Achilles back heel that haunted Lawman

RED DREAD: Denis Law is consoled by his City team-mates 

after scoring the goal that helped relegate his beloved United.

18 Jan 2025

The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)

BY CALLUM LAW

HE HAD PACE, TWO FEET, GOOD CONTROL, 

SKILFUL, HE COULD HEAD A BALL. 

WHAT OTHER QUALITIES DO YOU WANT?

   – former Man City captain Ken Barnes

      MAINE STRIKER

GAMES: 68

GOALS: 30

For many, Denis Law’s two spells with Manchester City were defined by one moment. It came on April 27 1974 when he scored the final league goal of his career and helped consign his beloved Manchester United to relegation.

 

Manchester City captain Ken Barnes 

welcomes Law to the club in 1960.

Law had made the move across the city after his career at Old Trafford came shuddering to a halt under manager Tommy Docherty.

Just six years after winning the European Cup, United were struggling badly and faced their local rivals in their penultimate game of the season needing to have a chance of staying in the First Division.

As the game wore on and Manchester United’s search for a goal became increasingly desperate, City broke away in the 81st minute with Francis Lee’s low cross back-heeled into the net by Law.

There was no attempt at any celebration, with his City team-mates fully aware of the anguish he was feeling at having scored such a goal.

Contrary to popular belief it wasn’t the goal that relegated United – Birmingham City beating Norwich City and West Ham drawing with Liverpool meant the Red Devils would still have been unable to avoid the drop even if they had beaten City.

However, Law was still pained by the experience.

“I was inconsolable after scoring that goal against United,” Law said.

“After 19 years of trying my hardest to score goals, here was one that I almost wished hadn’t actually gone in.

“How long did that feeling last? Thirty-odd years.

“That United team was full of my friends and the last thing in the world I wanted was for them to go down.

“I was totally depressed and wished the ball had gone wide.”

After the ball hit the net the home supporters invaded the pitch. After they retreated to the terracing, Law was substituted but when fans came back on to the pitch a couple of minutes later, the players were taken off.

Technically, the game had been abandoned, but the FA ruled that the result would stand.

Despite the goal he had scored, Law revealed United supporters did not hold that against him.

He added: “I did not get the anticipated stick after the game, the United fans were fine about it.”

There was also the irony of how Law’s second spell with City came about, returning to Maine Road after an abrupt end to his United career.

At the end of the 1972-73 campaign, Docherty told Law he would be granted a free transfer, even though he had a year left on his contract.

With a testimonial arranged against Ajax for the following season, Law was gobsmacked, but he and Docherty managed to come to an arrangement to hold the benefit game in September with Law set to announce his retirement on the night.

But a couple of days later, having returned to Aberdeen, Law was even more shocked when Manchester United went public with news he was to receive a free transfer.

Just when it looked as if he would retire, Law was made an offer by Manchester City manager Johnny Hart at the Football Writers’ Player of the Year dinner.

In his autobiography, The King, Law revealed his surprise at having the chance to return to Maine Road.

“I was flabbergasted,” he said. “As far as I was concerned, I had finished as a professional footballer.

“Yet here was a First Division club willing to take me on.

“I didn’t even give myself time to think about it, we just shook hands there and then.”

After how his return to Manchester City came about, his final league game being against United was the ultimate irony.

“I must confess that I didn’t want to play,” Denis added in his book.

“For all the bad blood between Tommy Docherty and me, I didn’t want to send him and his team down. United meant too much to me. But as a professional, once I had been selected to play, all I could do was keep my fingers crossed that it would be a draw, with honour satisfied on every side.

“I even had a long talk with (manager) Tony Book about how I felt.”

Despite the lows of seeing United relegated, Law’s final season as a professional footballer nearly brought one last piece of silverware.

He had never won the League Cup but he helped City to the final of that competition.

However, they missed out on glory in the final at Wembley on March 2 1974 as Wolverhampton Wanderers triumphed 2-1 despite Colin Bell’s goal for City.

Law believes injury problems cost them.

Key players such as himself, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee all played when not fully fit.

Law said: “We played as awful a game as I have ever played in that arena (Wembley) with 100,000 fans watching.” 

Law had planned playing one more season but, in August 1974, aged 34 and in the wake of Scotland’s World Cup heartache, he retired from football.

***

Two brief spells but Denis was stand-up Citizen

Denis Law’s first spell with Manchester City came when he moved to Maine Road from Huddersfield Town in March 1960 for a British record fee of £55,000.

Right, Denis Law returns to City in 1973 with 

fellow new signings Rodney Marsh and Colin Bell.

He joined a side that was struggling in the bottom half of the First Division, but a couple of goals from Law did help secure City’s top-flight status for 1960-61.

That season was also a slog for the Citizens as they eventually finished 13th in the league and exited the League Cup to Portsmouth and the FA Cup to Luton

Town. The tie with Luton was particularly frustrating for Law.

He had scored six goals at Kenilworth Road before torrential rain led to the game being abandoned.

He scored in the rearranged fixture, but City still lost.

“It was probably the most extraordinary hour or so of my career,” Law said in his autobiography.

“Especially when, with 70 minutes gone, the game was called off because the pitch was so waterlogged.

“Referee Ken Tuck turned to me as he scooped the ball up and said with a big grin all over his face ‘Denis, I’m afraid your six goals won’t count as a record now. Bad luck’.”

Law was City’s standout player during the 1960-61 season, netting 23 goals in all competitions, as well as captaining the side on some occasions when regular skipper Ken Barnes was injured.

As his reputation continued to grow, so to did the list of clubs interested in signing him. Italian clubs Inter Milan and Torino were both showing an interest and, after being involved in two relegation battles at Maine Road, Law was keen to head for pastures new.

Torino won the battle for his signature and Law was heading to Italy for what would turn out to be a whirlwind adventure.