A solid grounding on his path to greatness

18 Jan 2025 - The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)

BY CALLUM LAW

HE WAS ONLY A SKINNY LITTLE WHIPPET 

BUT WHEN YOU SAW HIM PLAY AT 15, 

YOU KNEW HE WAS SOMETHING UNUSUAL

   – former Huddersfield manager Bill Shankly

      THE SCOTTISH TERRIER

GAMES: 81

GOALS: 16

Starting out as a young apprentice at Huddersfield Town, Denis Law did everything – before he even made it on to the pitch.

Alongside training, he would find himself cleaning the boots of first-team players, laying out kit, making tea as well as sweeping the dressing rooms and terraces and painting crash barriers at the club’s Leeds Road ground.

Despite being kept busy and keenly looked after by senior players such as Jack Connor, future World Cup winner Ray Wilson and Les Massie, who stayed at the same digs, Law suffered from homesickness and was pining for Aberdeen.

However, Huddersfield manager Andy Beattie signed a friend of Denis’s from the Granite City to make him feel more at home, as he recalled in his autobiography The King.

“My feelings of being slightly outside the group eased a bit when Gordon Low came to Huddersfield,” he said.

“Gordon had played with me in the Aberdeen Lads’ Club side and I got on well with him.

“Andy Beattie, obviously spotting that I was homesick, had actually asked me if I had any pals who were any good.

“I told him about Gordon. They watched him play and decided he was all right, both as a prospect and as good company for me.

“It was a terrific gesture on the part of Andy Beattie.”

In the 1955-56 season, Huddersfield were relegated from the First Division – something which ended up benefiting Law in the following campaign as he made his first-team breakthrough.

On Christmas Eve 1956, Law made his professional debut in a 2-0 win over Notts County at Meadow Lane.

Then, on Boxing Day, he netted his first goal in a 3-0 victory over the same opponents at Leeds Road.

Shortly after his first-team bow for Huddersfield, Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby offered £10,000 to sign 16-year-old Law, so impressed was he by the young Aberdonian’s natural talent in front of goal.

Town turned down the bid, something Law did not become aware of until many years later.

When he did find out, he was struck by the realisation he could have been involved in the darkest day in United’s history.

On February 6 1958, 23 people died as the plane carrying Manchester United home from a 3-3 draw with Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup crashed at Munich airport when attempting to take off in heavy snow after stopping to refuel.

Eight of the Busby Babes, including Duncan Edwards, died while the likes of Johnny Berry and Jackie Blanchflower did not play again as a result of their injuries.

Sir Matt was left in a coma and read the last rites before eventually recovering after weeks in hospital.

“If I had moved to United, I would have probably been on that aeroplane in Munich,” Denis said in a 2012 interview.

“I only heard about the bid to sign me years later.

“It was an absolute tragedy that Manchester United lost half of that wonderful team and so many people died.”

Promoting Denis to Huddersfield’s first team was one of Beattie’s last acts as manager. Early in 1957, he resigned and was replaced by his assistant Bill Shankly and, in February of that year, Law signed his first professional contract.

The 1957-58 season saw the young striker’s progress restricted by injuries.

He missed 17 games in the campaign before needing an operation to remove cartilage from his knee early in 1958.

He then spent the summer of that year in plaster cast, having damaged a ligament in the last game of the season.

In 1958-59 and 1959-60, Law managed to stay mainly clear of injuries and was a regular in the Huddersfield team.

Shankly left The Terriers for Liverpool in December 1959 and promised Law he would take him to Anfield.

But, with the Anfield side also being in the second tier at the time, it meant Liverpool were unable to afford the fee Huddersfield were looking for.

However, Law’s goalscoring exploits in the Second Division attracted attention across the UK.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion and Rangers all made offers and Everton were also keen.

In March 1960, Manchester City won the race to sign him after paying a British record transfer fee of approximately £55,000.

Law was at City for barely a season before Italian side Torino secured his services.

Again that was a brief stop-off as the transfer that would catapult Law to superstardom arrived on July 10 1962, when Manchester United signed him for a new British record of £115,000. 

What followed next was the stuff of footballing fairytales...

***

North-east connection gave Denis his break

Denis Law’s start in professional football came as a result of a neighbour in Aberdeen.

Huddersfield were managed by Kintore-born Andy Beattie, who played for Inverurie Locos before joining Preston North End in 1935.

Beattie’s brother, Archie, remained in the north-east and stayed a mile or so away from Law and his family in Aberdeen.

Law had been playing for Aberdeen Lads’ Club’s colts team as well as Aberdeen Schoolboys.

Archie had spotted the goalscoring talent and recommended brother, Andy, take a look.

So, in the spring of 1955, Law, accompanied by older brothers George and John, travelled to Huddersfield for a trial.

In his autobiography Law said: “I have to admit I was surprised I caught anyone’s eye. I was only a little boy, undernourished, and I had this terrible squint.”

After a week on trial, Huddersfield signed 15-year-old Law on April 3 1955. 

“When I first went to England I had no burning intention to become a professional football player,” he said. “I was just proud to have been asked to go down for a trial to Huddersfield and I went because I loved football.”