Last of the Holy Trinity
FAREWELL TO FINAL MEMBER OF UNITED’S TRIO OF LEGENDARY WORLD BEATERS
TODAY was the day older United fans knew was coming, the day the last surviving member of the ‘Holy Trinity’ left us.United Trinity statue outside Old Trafford
18 Jan 2025 - Manchester Evening News
By SAMUEL UCKHURST
By SAMUEL UCKHURST
George Best was the first to go, far too young aged just 59, in 2005, and then Sir Bobby Charlton in 2023, aged 86.
Denis Law, the charming yet lethal Scot with a beaming smile for everyone, has now joined them. He’d been ill for a while. His appearances as a spectator at his beloved Old Trafford dwindled over the years, and whenever the camera panned to him it was clear this giant of the game, known affectionately as Law Man or simply The King by supporters, was being diminished by age and ill health.
He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia in August 2021. The last time he was at the Theatre of Dreams was in February 2023, when United beat Leicester.
Despite United being a world-wide behemoth, in some ways its like a small village, and Reds of a certain vintage would make polite enquiries of their contacts, whispering ‘how’s Denis?’ The decline was as well-known as it was sad.
Away from his very many achievements on the pitch, he was a likeably charmer with a glint in his eye and a love of a bit of mischief. He liked to tease the late former M.E.N. United reporter David Meek ‘Sneaky Meeky’ in front of other United legends, knowing he was nothing of the sort. Try to imagine for one moment any modern footballer having that kind of rapport with a journalist.
Legend had it that he would ensure he was ‘injured’ whenever Christmas was on the horizon during his playing days, so he could fully enjoy the festivities and a proper Hogmanay.
Not many Manchester United players would ever be forgiven for playing for Manchester City, but Denis was. He played for City and memorably scored the winner against United in April 1974, a goal that famously confirmed United’s relegation to Division 2. The blank, joyless look on his face after he backheeled United towards relegation spoke of a man of character, who loved United to his core.
He is survived by his wife Diana, sons Gary, Andrew, Robert and Iain and daughter Diana.
Raised by fisherman father George and mother Robina in a tiny council flat, he went barefoot until the age of 12 and, when he finally did receive his first pair of shoes, they were hand-me-downs that had previously belonged to his three brothers.
He did not receive his first pair of football boots until the age of 16, but those frugal beginnings did nothing to limit a career that would one day see him crowned the best player in Europe. In the early days, though, such visions were hard to imagine for a wiry teenager whose sight was badly affected by a serious squint.
Having turned down a place at Aberdeen Grammar School – where rugby was the only sport on offer – the football-obsessed youngster got his big break in 1954 when he was spotted by Huddersfield scout.
Their manager Andy Beattie recalled: “Never did I see a less likely football prospect – weak, puny and bespectacled.”
Manchester City went on to pay a British record transfer fee of £55,000 for his services in 1960. It was with City that Law gave the first real glimpse of the fearlessness that would make him such a lethal predator, throwing his head into places others would fear to tread.
A tally of 24 goals from 50 appearances provided value for City’s outlay, but his time at Maine Road coincided with a lean spell for the Blues and Law was itching to join a team which could compete for trophies. A £110,000 move to Torino followe, but the joyless defensive tactics adopted in Serie A at the time quickly saw the Scot hankering for home.
Sir Matt Busby offered him the escape route he was desperate for and he returned to Manchester to sign for United in the summer of 1962. This time – as he became one of the few to have played for both United’s great Scot Busby and future Liverpool boss Shankley – the fit was perfect.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 1964 – the only Scottish player to do so. He won two league titles with United and was a member of their European Cup-winning side under Sir Matt Busby in 1968 when they became the first English club to lift the trophy.
He scored a total of 237 goals in 404 appearances during an 11-year spell at Old Trafford until 1973, which places him third behind Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton on United’s alltime list.
RIP THE KING
***
Denis Law playing for Huddersfield Town in 1957
LAW’S club career began at Huddersfield and the West Yorkshire club called him an ‘immortal of the sport’.
They said in a statement posted on X: “All at Huddersfield Town are profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of Denis Law. A legend of not only our great club, but an immortal of the sport as a whole, he will be deeply missed and his memory cherished by us all.
“Our collective thoughts are with Denis’ family and loved ones at this time.
“Once a Terrier, always a Terrier.”
***
UNITED great Bryan Robson, who worked with Law in an ambassadorial role for the club, called the Scot a ‘fantastic man’.
“We have lost one of football’s giants both as a player and a gentleman.
It’s incredibly sad,” he said in a column in the Daily Mail.
“Denis was more than just a fantastic footballer, he was a fantastic man. So generous with his time and everything delivered with that great sense of humour of his.
“He would always be in my greatest ever Manchester United XI. He was a player so many of his peers idolised and with good reason, that iconic image of him with his sleeves pulled down and the one arm salute after scoring.”
MANCHESTER United’s record goalscorer Rooney added on X: “Legend. Thoughts with all Denis’ family and friends.”
FORMER United captain Gary Neville added on Instagram: “Rest in Peace Denis.
“A great footballer and a great man. It’s a privilege and an honour to have spent time in your company.
“The King of the Stretford End.”
SCOTLAND’S men’s national team X account added: “A true great. We will not see his likes again.”
THE Denis Law Legacy Trust described Law as “Scotland’s greatest ever footballer and a proud Aberdonian”.
The Trust said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Denis and our foremost thoughts are with his family and close friends during this very sad time.
“Denis was Scotland’s greatest ever footballer and a proud Aberdonian.
“As Patron of the charity that was built in his honour, he was an inspirational figure for so many people in the city.”
MANCHESTER United posted on X: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84.
“Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”
FORMER Scotland international Joe Jordan called Law a ‘proper icon’.
He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Denis was a special player and to lose someone like him, I think will affect an awful lot of Manchester United fans.
“A proper icon for his ability on the field to score goals but he had a special edge him, not just as a player but as a person.
“He was a special player. Denis Law is one of the greatest players to ever play for Scotland.
“What he achieved at club level, people associate Manchester United with Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law.
“That speaks for itself, he was a special player.”
Commenti
Posta un commento