place. Denis Law will not speak on the matter of his relationship with Docherty, where as Paddy Crerand and Willie Morgan are still hostile towards the man whom the late Jock Stein described as being "nothing but a Glasgow corner boy". As for Paddy Crerand, he didn't think that Docherty "wasn't even that good." For the moment thought, all that Denis Law knew for sure was that the "King" of Old Trafford was "King" no more. As far as Manchester United Manager Tommy Docherty was concerned, he was not the King, more like "Denis The Menace" Perhaps Denis Law was no longer be the "King" at Old Trafford, but his career was far from over. Denis Law had yet to make one last appearance in a Wembley Final. He was also to wear the blue shirt of Scotland again, and not just to play for Scotland, but play for his country in the World Cup Finals. Within a few days of being given that Free Transfer, Denis Law was attending the Football Writers' Association dinner, and out of the blue, Johnny Hart who had recently taken over from Malcolm Allison at Manchester City, came up and offered him a place with the Maine Road side. So Denis Law accepted the offer. When the season kicked off for 1973-74 Denis Law once again took the field in the pale blue shirt of Manchester City. Still playing football, still in the top flight of football, and he didn't have to leave Manchester or move his family to a new house or a new school. Denis Law was where he should be, playing football at the highest club level, and his self-esteem had been restored. He started off in the best possible of styles, by scoring twice in his first game back at Maine Road as Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3-1 in the first game of the season. The following week he scored again to earn Manchester City a 1-1 draw against Stoke City. Strange how a player recently given the elbow by Manchester United, and now considered to be on the decline in footballing ability, can come back for the "other" Manchester team, and scored 3 goals in a week. Denis Law was back on top of the world. In September, he was to play again for Scotland in a very emotional match, (but only if you are Scottish, see details of Denis' Scottish career in the next two chapters). His joy was made complete in September 1973 when his wife Di, completed their very own 5 a-side football team with the birth of their only daughter Diana. Two months after his return to a Scotland place, Manchester City were to appoint a new manager, Johnny Hart was forced to retire because of ill health and the new manager was to be Ron Saunders formerly with Norwich City. Ron Saunders' approach to coaching was similar to Wilf McGuinness, who had been more inclined to go for a defensive approach, not like Sir Matt Busby or Johnny Hart who opted for a more attack based format. Ron Saunders reign at Maine Road was to be short-lived going to Aston Villa as manager before the end of that season. He did manage to take the Maine Road side to the League Cup Final, which Manchester City lost 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Soon after loosing the League Cup Final results went against Manchester City, and once again Denis Law's career was looking uncertain. There was rumour of a Fourth Division side seeking to sign Denis Law. But he was not interested in anything but top-flight football, and besides, the World Cup Finals of 1974 were only a matter of a few weeks away, and Denis fully intended being in contention for a place in the Scottish team. The last league match of the 1973-74 season, was to be the Manchester derby, Manchester United were At home to Manchester City. Only a few weeks ago both of the Manchester teams were seriously facing relegation to the Second Division. But by the time that both sides had arrived at Old Trafford for the final game of the season, Manchester City had done enough to ensure that they were safe from the drop into the Second Division. As for Manchester United, they could still go down, it was all up to what the could do on that final Saturday, plus waiting for results in the other relegation zone matches. One thing was sure, Manchester United were not yet safe. As things turned out the other strugglers Birmingham City and Southampton were set to win their final matches and so they would stay in the First Division and Manchester United were destined to be relegated to the Second Division. Even if some one scored it would make no difference, they were going down. As it happens someone did score. With only a few minutes of the game to go and with no one having any idea of how the other matches were going, when the unthinkable happened. Denis Law was standing with his back to the Manchester United goal mouth, the ball came over to Denis Law who from that position would be hard pressed to miss scoring a goal. The ball came over, and although Denis Law was now playing for rivals Manchester City, it never entered his head to score against his old side. So when the ball came across the field he simply back heeled the ball, in what should have been just a reflex reaction. But as luck would have it, the ball went straight into the back of Alex Stepney's goal and Denis Law and Manchester City had beaten Manchester United by 1-0 and that meant that Manchester United were relegated to the Second Division. So that meant that Denis Law had relegated his old club, and he blamed himself. Only after the full list of match results were announced was it evident that Denis Law did not in fact relegate his old club, had no one scored for either side, they would have faced the drop anyway. Not only was that the last ever league game of the season, it proved to be Denis Law's very last appearance in League football. Many said at the time that Denis Law was so saddened by being responsible for Manchester United's relegation, he decided to quick the game for good. Chapter ten Scotland.....The road to glory The road that was take Denis Law to his final appearance in a Scotland shirt at the World Cup Finals of 1974, started way back in October 1958. Denis Law had just finished yet another training session for Huddersfield Town at Leeds Road, and perhaps all that was on his mind was a shower, or a long soak in a nice hot bath, but before he was able to enjoy either, he was stopped by the boss. Bill Shankly informed the eighteen year old Denis that he had been chosen to play for Scotland. The dream was about to come true. Denis Law was about to pull on a blue shirt and turn out for his national side, Denis Law, only eighteen, an International. His debut game for his national side was not to be on the hallowed turf of Hampden Park, no, Denis' debut match for Scotland was to be on October 18th. 1958 against Wales at Cardiff. And what a dream start to his International career, for not only did Scotland defeat the Welsh, but the young Denis Law scored in the 3-0 victory. That goal was to be the start of an International career that would continue until 1974, and a World Cup appearance against Zaire. That goal was the start of a long road to an International goal scoring record set by Denis Law in 1972, and to this date has not been beaten. The dynamic Kenny Dalgleish, formerly of Celtic and Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, and of Newcastle United, has equalled Denis Law's record of 30 International goals by a Scottish player, but Kenny Dalgleish took 102 games to notch up that tally, Denis Law played only 55 times for Scotland. Back then in 1958, Denis Law's first International Cap was thanks to that nice Scottish gentle man that spoke to the very young Denis Law after the Huddersfield Town youth team lost 4-2 to Manchester United youth team. I mean of course Matt Busby, Busby was in charge of the Scotland team at this time, and he had always thought highly of the young Aberdonian star with lots of international potential. Denis Law took to the field at Ninian Park on that October day, with fellow Aberdonian Graham Leggart (Fulham) as well as Tommy Docherty (Arsenal). Others in the team included Brown in goal (Dundee), Collins (Everton) Herd and Henderson (both of Arsenal), Caldow (Rangers), Toner (Kilmarnock), and Dave Mackay of Hearts was captain of the team. It was fellow Aberdonian Graham Leggart that opened the scoring for Scotland on Denis' debut match. Law passed the ball to Arsenals Henderson; he then passed the ball on to Fulham man Leggart, who headed the ball into the back of the net, 1-0 to Scotland. What a start to the young Law's Scotland career. Into the second half of the match and Denis Law and the Welsh skipper, Dave Bowen (also an Arsenal player), jointly went for the ball but the Welsh Captain managed to get to the ball before young Denis. It was unfortunate for Wales, that Bowen could only clear the ball as far as the head of young Law. And more by good fortune than by Aberdonian footballing skill, not to mention much to the confused delight of Denis Law. The ball came off his head, and past the Welsh goalkeeper, Kelsey (yet another Arsenal player). The ball crossed the line to give eighteen year old Denis Law a golden debut goal, the score was now Wales 0 - 2 down to Scotland, and the thrills and the glory was not yet over. With 80 minutes on the clock, Denis Law was involved in the third and final goal of the game; he had scored one and been involved in the other two. The third goal came after Tommy Docherty took a free kick. Tommy gave the ball to Hibernian's John Grant. Grant saw Law and passed the ball to Denis, who with precision headed the ball to team Captain Dave Mackay. Dave Mackay made no mistake; he crossed the ball to Bobby Collins who slammed the ball into the back of the net for a 3-0 win for Scotland. Less than three weeks later Denis Law was to achieve his boyhood dream, and that of many wee boys who have ever kicked a can or a ball in a makeshift or even organised game of football. On Wednesday 5th November 1958, Denis Law made his Hampden debut in a Scotland shirt, and up there somewhere lost in the thousands of faces in the crowds, were his mum and dad, they had travelled to Glasgow to watch their son play for their very first time. The Scotland team that took to the field this time was the same unchanged winning side from the win against Wales at Ninian Park. This time the opposition was Northern Ireland, under the eagle eyed Captaincy of the late Danny Blanchflower. Denis Law was instructed by Matt Busby to "stick" to Danny Blanchflower, and that is exactly what the young Scot did. But perhaps Denis Law "stuck" to closely to Danny Blanchflower, because after the match ended in a 2-2 draw, and without our hero scoring, Danny Blanchflower, new by the state of the bruises on his lower legs that he had indeed done battle with Denis Law. These injuries caused by Denis Law on Danny Blanchflower could be put down to Denis having a lack of experience. Then again, perhaps he was just a touch over zealous, such was the respect of Denis Law for Matt Busby, that when Matt Busby asked something of Denis Law, Denis would move heaven and earth to please his mentor. So when he had been asked to "stick to Danny Blanchflower, he would do just that, without thought of injury, but also without intending to injure anyone. He simply wanted to please Matt Busby. The scoreline was 2-0 in favour of Scotland. With three-quarters of the match played when Caldow of Rangers scored an own goal and brought Northern Ireland back into the match. Then with less than ten minutes before the final whistle could be sounded to save the Scottish teams blushes, Billy Bingham managed a cross to McIlroy, and McIlroy scored the second goal for Northern Ireland, and Scotland had to settle for a 2-2 draw. But for the experience of trainer Roy Goodall, Denis Law's football career, would have ended shortly after the Northern Ireland game. Denis Law had twisted his knee during a Christmas match with Charlton Athletic. Soon after returning he twisted his knee again, and although it did not appear to be a cartilage problem, Roy suggested that Denis should go and have a surgeon examine it. Denis Law was informed later by the surgeon that his playing career would have been over had he not acted swiftly and had the cartilage surgically removed. But gladly the knee improved, and the career continued. The next International match that would see Denis Law in a Scotland shirt was not until the early Summer of 1959. The next game played by Denis Law in a Scotland shirt was not actually classed as a full international and as such it does not appear on the official records sheets. Denis played for Scotland against Jutland at a place called Arhus. During this game saw Denis Law open the scoring, before Scotland were finally held to a 3-3 draw. Had this game counted as a full international, this would have resulted in Denis Law's International goals record in a Scotland shirt actually standing at 31 goals, and would have still stood as an unchallenged record, remembering that Denis Law's 30 goal record has been equalled by Kenny Dalgleish. Scotland then went on to play against Holland on May 27th 1959, at Amsterdam, and Scotland came away as 2-1 victors. Bert Auld (then with Celtic) was to make his debut in a Scotland shirt against Jutland. His first full international appearance was to be against Holland. Unfortunately for Auld, his debut as a full international was not to turn out to be the dream start that Denis Law had experienced some seven months earlier. With only minutes of the game to go Bertie Auld was ordered off the field, and this left the Scottish team amazed, because no one knew what Auld had done to deserve this harsh treatment from the referee. A few days later Scotland played Portugal on June 3rd, in Lisbon, Scotland lost this match 1-0. Denis Law's next outing for Scotland was in October of that year, when he was to play against Northern Ireland. This time the venue was Belfast, the date was 3rd. October 1959, and the score was 4-0 to Scotland, and Denis Law was not amongst the goal scorers. The next three games for Scotland to involve Denis Law were all at Hampden Park, on 14th. November Scotland drew 1-1 with Wales, and then in April 1960 Scotland drew 1-1 with England, and on neither of these occasions did Law get onto the score sheet. On 4th. May 1960 Scotland played at Hampden against Poland and despite the fact that Denis Law scored his second "official" goal for Scotland, they lost the match 3-2. Twenty five days later Scotland played in Vienna against Austria, and once again the Scotland side were to loose their match. This time they lost 4-1 to Austria, and Denis Law did not hit the score sheet on this occasion because he had to be taken off with a leg injury just after about only ten minutes of play in the first half of the match. Denis Law was replaced by substitute Alex Young, and all though Denis Law never scored in this match, he did contribute to the history books, Alex Young was Scotland's first ever substitute on 29th. May 1960. This injury kept Denis Law out of the next two games. Firstly he missed the game against Turkey in Ankara, where Scotland lost 4-2 to the home side, and he was also out of the match against Hungary at Budapest which the Scotland side managed to draw 3-3 with the home team. Denis Law also missed out on the match against Wales at Cardiff, which Scotland once again managed to loose; they went down 2-0 to the Welsh. Whilst waiting to be recalled to the Scotland side, Denis Law was honoured to find himself playing for an English League Select side to play against a select side from the Irish League and this match took place in Blackpool, in October 1960. This time Denis Law found that he was to be playing alongside Danny Blanchflower, so at least Blanchflower's legs shouldn't get the same punishment as they did when they played at Hampden on opposite sides. Also in the English League side were Dave Mackay, and Jimmy Armfield. (The latter of course can be found on Radio 5 Live every time there is live football on the BBC, giving his expert (?) views and comments on the actions and mishaps on and off the football field. Euro '96 would not have been the same without Jimmy Armfield's outbursts and very descriptive observations of what was happening on the field. He left the listener in no doubt that Armfield certainly was not impressed by the quality of the UEFA referees during the competition). The match was a success for the English league players with the scoreline ending 5-2 in their favour. Denis Law scored twice in the space of 5 minutes, Blanchflower, McIlroy and Connolly scoring the other three, whilst for the Irish League side, Coyle scored both of their goals. Returning now to the disastrous tour of Europe by the Scotland side earlier that year. As is almost often the case when a side hits a bad run of results, the press usually tell us that the writing is on the walls, most often it is the fans that have put it there. Then there is the scalp hunting and the blame must be laid at someone's door. So it is not surprising really that by the time Denis Law had been recalled to play for Scotland in November 1960, that there were more than a few new faces in the Scotland squad, chosen to revive the Scotland pride against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park. Ian McColl had replaced Andy Beattie as manager, and Manchester City player Jackie Plenderleith replaced Bobby Evans as skipper. Other changes included the appearance of Ralph Brand a former schoolboy star, and his fellow Rangers teammate Dave Wilson. These new faces coupled with a manager, who had not long given up playing football, meant that the squad took his ideas onboard quite easily. Denis Law found himself now playing in the inside right position. The new changes in management, players and in tactics paid dividends, because not only did Denis Law score, the team won their match before a home crowd at Hampden Park 5-2, with three of the five goals being scored in the last ten minutes of the match. Sadly though, these new measures did not help much during the Wembley battle that was to take place in April 1961, nor did they help in the World cup ties against Czechoslovakia (remembering that I am concentrating particularly on the Scotland matches that involve Denis Law). The Wembley battle against England was on 15th. April 1961. This was one day before the 215th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden Moor; I refer to Culloden as England's first away win. Just as in the encounter of 16th April 1746, England gave the Scots such a defeat that would be long remember. The Wembley defeat was England beat Scotland by 9 goals to 3. This match was a very dark day in the life of Scots fans and players alike. Among the Scottish players on the loosing end that day were Dave Mackay, Billy McNeill and Ian St. John. On the other side for England was Saint's TV buddy, Jimmy Greaves, who scored a hat trick that day, Bobby Robson (a future England manager) who opened the scoring for England, and others scorers included Douglas, and Haynes and Smith who scored two goals each and Jimmy Armfield. Denis Law had now played ten times for Scotland, and he had been on a loosing side before, but they had only lost by the odd goal before, never had they been so humiliated. The fact that it was England certainly made the defeat all the worse. Jimmy Armfield being on the winning side, was a sure sign that the Scots would not be allowed to forget this massive defeat. (You should have heard him during the Euro '96 competition, he kept going on, and on about the fact that England beat Germany in 1966, but England have never beaten Germany since. By the way England did NOT win Euro '96 despite all the hype.) Later that same year Denis Law was in action for Scotland against Czechoslovakia twice in the space of two months in World Cup Qualifiers, the first match was at Hampden Park and Denis Law scored twice in a Scottish home win of 3-2. On the 29th. November, the tables were turned and Scotland lost to Czechoslovakia in Brussels, by 4 goals to 2. This was the third meeting of the two teams and had to be played to sort out who would go forward to the World Cup Finals, as both teams were level on points prior to this game, and that explains why neither side had home advantage for this match. Denis Law had found himself being left out of the Scotland squad for the earlier World Cup qualifiers against the Irish Republic and against Czechoslovakia for their first meeting in the qualifiers. By returning and scoring two goals in their 3-2 victory restored his confidence that he still had an International career. The following year, 1962 saw Denis play three more games for his national side, and the first game was relished by all north of the border, April 14th. 1962, the venue was Hampden Park, the opposition was the Auld enemy, England and despite the fact that Denis Law did not score a goal. After sorting out all the wrangles about his future as a player, and whether or not he would be allowed to leave Torino. Matt Busby saved Denis Law from oblivion. In July of that year he was signed for Manchester United for the then British Record Fee of £115,000.00. Later that same year, Scotland won the match 2-0. In October of that same year, Scotland beat Cardiff at Ninian Park, the Scots won 3-2 and Denis Law did manage to find the net once during this game. A newcomer to the Blue shirt of Scotland for this match was Rangers youngster Willie Henderson. Three weeks later Scotland were at home at Hampden Park against Northern Ireland again, during Scotland's 5-1 demolition of Northern Ireland, Denis Law hit the back of the net on four occasions. This as you may recall from an earlier chapter of this book was only days after Denis Law had scored four goals at club level. Billy Bingham of Northern Ireland actually scored the opening goal that put them ahead, but then along came Denis Law with a hat - trick followed by a goal from the new boy Willie Henderson, then Denis Law again to round the match off at 5-1 to Scotland. The following year 1963, was a far more successful year for the Scottish International squad. The first match of the year to involve Denis Law was the England match at Wembley during the Home International Championships, which have long since been cancelled. Scotland beat England 2-1 to retain the Champions that year. Whilst the players were doing battle on the field, two of the legendary Shankly brothers, Bob and Bill were arguing off the field, Bob was insistent that Dundee's Ian Ure was the best player in the world, whilst brother Bill, had other thoughts on the matter. To him Aberdeen born, Ron Yates would prove to be the better of the two. Whilst these two legends were doing battle off the pitch, Jim Baxter scored both of Scotland's goals. The 8th May 1963 saw Scotland play hosts to Austria at Hampden Park, and this time it was the Scots who won 4-1 and Denis Law scored two of home sides goals. Denis Law was now convinced that given how close Scotland had come to beating Czechoslovakia on the road to the World Cup Finals of 1962, and given the changes that had been made. With the new faces in the squad, the new younger talented players that were coming through the ranks and rising to be international star, Scotland could go all the way through to the World Cup Finals of 1966 and win the World Cup at Wembley. Everything was in their favour, youth talent, and commitment. Scotland could build on the talent that they had, and Denis Law could see no reason why the Scotland team should not go from strength to strength, and lift Association Football's most prestigious prize. National pride was at stake, confidence was growing, the talent was there, and their skills were improving, the team would soon gel together. Come on Scotland we can do it, we can win the World Cup. Sadly of course that was not to be the case as you will see later in this chapter. Some of you may recall, that a former Aberdeen Manager, took over the reigns of management of the Scotland team, in the late 1970's, and he had similar views. But unlike Denis Law, who although he really believed that Scotland had every chance of winning the World Cup in 1966, he did realise that it would involve a lot of hard work and effort to be the best soccer nation in the world. Ally McLeod, told his Tartan Army that all Scotland had to do was to turn up in Argentina, and they would walk to the final, over confidence led to great disappointment and an early exit from the 1978 tournament. Returning to the campaign of 1963 and the road that would or would not lead to the 1966 World Cup Finals. The remaining games for 1963 that saw Denis Law turn out in a Scotland shirt were as follows: Scotland played at Bergen against Norway, and Norway won the match 4-3, even though Denis Law scored all three of Scotland's goals. That match was played on June 4th, 1963, five days later Scotland were in action again, this time they played against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, and Scotland lost this match by 1-0. Four days later the boys in blue were in action yet again, the opposition was Spain, the venue was Madrid, and Denis Law scored once in a match the ended 6-2 in Scotland's favour. It was to be five months before Denis Law played in a Scotland shirt again. It was now November 7th; the venue was a home game at Hampden Park against the Norwegians. Scotland again scored six goals, and comfortably won the match 6-1, and yes Denis Law was on the score sheet again, the wee Scot banged in four goals against Norway in that match. Two weeks later the Scots returned to a home match at Hampden Park, this time the played against and defeated Wales, Denis Law scored once in a 2-1 victory. In total Denis Law turned out for Scotland on seven occasions during the year 1963, and in those seven games he notched up eleven goals. During 1964 the goals were not so abundant, Denis Law appeared five times for Scotland in that year and scored only once. The plus side was though, that Scotland only lost one of those games and that was away from home to Wales in Cardiff, in October when they lost by 3 goals to 2. Scotland managed to gain a draw (2-2) at Hanover against West Germany on May of 1964. Of the other three games all of which were played before a home crowd at Hampden Park. Scotland beat the auld enemy England, 1-0. They also beat Finland 3-1, Denis scoring his only goal of the year in this match, and then in Denis Law's final appearance of the year, they beat Northern Ireland 3-2. In 1965 Denis Law managed to hit the net twice in six appearances for Scotland. In each of the games Denis scored the result was a draw, 2-2 against England at Wembley and 1-1 away from home against Poland. Scotland lost two matches in which Denis Law appeared these were the defeat by Northern Ireland 3-2, in Belfast, and then they also lost 2-1 to Poland at Hampden Park. Sadly Denis' thoughts of playing at Wembley in 1966 were not quite what he had hoped for a few years earlier. Denis Law was convinced that Scotland had the talent, the youth, and the experience to drive them on to qualify for the World Cup Final stages that climaxed with the Final itself at Wembley Stadium that summer. Denis Law did play for Scotland in 1966 not at Wembley though, the match was at Hampden Park, and the opposition was England, this was back in April and the finals were not until June of that year at Wembley. Scotland lost the match to England, going down 4-3, but in consolation, Denis Law scored one of the Scottish goals. Later in the year Denis Law scored against Wales at Cardiff in a 1-1 draw. In between, I should imagine that like the rest of the nation, Denis Law and the other members of the team, were trying to forget that they had not qualified for the final stages of the Wembley based World Cup. Which as we are constantly reminded, England won by defeating West Germany 4-2 in extra time. Denis Law and his Scottish teammates were to gain sweet revenge on the auld enemy for the 4-3 defeat before a Hampden crowd. Denis and co. may not have been in the finals of the 1966 World Cup, but they were to knock the World Champions off of their pedestal in 1967. Chapter eleven Scotland....the journey continues Yes, England won the World Cup back in July 1966, and the England supports and those supposed impartial commentators were going to rub it in so much, that nothing else would ever matter in soccer again. I remember watching the game on our black and white TV set, and my stepfather, was longing for a West German victory. At the time I could not understand why, but after months and years of "We won the World Cup in '66", I understood only too well why he had wanted the Germans to win. I also remember some years later, watching Alf Garnett on the box. "Chairman Alf", was insisting that the only reason that England wore red shirts that day, was to enable the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, make the claim that it was in fact the Labour Party that had won the World Cup for England. Apart from being reminded time and time again that England had won the World Cup in 1966, the comments at the end of the game by Kenneth Woolstenholme became famous. You may remember that just as the fourth goal was scored by Geoff Hurst, there was a pitch invasion, and he said, "They think it's all over" - (then the match referee, blew his whistle to signal the end of the match), - "it is now". During the 1996 European Championships this phrase was banded about till it made you sick, especially if you were not English. Then of course, there was the build up of the 30 years 1966-1996 "football was coming home." All El Tel's men had to do was turn up and they would win the championships for sure, no one south of Hadrian's wall believed there could possibly be any other outcome. So what a delight it must have been for millions of none English soccer supporters, when Southgate missed that penalty, and El Tel left the England managers job, without winning the European Championships. That penalty miss more than made up or the penalty missed by Scotland Captain Gary McAlistair only a few days earlier. But back to the events of 1967. There was a match that the Tartan Army were longing to see the Scotland team win. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had taken part in the Home Championships football matches year in year out, but now that England had won the 1966 World Cup, the Home Championships continuing seemed to be in some doubt. Perhaps they should be scrapped altogether. There were some, mostly south of the border that felt this way, but then it was decided that the Home Championships should be used as a means to gain entry to future European Nations Cup. This gave the Home Championships a whole new meaning. The first of the three games was to be played against Wales on October 22nd. 1966 in Cardiff. The Scotland team was Ferguson, Greig (Captain), Gemmell, Bremner, McKinnon, Clark, Johnstone, Law, McBride, Baxter, and Henderson. Denis Law scored in this game but the Welsh got an equaliser, and the match ended a 1-1 draw. The second game in the three match series was against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park, on November 16th. of that year. The team had a slightly different look to it. The team was without Denis Law: Ferguson, Grieg (Captain), Gemmell, Bremner, McKinnon, Clark, Henderson, Murdoch, McBride, Chalmers, and Lennox. The final result was Scotland 2 and Northern Ireland 1, with Murdoch and Lennox scoring the two Scotland goals. The match that remained was the one that everyone had long awaited, against England on 15th. April 1967, at Wembley, where Scotland had been denied of playing in the previous year's World Cup Finals. Wembley, the home of the World Cup Champions England. How sweet to defeat England in their home ground and to be the first Nation to do so since they won the Jules Rimmet Trophy. Not forgetting that England had beaten Scotland at Hampden 4-3 the previous April. Scotland's fans demanded revenge. The team for this all-important game of pride and passion was: Simpson , Gemmell, McCreadie, Greig (Captain), McKinnon, Bremner, McCalliog , Law, Wallace, Baxter, and Lennox. The 4-3-3 system that had been used very successfully by Sir Alf Ramsey as he had guided England to that World Cup victory, was a system that was very well polished by the time the Scots arrived at Wembley Stadium. There was to be a slight difference this time, for the Scotland manager Bobby Brown, had found a variation of the 4-3-3 system used by England, but Brown's version added a bit of flair. Bobby Brown had also selected new players, because this was the first Scotland team he had been in charge of, and therefore this was the first team he had to select. Among the changes that Brown had made to the previous team that beat Northern Ireland in November 1966, was that he brought in Ronnie Simpson of Celtic, who was making his International debut at 36. Manager Bobby Brown also brought in Jim McCalliog, who at 20 was also making his International debut that afternoon. Denis Law was to open the scoring for Scotland that day, and then Bobby Lennox made it 2-0 before an injured Jackie Charlton pulled one back for England. Jim McCalliog scored Scotland's third goal on his debut for his country, and that was to be a sweet memory, when the referee's whistle blew for full time, England had been defeated 3-2 at Wembley, and Scotland had gained sweet revenge over the Auld Enemy. England had previously gone 19 games without defeat; Scotland had beaten the World Champions. The Tartan Army declared that Scotland were now the World Champions; well Scotland did beat England after all, so it must be true. Those on the receiving end of Scotland's revenge were: Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, Jackie Charlton, Moore (Captain), Ball, Greaves, Bobby Charlton, Hurst, Peters. Victory over England was sweet, and Denis Law had lead the way by opening the scoring for Scotland. The was England's first defeat in 20 International matches. Scotland had deposed the World Champions. This was Bobby Brown's first match in charge of the Scotland squad, and what a brilliant start to any one's career. Sadly as is all too often the case, the bubble was soon to burst and bring the Scotland squad and their fans down to earth with a bump. Brown's Scotland squad met Russia as their next opponents on May 10th. 1967, at Hampden Park. This time Ronnie Simpson was not the oldest player on the field, but Russia's legendary goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, who was the ripe old age of 37 years. Not only were Scotland beaten 2-0 by Russia, but Tommy Gemmell, scored one of Russia's goals. Medvid scored the other Russian goal. There had been some changes made to the Scotland squad that beat England earlier in the year. Jim Baxter took over as Scotland's team captain; Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill and Frank McLintock were also included in Bobby Brown's squad. In October of 1967, Scotland travelled to Belfast to play against Northern Ireland where they had failed to win in the last two previous visits. In 1963 Ian St. John had scored for Scotland yet the Scots were beat 2-1 by the Irish. In 1965 two goals from Alan Gilzean, could not prevent the Irish from winning 3-2. On the 21st. October 1967, even with the inclusion of Ian Ure and Willie Morgan in the Scotland line up, the Irish still came out 1-0 on top. The next outing for the boys in dark blue was at Hampden Park against Wales. Ronnie Simpson and Denis Law did not seem to fit in with Brown's plans for this match. In fact Denis Law did not pull on a Scotland shirt again for more than a year, during which time Scotland played Wales at Hampden Park on 22nd. November 1967, and won 3-2 with two goals from Alan Gilzean and McKinnon getting the third. Bobby Clark replaced Ronnie Simpson in goal for Scotland. February 28th. 1968, England played against Scotland at Hampden Park, Ronnie Simpson was back in goal, and both Charlie Cook and John "Yogi Bear" Hughes joined the Scotland line up. "Yogi" managed to score for Scotland in that game which ended in a 1-1 draw. This was not good enough to earn Scotland a place in the European Nations Cup Finals. Scotland needed to defeat the English to go through, but perhaps they lost their chance of a place in Europe, when they met Northern Ireland earlier in the season. With three regular Scots missing from the line up, or perhaps it was because Georgie Best had scored for the Irish. People always look for excuses when things go wrong, the bottom line was, Scotland were not playing in Europe. No big deal. With Scotland failing in their bid to secure a place in the 1968 European Nations Cup, they could now turn their attentions to securing themselves a place in the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico. There were two more International games for Scotland before Denis Law pulled on a dark blue shirt again. On May 30th 1968 Scotland were in Amsterdam for a game against the Netherlands. This match ended in a scoreless draw In October 1968, Billy Bremner assumed the mantle of Scotland's team captain, a position which with a few exceptions he held right through until a controversial incident in Copenhagen saw him play his last match for Scotland. Strange therefore that Copenhagen was to be the venue for his debut match as team captain. Scotland had travelled to Copenhagen to play against Denmark and Scotland won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Bobby Murdoch. Denis Law made a welcome return to the International scene when he turned out for Scotland against Austria on November 6th. of that year. The teams for that match were Simpson, Gemmell, McCreadie, Bremner (Captain), McKinnon, Greig, Johnstone, Cooke, Hughes, Law (Gilzean sub.), and Lennox. Austria took the lead after only a few minutes, but it must be stressed that they did so with more than a little help from the wind. Denis Law scored the equaliser with a fine header, and was then later substituted by Alan Gilzean, who had hardly had time to settle into the match, when the skipper, Billy Bremner scored the winning goal. Scotland beat Austria 2 - 1. Denis Law missed the match on December 11th, against Cyprus in Nicosia, which Scotland won 5-0, with goals from Alan Gilzean (2), Colin Stein (2) and one goal from Bobby Murdoch. Denis Law returned again in a Scotland shirt, on April 16th 1969 when Scotland were at home in Hampden Park for their World Cup qualifying match against West Germany. Again, Bobby Murdoch was on the score sheet, but the match ended in a 1-1 draw, which many felt would not be enough to see Scotland into the Mexico finals. The teams were Lawrence, Gemmell, McCreadie, Murdoch, McKinnon, Greig, Johnstone, Bremner (Captain), Law, and Gilzean, Lennox (Cooke sub.). Three weeks later having missed the match against Wales at Wrexham on May 3rd, which Scotland won 5-3 thanks to goals from, McNeill, Stein, Gilzean, Bremner and McLean, Denis Law returned for the match on May 6th. at Hampden Park against Northern Ireland. Scotland's line up was Heriot, McCreadie, Gemmell, Bremner (Captain), Greig, Stanton, Henderson, Murdoch, Stein, and Law, Cooke (Johnstone sub.). Colin Stein scored Scotland's only goal of the game and the match finished a 1-1 draw. That match against Northern Ireland was to be the last appearance that Denis Law was to make in a Scotland shirt for 2 years 11 months and 20 days. During this particular Denis Law-less period, Scotland once again failed to reach the World Cup Finals, and so did not travel to Mexico in the Summer of 1970. In the mean time England as the Cup holders, did. In 1971 Bobby Brown had quit as manager of Scotland following a run of bad results. The Scottish Football Association, were looking for fresh ideas, and a fresh approach to the game so in 1971 they approached the assistant manager at Hull City, Tommy Docherty, and offered him the national team manager's job. He was in charge for only twelve matches, and lost only three of them. Docherty could see plenty of room for improvement and that included the recalling of Denis Law, to a place in the Scotland team and therefore to International duties. The following page shows a list of Scotland's run of Law-less matches played, without Denis Law, giving teams, dates, venues, and results of each of those games: Scotland's Denis Law - less Matches Date Team Venue Score 10.5.69 England Wembley 1 - 4 17.05.69 Cyprus Hampden 8 - 0 21.09.69 Rep. of Ireland Dublin 1 - 1 22.10.69 W. Germany Hamburg 2 - 3 05.11.69 Austria Vienna 0 - 2 18.04.70 N. Ireland Belfast 1 - 0 22.04.70 Wales Hampden 0 - 0 25.04.70 England Hampden 0 - 0 11.11.70 Denmark Hampden 1 - 0 03.02.71 Belgium Liege 0 - 3 21.04.71 Portugal Lisbon 0 - 2 15.05.71 Wales Cardiff 0 - 0 18.05.71 N. Ireland Hampden 0 - 1 22.05.71 England Wembley 1 - 3 09.06.71 Denmark Copenhagen 0 - 1 14.06.71 USSR Moscow 0 - 1 13.10.71 Portugal Hampden 2 - 1 10.11.71 Belgium Aberdeen 1 - 0 01.12.71 Netherlands Amsterdam 1 - 2 Such a pity the way things were to turn around, here was Tommy Docherty as the manager of Scotland, throwing Denis Law a chance to play for the national side, because Docherty felt there was a place at International level for a man with Denis Law's talents. Yet as we know having covered the subject earlier in this book, Docherty, as manager of Manchester United about a year later, did the dirty on Denis Law, because now he felt there was no place for his talents in the English first division. Chapter 12 Scotland............. The World Cup Finals 1974 It was now April 1972, and just when he had given up any thoughts about playing for Scotland again, Denis Law gets his call up from Tommy Docherty. He is called upon to play for Scotland against Peru at Hampden Park on April 26th. Denis Law was not only being given the task playing for his national side again, but he was to lead them out as the team captain. There were one or two new faces in the changing room as the teams prepare for the game. The Scotland team: Hunter, Brownlie, Donachie, Carr, Colquhoun, Moncur, Morgan, Hartford, O'Hare, Law (Captain), and Gemmill . O'Hare and Law scored the only two goals of the match. On May 20th. Denis Law this time teamed up with Peter Lorimer to score a 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland at Hampden Park for the first of that year's Home International matches. Denis Law scored the first goal; Lorimer came on later in the game as a substitute for Jimmy Johnstone, to score the second goal of the match. The team was Clark, Brownlie, Donachie, Bremner (Captain), McNeill, Moncur, Johnstone (Lorimer sub.), Gemmill, O'Hare, Law, and Graham. Four days later Peter Lorimer was back on the score sheet, this time it was against Wales in the second of the Home Internationals on May 24th. at Hampden Park and Scotland defeated Wales 1-0. Three days later on May 27th. sadly no one in a dark blue shirt, got on the score sheet, and England beat Scotland 1-0 in front of a near full house at Hampden Park. The team that lost that match was Clark, Brownlie, Donachie (Green sub.), Bremner (Captain), McNeill, Moncur, Gemmill (Johnstone sub.), Hartford, Lorimer, Macari, and Law. The following month the Scotland squad started taking part in a series of international games arranged to celebrate the SFA's Centenary, which was to collimate in a special Centenary match against England on St. Valentines Day 1973. Scotland set off on a three-match trip that Summer, and the first of these matches was against Yugoslavia in Belo Horizonte, on June 29th. The match ended in a 2-2 draw with Lou Macari scoring twice for Scotland, the second such match was in Porto Alegre against Czechoslovakia on July 2nd. This match ended in a scoreless draw. The final match of the Summer Mini Series was to be played in Rio de Janeiro against the mighty Brazil. Although Scotland lost this match, I'm sure the experience gained by the players was well worth the effort. Throughout this three match series, the team remained the same: Clark , A Forsyth , Colquhoun, Buchan, Donachie, Bremner (Captain), Graham, Hartford, Morgan, Law , and Macari. Denis Law was to miss out on two matches against Denmark later that year. Firstly in Copenhagen on October 18th when a couple of up and coming players called Joey Harper and Kenny Dalgleish came on as substitutes. Harper managing to come on in place of Bone, who had scored Scotland's second goal of the game. So on came Harper and promptly scored Scotland's third goal, before Willie Morgan notched up Scotland's fourth. Lou Macari had scored the opening goal. This was his third goal in five internationals. Macari was later substituted with Kenny Dalgleish coming on to replace him. The return match against Denmark was at Hampden Park on November 15th. This time Harper and Dalgleish were on from the start of the game, and this time it was Kenny Dalgleish that opened the scoring. With Peter Lorimer scoring number two, giving the home side a 2-0 win over the Danes. The following year was the Scottish Football Association's Centenary. The actual date of the anniversary was 13th. March 1973. I remember the date, because it was the day I joined the Royal Army Pay Corps. For some reason best know to themselves, the S.F.A. and the FA in England came up with St. Valentine's Day as the ideal date for the match. Honestly if you have ever been to a Scotland versus England match, there is never any love lost between the two sides. So really it seemed like a daft date, but that was the date chosen for the Scotland v. England Centenary match at Hampden Park. Denis Law was not included in the Scotland team for this match, which saw Aberdeen's goalkeeper; Bobby Clark let in no less than five goals, and Scotland's Centenary match ended in tatters. Loosing 5-0 to England, that would take a long time to live down. And believe me when you?re a Jock with the Army and you are in an English unit, it takes a long time to live down. Denis Law was to remain out of the Scotland squad until September 1973, during which time he missed the 5-0 humiliation by England at Hampden Park He then missed out on all three of that year?s Home Internationals, against Wales at Wrexham on May 12th. Scotland won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Graham. They then lost 2-1 at Hampden Park to Northern Ireland, despite Kenny Dalgleish being on target for the Scots. He also missed the second defeat by England in the space of a little over three months when England beat Scotland 1-0 at Wembley. Denis Law also missed the game against Switzerland in Berne on June 22nd. which Scotland lost 1-0. He also missed the Brazil game at Hampden Park on June 30th. which again Scotland lost, 1-0. Denis Law was brought back for the show down at Hampden Park against Czechoslovakia. They were one of Scotland's World Cup qualifying group, and the Czechs had slumped in Denmark and could only muster a 1-1 draw in that game on May 2nd. Scotland were now in with a real chance to take their place on the World stage, and book their passage to the World Cup Finals in West Germany in 1974. By the time the Czechoslovakia game came around at Hampden, Denis Law was without a league team; he was only playing at International level. Denis Law was to play with real determination, a place in the World Cup Finals was at stake and his dream had always been to be playing for Scotland in a World Cup Finals. The chance was there for the taking. Denis knew that they were in with a chance, but more especially for Denis, who was fast approaching his 34th. birthday, this would be his very last chance. And so the stage was set for Scotland to show everyone what they were really capable of. Hampden Stadium had to have a limit of 100,000-crowd capacity restriction placed on them by the Police for safety reason. Such was the importance of this match that Coronation Street, the English Street life soap, from Granada studios in Manchester, yes even this bastion of British Television programming, had to be screened earlier so that the match could be shown in full and live on the television. Hampden was full, the nation waited with baited breath. Scotland fans were all expecting their heroes to dispose of these Czechs and send them off with a flea in their ear. When the Czech player Nehoda scored the opening goal, the nation watched as the goal keeper got both hands to the ball, but Harvey was still unable to prevent the ball going into the back of the Scottish net. The Czechs were leading 1-0. The voices of the Tartan Army of fans mingled and rose up to create what is known as the "Hampden Roar". The whole of the nation was willing the boys in dark blue to victory and a place in the 1974 World Cup Finals, and shortly before the half time whistle, Jim Holton headed the ball pass Victor, the Czech goal keeper, to bring the scores level. During the second half of the match there seemed as though there was no way of penetrating the Czechoslovakian defences. Just about three quarters of the way through the match Willie Ormond, who had replaced Tommy Docherty as team manager, decided to change things around a bit. Off came Kenny Dalgleish, and on came big Joe Jordan. Ten minutes or so had gone by without any sign of a winning goal from either side, when the skipper, Billy Bremner shoots for goal, but the ball hits the goal post, and Scots fans watched as the ball runs agonisingly along the line before finally being cleared away. The ball comes out to Willie Morgan who lobs the ball high into the middle of the goal area. When all of a sudden, as if from nowhere, up jumps big Joe Jordan and heads the ball, and it floated in the air, taking ages as it sailed into the back of the Czechoslovakian net. Hampden erupted. Grown men had tears in their eyes, I know, because I was one of them. Even watching the highlights again later on in the week I can recall, the emotion in the voice of Arthur Montford, who was commentating on the match for Scottish Television. When the final whistle blew, Arthur Montford the serious face and voice of Scottish football, could hardly contain the joy that he felt as he witnessed Scotland proceed into a World Cup Finals for the first time since 1958. When the final whistle did eventually sound, the players did several laps of honour. But where was Bill Bremner going, he left the field. I thought perhaps the emotion was just all too much for him, but no. He returned with the Scotland Manager Willie Ormond, who was chaired in triumph by his players around Hampden Park. The emotion of the whole evening had got to me by this time, and all I can remember after seeing Willie Ormond being lifted onto his teams' shoulders to be carried round the stadium. Then there were the fans, the Tartan Army. Some fans were hugging their pals, Rangers fans were hugging Celtic fans. This was truly a night to be Scottish. The Tartan choir of Hampden Park was chanting a song to their newest hero : "Six foot two, eyes of blue Big Joe Jordan's after you Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na. " This song was chanted over and over again by the Tartan Army. I remember waking up singing it. The return match in Brataslava on October 17th. was of little consequence. The fact that Scotland were beaten 1-0. because Alex Forsyth conceded a penalty after only 15 minutes of play, did not alter the fact, that Scotland were through to the World Cup Finals in West Germany in 1974. Things could hardly get better, but they did, England had failed to qualify so had Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland was to be the only Home nation represented in the 1974 World Cup Finals. This time Scotland would do the travelling, and the English could stay at home and watch it on the television, whilst reflecting on their missed opportunities. Scotland had a further seven international matches before taking part in the World Cup Finals in West Germany. These seven games included two friendly matches that had been arranged on a home and away basis. The first of these games was at Hampden Park on November 14th. 1973, and Scotland managed to hold West Germany to a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal from Jim Holton. The team against the Germans for that match was : Harvey, Jardine, and McGrain, Bremner (Captain). , Holton, Connelly, Morgan, Smith (Lorimer sub.), Law, (Jordan sub.), Dalgleish, Hutchison. In the return match played in Franfurt on March 27th., the West Germans got the better of the Scotland squad, and the Germans won the match 2-1 with Kenny Dalgleish getting the Scotland goal. There was a new Scotland player on the park that night in Frankfurt, and with a name like Schaedler, you may have been forgiven for thinking that surely that was a German name, so why was he playing for Scotland. Schaedler's father had played for Moenchengladbach before the start of the Second World War. The allies had captured him and taken to Scotland as a Prisoner of War, after the war, he remained in Scotland and married a Scottish lassie. There was now a little more than a month before the start of the World Cup Finals, and yet Scotland still had to first take part in the Home Internationals. The game against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on May 11th. ended in a 1-0 victory for the Irish, thanks to a goal from Cassidy. This was not what Willie Ormond had in mind as far as preparations for the World Cup Finals in West Germany were concerned. It was also the last time that Denis Law would play for Scotland at Hampden Park. The next Home International was against Wales, and this game was also at Hampden Park. There had been need to change the team slightly, and the following players took to the field on May 14th. were: Harvey, Jardine, Hay, Bremner (Captain), Holton, Buchan (McGrain sub.) Jimmy Johnstone, Dalgleish, Ford, Jordan, Hutchison (Smith sub.). This time the team got their act together and they beat Wales 2-0. with goals coming from Kenny Dalgleish and Sandy Jardine. The final match in the Home Internationals was as always, against the English. On May 18th. Scotland played their last home game before heading for West Germany. Willie Ormond shuffled the players around a bit so that when they took to the field the team was as follows: Harvey, Jardine, McGrain, Bremner (Captain), Holton, Blackley, Lorimer, Jimmy Johnstone, Jordan, Dalgleish, Hay. The Scotland players and fans had the best possible send that anyone could have hoped for, they beat England at Hampden Park 2-0 with less than a month to go before the started their World Cup Campaign in earnest. They had just two more friendlies to play, then it was off to West Germany for those finals. The first friendly was against Belgium in Bruges on June 1st., but it was hardly the proper start to their trip. Scotland was defeated 2-1 by Belgium with Jimmy Johnstone scoring for Scotland. The second game was on June 6th. only eight days before Scotland were to be in action in West Germany. Their opponents this time were Norway in Oslo. Allan went into goal for Scotland and Blackley was left out of the team. Gordon McQueen had played in the friendly in Bruges but he wasn't to take any further part in the Scotland campaign that Summer. Joe Jordan so often an important character in the past scored the first of Scotland's goals, and Kenny Dalgleish scored the second goal who had come on as a substitute to replace Jimmy Johnstone. Scotland went on to win the last of their pre-finals friendlies, 2-1. Now it was to be the real thing Scotland packed up after the game in Oslo and were heading for West Germany, and their training base. They had been drawn against Brazil, Yugoslavia and the African state of Zaire, formerly known as the Belgian Congo, and now since the Summer of 1997, it has been renamed the Republic of Congo. Anyway apart from what they choose to call their nation, no one really knew that much about them. They were the enigma side in Scotland's group. The two sides, Scotland and Zaire met in the opening match of their group. Little did Scotland know it at the time that this was to be the team that had the most impact on Scotland's future involvement in the World Cup Finals that Summer. The Scotland squad for the first match was as follows: Harvey, Jardine, McGrain, Bremner (Captain), Holton, Blackley, Dalgleish (Hutchison sub.), Hay, Lorimer, Jordan, and Law. Yes ! Denis Law's name was on the team list, and his dream was about to be realised. He had played at the top flight of football for most of his professional career. He had won medals for this, and medals, for that, he had, however missed out on a European Cup Winner's Medal, but now he was to play in the World's top most event, and he would be wearing the Dark Blue shirt of Scotland. He was going to go out in style. Sadly with Scotland leading by two goals the only thing to go out with style that day, was the Stadiums lights, and the referee had to gather both teams into the centre of the field until, some one could go and locate an electrician. It would appear that when the lights went out, so did Scotland's desire to go for more goals. Joe Jordan had set Peter Lorimer up for the opening goal, and six minutes later Joe Jordan himself scored from a header. But then the lights went out literally, and although someone found an electrician, who managed to get the power back on, the fizz seemed to have drained from Scotland's attack in the remainder of this vital opening match. The Press of course needed a scapegoat, and the Scotland Captain, Billy Bremner was the softest option for them to go for. If all else fails, blame the Captain. It was thought that the two goals against Zaire would not be enough to see Scotland through to the knock stages of the World Cup. Scotland's second opponents in the preliminary rounds were Brazil, who were in these Finals as the World Cup Holders. Scotland knew that Brazil would not be any easy side to play against, they had never managed to defeat Brazil in any of their previous encounters. On June 18th. both teams met and in a very passionately fought football match, Scotland managed to keep Brazil from scoring and they were more than happy to take a pint from the 0-0 draw. The team that faced Brazil for this match was : Harvey, Jardine, McGrain, Holton, Buchan, Bremner (Captain), Hay, Dalgleish, Morgan, Jordan, and Lorimer. There was no Denis Law in the Scotland line up against Brazil. There was still a chance that he would play for Scotland in their third and final match of the open rounds. As for Scotland progressing to the knock out stages, they had taken three points from a possible four, they had not conceded any goals, They must surely be in with a chance of progressing to the next stage of the Competition for the first time in their history. A win against Yugoslavia would certainly see them through to round two. So Scotland looked forward with anticipation to the final game of their group. A win against Yugoslavia was all that stood between them and a place in the second round of the World Cup. The match took place in Frankfurt on June 22nd. and the Scotland line was : Harvey, Jardine, McGrain, Holton, Buchan, Bremner (Capt.), Dalgleish (Hutchison sub.), Hay, Morgan, Jordan, and Lorimer. Again no Denis Law in the line up for Scotland. The match went all wrong, perhaps it had some psychological effect on the Scotland players that they were not playing in their usual dark blue shirts, instead they had to wear white shirts. Yugoslavia took the lead and seemed to be head for a 1-0 win against Scotland, when once again big Joe Jordan was on hand to score an equaliser in the dying seconds of the game. Had they done enough to go through to round two? Was their draw good enough ? It was all down to the score from the Brazil v. Zaire match, if Brazil won by more than two clear goals, then Scotland were on their way out of the competition. The last anyone had heard was that Brazil, had scored two goals, and if the final score remained the same, then Scotland were safe. Then the Brazil v. Zaire result came up on the electronic scoreboard, the Brazilians had scored THREE goals against Zaire, and Zaire had scored NONE, Brazil had the three clear goal lead that was to send Scotland home from the 1974 World Cup Finals. Even though Scotland turned out to be the only team not to loose a match in the competition, they were out. The West Germans who had been beaten in the opening round, went on to win the World Cup. Scotland was unbeaten, but they were out of the competition on goal difference. The Press back home were going to go overboard looking for someone to blame for the Scottish swift exit from the World Cup, and of course, they all seemed to blame the team Captain Billy Bremner. He was accused of not pushing the team on enough to get more goals especially against Zaire. So according to the press Billy Bremner should be public enemy number one. The press as is often the case did not speak on behalf of the general public. Many a Sports Journalist must have been left with egg on his face when the team arrived back in Scotland to be greeted by thousands upon thousands of football fans. They had turned up at Abbotsinch Airport not looking for blood as the headlines might have indicated. Thousands of ordinary Scottish football fans had turned up to welcome home their heroes, and that included the team Captain, Billy Bremner. Yes Scotland had not progressed to the second round of the World Cup Finals. But they "HAD NOT BEEN BEATEN", and the crowds had turned up to show that there were behind the team 100%. Scotland's football team had done nothing wrong in the eyes of their fans. The squad had been marvellous, and even though they were home after only the first round, the nation was behind them. If a crowd more akin to a visiting pop group or rock star, turned up to greet the team, who were returning from the competition after only the first round. One can only imagine the size of the crowd that would have turned up had Scotland gone on further in the Competition. The full Scotland Squad that was sent out to West Germany for the 1974 World Cup Finals was : Allan, Blackley, Bremner, Buchan, Dalgleish, Ford, Hay, Harvey, Holton, Hutchison, Jardine, Johnstone, Jordan, Law, Lorimer, McGrain, McQueen, Morgan, Schaedler, Smith and Stewart. This was most probably the best ever squad of football players that have ever gone out to represent both the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Football fans in a World Cup Tournament. After the team dispersed out of the Airport terminal, and had gone on their separate ways, back to their loved ones, to friends and families. Perhaps, they were to take well-earned holidays. They were perhaps, not reflecting on the fourth coming football season that was not that far away. One team member, however, may well have been thinking about the next football season, because for the first time since he had been a schoolboy. He didn't have a team to play for next season. He had not had a league team to play for more than a year, and now he was going home to reflect on the joy of a career that had covered almost two decades. The ups and the downs of the professional game. This one player was heading home to the wife and their 5 children. He certainly did not have a team to play for in the next season, but he had just played in a World cup Tournament wearing the dark blue shirt of Scotland. He had played at the top flight of football for such a long time. He had set so many records, he was his national sides top goal scorer. Okay so there was to be no more professional football. He was unemployed now that Scotland's run in the World Cup had come to an end, but he wasn't finished. He was Denis Law. He was for so many, the living mortalised, comic book hero Roy of the Rovers. He (Denis Law), did actually exist. He had played for a real team and he had scored real, and sometimes breathtaking goals. For many people of my own era, born as Wartime rationing came to and end, he was an idol. A real person from a family background. Very much like our own, and yet he was a football megastar. He was a genius with a football. To those who lived through the war he was a hero, a hope for the future, a talent that took folks minds off of the hard drudge of rebuilding war torn Britain. He was what Saturday afternoons were all about. To those who were born in the sixties he was a megastar, a talent that required football managers to pay record fees to gain his services. He was a small kid with thick glasses whom you would not have given a second glance if he told you that one-day he would don a dark blue shirt and play for Scotland at Hampden. "He wis jist a wee loon, he didnae hae a chunce o' playing fitba for ony team eifter he left the school." Yet, he did play fitba eifter he left school. Twice, managers had to set world record fees to gain his services. The wee loon fae Printfield played in the Italian league. He did wear a dark blue shirt, and he did play at Hampden for Scotland. He had won medals for his footballing talents. He had represented his national side in the World Cup. He had played football at the highest possible level for most of his professional career. He played alongside some of the top players in the World's footballing arena. He had achieved this because HE was one of the top players in the World's footballing arena. These achievements were not bad for a "wee loon fae 6 Printfield Terrace, Woodside, Aberdeen". Denis Law has set records in football that for many are etched in the memories forever. His playing skills are in part captured on videotape, and for those occasions that there was no camera, these too are etched in the memories of many. To some Denis Law was just a cheeky chappie, to others he was "Denis the Menace", to many others, be they Scottish or not, from Manchester or Huddersfield, Denis Law will always be the KING of British Football. For those who never saw him grace the hallowed turf of Old Trafford or Hampden Park, Maine Road or Wembley, this book is MY tribute to Denis Law. Which I hope will explain to you, how DENIS LAW rose from being a wee LAD, from Aberdeen, to become a Football Living LEGEND. Heroes come and heroes go. Some fall from grace, though scandal, women, drink etc. Denis Law never fell into that trap. Denis Law was a true professional player in the days when the playing of football, and playing it at your best was far more important than the size of the pay cheque. In the 1950?s and 1960?s there were many great soccer names in Britain, sadly at the end of this Millennium, when they drew up the Top 100 Soccer All Time Greats ? Denis Law was not even listed in the Top 10. Obviously there wasn?t a Scotsman on the Panel of Selectors. Bill Mackie September 1999 The Epilogue The Games, The Goals, The Statistics: 1955-1974 Denis Law joined Huddersfield Town, in April 1955 as an apprentice on the ground staff, he signed as a professional in February 1957. In March 1960 Denis Law was transferred from Huddersfield Town to Manchester City for a then British record transfer fee of £55,000. Just over a year later, in June 1961, Denis Law was on the move again. This time being transferred from Manchester City to the Italian giants Torino, the fee set a new record for transfer fees between a British and Italian teams, the fee was a staggering £110,000, twice what Manchester City had paid for him only 15 months before. Just 13 Months later Denis Law was on the move yet again, this time to Manchester United. In July 1962, Manchester United paid out a new record transfer fee of £115,000 to bring Denis Law back to British Football. Ten days short of his 11th. Anniversary of joining Manchester United, the new manager Tommy Docherty gave him a free transfer back to Manchester City. Denis Law, having spanned almost 20 years as a professional footballer at both League, and at International level, decided to call it a day. and so he hung up his boots in August 1974, after the World Cup campaign of that year, although his last actual game was in June when he played for Scotland against Zaire. Below is a comprehensive list of Denis Law's playing career at club and international level, along with European competitions, and the goals that Denis has scored in these games. These facts have been verified by ploughing through vast numbers of Footballing Facts Books. Not to mention watching miles and miles of video tape footage of all the matches that I could get my hands on that Denis Law was on. Reams of old newspapers for hints quotes, and goals and statistics. Denis Law's Club Playing Career League F A Cup League Cup Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Season Huddersfield Town 1956-57 13 2 5 1 1957-58 18 5 2 1 1958-59 26 2 0 0 1959-60 24 7 3 1 Manchester City 1959-60 7 2 0 0 1960-61 37 19 4 2* 2 0 Torino (ITALY) 1961-62 27 10 Manchester United 1962-63 38 23 6 6 1963-64 30 30 6 9 1964-65 36 28 6 3 1965-66 33 15 7 6 1966-67 36 23 2 2 1967-68 23 7 1 0 1968-69 30 14 6 7 1969-70 10 2 0 0 3 1 1970-71 28 15 2 0 4 1 1971-72 32 13 7 0 2 0 1972-73 9 1 1 0 2 2 Manchester City 1973-74 22 9** 1 0 3 1 TOTALS 479 227 59 40*** 16 5 * Does not include the 6 goals that Denis Law scored against Luton Town in an abandoned Cup-tie. Denis did score again in the replay, but Luton Town went on to win the replay. Imagine scoring seven times and still ending up on the loosing side. ** Includes the goal that Denis scored that he thought had relegated Manchester United. *** This was a Competition Record. The record is now held by Ian Rush. Information courtesy of The Guinness Football Fact Book 2nd. Edition By Jack Rollin, Published 1993. Denis Law's European Competition Career All games played with Manchester United European Cup European Inter-Cities Cup-Winner's Cup Fairs Cup* Appearances Goals Appearances Goals Appearances Goals 1963-64 0 0 5 6 0 0 1964-65 0 0 0 0 10 8 1965-66 8 3 0 0 0 0 1966-67 0 0 0 0 0 0 1967-68 3 2 0 0 0 0 1969-70 7 9 0 0 0 0 ___________________________________________________ TOTALS 18 14** 5 6 10 8 * This competition is now known as the UEFA Cup. ** This was a club record for this competition. This record still stands (as at August 1997) Denis Law's International Playing Record for Scotland Date Opponent Venue Score Goals 1958 18 October Wales Cardiff 3-0 1 5 November N. Ireland Hampden 2-2 0 1959 27 May Holland Amsterdam 2-1 0 3 June Portugal Lisbon 0-1 0 3 October N. Ireland Belfast 4-0 0 14 November Wales Hampden 1-1 0 1960 9 April England Hampden 1-1 0 4 May Poland Hampden 2-3 1 29 May Austria Vienna 1-4 0 9 November N. Ireland Hampden 5-2 1 1961 15 April England Hampden 3-9 0 26 September Czechs Hampden 3-2 2 29 November Czechs Brussels 2-4 0 1962 14 April England Hampden 2-0 0 20 October Wales Cardiff 3-2 1 7 November N. Ireland Hampden 5-1 4 1963 6 April England Wembley 2-1 0 8 May Austria Hampden 4-1 2 4 June Norway Bergen 3-4 3 9 June Eire Dublin 0-1 0 13 June Spain Madrid 6-2 1 7 November Norway Hampden 6-1 4 20 November Wales Hampden 2-1 1 1964 11 April England Hampden 1-0 0 12 May W Germany Hanover 2-2 0 3 October Wales Cardiff 2-3 0 21 October Finland Hampden 3-1 1 25 November N. Ireland Hampden 3-2 0 1965 10 April England Wembley 2-2 1 8 May Spain Hampden 0-0 0 23 May Poland Chorzow 1-1 1 27 May Finland Helsinki 2-1 0 2 October N. Ireland Belfast 2-3 0 13 October Poland Hampden 1-2 0 1966 2 April England Hampden 3-4 1 22 October Wales Cardiff 1-1 1 1967 15 April England Wembley 3-2 1 10 May Russia Hampden 0-2 0 21 October N. Ireland Belfast 0-1 0 1968 6 November Austria Hampden 2-1 1 1969 16 April W. Germany Hampden 1-1 0 6 May N. Ireland Hampden 1-1 0 1972 26 April Peru Hampden 2-0 1 20 May N. Ireland Hampden 2-0 1 24 May Wales Hampden 1-0 0 27 May England Hampden 0-1 0 29 June Yugoslavia Belo Horizonte 2-2 0 2 July Czechs Porto Alegre 0-0 0 5 July Brazil Rio De Janeiro 0-1 0 1973 26 September Czechs Hampden 2-1 0 17 October Czechs Bratislava 0-1 0 14 Nov W Germany Hampden 1-1 0 1974 27 March W Germany Frankfurt 1-2 0 11 may N. Ireland Hampden 0-1 0 14 June Zaire Dortmund 2-0 0 Denis Law returned to Britain after the 1974 World Cup Campaign to hang up his boots. He can be heard on Radio 5 now commenting on football matches throughout the season. Periodically you can find him in the odd T.V. Studio giving his expert opinion on the games of today. If you are fortunate enough to get BBC Scotland TV, you might catch a glimpse of the take off of Denis Law by the cast of ?It?s only an excuse.? Denis Law made a total of 55 appearances for Scotland, and scored 30 goals. Actually Dennis Law scored 31 goals in a Scotland shirt, but the game against Jutland was not classed as a Full International. Denis Law now shares his record with Kenny Dalgleish who has also scored 30 goals from 102 appearances for the Scotland team. Had the game against Jutland counted as a full international, then his tally would be 31 and Denis Law would still hold the record - OUTRIGHT. Denis Law still holds the record for being the youngest player in a Full International to play for Scotland. All match information courtesy of the Sporting Archives of Aberdeen Journals Limited, Lang Stracht, Mastrick, Aberdeen AB15 6DF, held at the City of Aberdeen Library Services, Central Library Reference and Newspaper Archives Section, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen. All other results and records, were verified by The Guinness Football Fact Book, Second Edition By Jack Rollin, Published by Guinness Publishing Ltd. London 1993. Or from "Scotland the Team" by Andrew Ward, Published by Breedon Books, Derby 1987.
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