Born: February 24th, 1940
Died: January 17th, 2025
The impact made on the world of football by Denis Law, who has died aged 84, can be measured by the fact that at the height of his fame a future footballing superstar was named after him.
The child, born to Wim and Tonnie Bergkamp in Amsterdam in May 1969, subsequently had to have his birth name altered because the registrar insisted that “Denis” was overly feminine. The newly-named “Dennis” would go on to make plenty of football history of his own for Arsenal and the Netherlands.
In an era when the word “iconic” was not as commonly abused as it is now, Law – nicknamed The King – was a bona fide sporting legend, along with his Manchester United team-mates Bobby Charlton and George Best. Together, they would be known as the United Trinity. Law was the last surviving member.
Ebullient, extroverted and a natural showman, Law served as the gleaming spear-tip of Matt Busby’s United team, scoring almost at will as they claimed the English League title in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968: only Wayne Rooney and Charlton have scored more goals for the club than him. In 1964, he was anointed as European football’s top player by being awarded the Ballon d’Or, the only Scotsman ever to receive the honour. Decades on from his heyday, he was still revered as a living legend not only of United, but of football itself.
Denis Law was born in February 1940: his father George worked on a fishing trawler, while his mother Robina was a housewife. He was the youngest of seven children. The family home was a tenement in a deprived area. As a boy, Law was obsessed with football and went to watch his native Aberdeen at Pittodrie whenever he could. Aged 14, he was spotted by a scout while playing for Huddersfield Town, where he then honed his skills under the eye of his manager, the future Liverpool legend Bill Shankly. Grimacing at Law’s frail physique, Shankly said he looked “like a skinned rabbit”, but acknowledged the teenager’s ability.
A childhood squint which forced Law to play with one closed eye was soon medically corrected, removing a major obstacle to his progress. By 1960, he was performing well enough for Huddersfield to catch the attention of Manchester City, who signed him for £55,000, a British transfer record at the time. In one memorable FA Cup tie, he scored six times against Luton before the game was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch; in the replay, he drew a blank.
In 1961, Law would join Italian side Torino for £110,000, another record. He embraced the Italian lifestyle (“The wine was lovely, the food was lovely, the women were lovely”), but became disenchanted with the ultra-defensive tactics that charactised Serie A, and scored only 10 goals in his solitary season there. Far more gravely, he and his team-mate and compatriot Joe Baker were involved in a car crash: Baker almost died, but Law was virtually unscathed.
Following one dispute too many with coach Beniamino Santos, Law walked out on Torino and signed for Manchester United in July 1962. United were still getting back on their feet after the 1958 Munich air disaster, but Law was made for them: a quality finisher who perfectly complemented the creative skills of Bobby Charlton and, later, George Best. It was now that his trademark goal celebration – one arm upraised skywards while clutching his shirt cuff in his hand – entered the wider consciousness of British football.
Law’s clinical shot on the turn set United on their way to winning the 1963 FA Cup final against Leicester, and he grabbed 46 more the following season (still a United record) to claim the Ballon d’Or. In 1964-65, his finishing made all the difference as United pipped Leeds on goal average to win the Division One title. Just seven years on from Munich, United were back at the summit of English football.
They claimed the championship again in 1967, but Law was not involved: a knee injury saw him miss the semi-final second leg against Real Madrid and the final against Benfica at Wembley.
United’s post-1968 decline was mirrored by Law himself, as nagging injuries saw new manager Tommy Docherty sell him to neighbours Manchester City in 1973. But the decision would ultimately haunt Docherty, who looked on in horror as Law’s late back-heel condemned United to defeat at Maine Road in May 1974. Law pointedly declined to celebrate the goal. It was popularly thought that he had relegated his old club, but results elsewhere ensured that United would have gone down regardless. “I have seldom felt so depressed as I did that weekend,” he said.
That summer, aged 34, he made his only appearance in the World Cup, looking weary as Scotland defeated Zaire in Dortmund; it was his final game for his country. He still holds the Scottish record for international goals (30) jointly with Kenny Dalglish.
As a player, Law was spiky and aggressive but off the field, he was known for his cheerfulness and approachability, and he remained a beloved figure with United’s fans through the next five decades. After retiring, he was a regular pundit on the BBC and ITV. In 2002, a statue of him was unveiled outside Old Trafford; six years later, another one of him alongside Charlton and Best was situated at the other end of the stadium.
Law died on January 17th. He is survived by his wife Diana and their five children.
