Denis Law - The final hurrah

The whole of the Stretford End had descended on the pitch at Old Trafford. All the fans of the great football club, Manchester United, were making one last attempt to help their beloved team stay in the top division of English football. Some rumours that spread across Old Trafford made the fans believe that they can force a replay to the match if they invaded the pitch, thus giving their team another shot at survival. However, the event that triggered this reaction from the fans was a more saddening thing for them. Former Manchester United hero Denis Law had scored the goal for City, that would put United behind.

The Present Day Denis Law

Denis Law, the king of the Stretford End before Eric Cantona, played for Manchester United for the first time in 1962. However, his relationship with United goes way longer than that. His first tryst with Manchester United was as an 18 year-old who had filled into Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play their first match after the Munich air crash. Jim White writes in his book, ‘Manchester United : The Biography‘:

A young Denis Law was one of those who made it in. He travelled over from Huddersfield, where he was an apprentice player and together with a team-mate paid one pound for two half-crown tickets to see two new signings, two Munich survivors & seven youth team players to trounce their mighty opponents.

“The emotion that night outside the ground from about four-thirty was amazing,” recounts Law, who stood at the back of the Scoreboard End.

The Lawman had became a fan-favourite upon his arrival at United. He scored on his debut for Manchester United and went on to score many more goals for the club. He won over many United fans with his performances in the red shirt. His initial days were spent roaming all over the Old Trafford pitch helping in defending, tackling and helping his team-mates.

However, Matt Busby recognized the poacher in him and played him in a very attacking role. His quick finishing brought United many goals and the Ballon d’Or for himself. There was something about the way he headed the ball as he seemed to hang in the air till the moment his head connected with the ball, guiding it to the back of the net. His celebration after scoring a goal was, and is copied by many goal scorers even till date. He left a charm wherever he played and fans drafted into the stadium just to watch him score a goal.

Denis Law’s Trademark Celebration

“Matt always said of all players he had, the greatest was Law,” recalls Martin Edwards. “I’d have to agree with that. I was a teenager in those days, going along to watch matches with Father. To me, Denis from 1963 to ’67 was unbelievable. In the same way you could say Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy did in 2003, or Cantona did in ’96, he won the League for us in ’65. He was just outstanding.”

He had attained a legendary status at Manchester United and the fans at United thought it only fitting that he end his career at United. The directors too, felt that he had earned the right to finish at United, which is what Law himself wanted. However, manager Tommy Docherty informed the board that Denis Law had put in a transfer request and wanted to move away from the club. This happened after Docherty had promised Law that he would get a new contract. Denis Law, against his wishes, was transferred to Manchester City on a free transfer in 1973. Law, agonisingly, heard about this news on television first.

On 27th April 1974, with Manchester United requiring a result to avoid relegation, Denis Law captaining Manchester City returned to Old Trafford, as many believe, to sink his former club and to seek revenge on his former manager. However, the look on the face of the man himself narrated a different story. Observers have commented that, initially Law had tried to avoid the cross but his poacher’s instinct took over and he rested a back-heel in the United goal. After the goal, his team-mates tried to make him smile to no avail. He looked shattered, dead-eyed. He immediately asked to be substituted after the goal and it turned out to be his last touch in league football.

Denis Law after scoring the goal against Manchester United

This was the final good-bye between Manchester United and Denis Law, with the Guardian carrying ‘Law’s Last Sad Word’ as the headline the very next day. Many people still refer to that goal as the one that sunk Manchester United, even though the other results meant that United’s result did not matter. However, symbolically, it did sink Manchester United.