Denis Law and the Backheel - the Facts & Evidence

[city68]

Scraps all around us Finished up on the shit pitch. Great day...

 

[East Level 2]

Special buses to town left from Trafford Wharf Road IIRC so I missed the fun and games getting to Chester Road. Was mightily relieved when two mates who had been in the Stretford End got on the bus unscathed.

 

[Eaststander1]

I too was at Old Trafford that day, i was stood in the United Road Paddock ..... there was an evil smell in the air the longer the game wore on, and after the pitch invasion and United fans scaling over the scoreboard end fence, the trouble all seemed to kick off in the scoreboard paddock, i remember it as clear as day because i was more or less stood right opposite it .... all I could hear was the chant 'City, City' coming from there as fighting raged.

I stayed till the very end, and then jumped on a bus back to the bullrings in Hulme, where i lived.

 

[Gary James]

Exactly this. At the time he scored he wouldn't have been aware of the results elsewhere pre internet days. He would know though that if the rags didn't equalise then his goal would relegated them irrespective of results elsewhere.

To counter Utd’s argument that ‘it didn’t matter’ all we need to do is think back to that relegation of ours v Stoke in 1998. Before the game there was hope (not much but some). We had a great win but results elsewhere meant we were down any way. So for us what day/game do we regard as our relegation match - Stoke. Even though it was a win it was the day we got relegated. Had we lost it would’ve felt even worse. Had we lost to our nearest, fiercest rivals it would’ve felt worse still.

It’s a simple fact that before the derby in 74 Utd had a chance of survival; after it they were down. Had they beat City that day then they could rightly say ‘result didn’t matter’ but because they lost then emotionally and mentally on that day in that ground it was City that relegated Utd. Had it been irrelevant then Denis Law wouldn’t have felt so bad. He believed he’d relegated Utd and he did kill off all hope they had.

 

[paulchapo]

To counter Utd’s argument that ‘it didn’t matter’ all we need to do is think back to that relegation of ours v Stoke in 1998. Before the game there was hope (not much but some). We had a great win but results elsewhere meant we were down any way. So for us what day/game do we regard as our relegation match - Stoke. Even though it was a win it was the day we got relegated. Had we lost it would’ve felt even worse. Had we lost to our nearest, fiercest rivals it would’ve felt worse still.

It’s a simple fact that before the derby in 74 Utd had a chance of survival; after it they were down. Had they beat City that day then they could rightly say ‘result didn’t matter’ but because they lost then emotionally and mentally on that day in that ground it was City that relegated Utd. Had it been irrelevant then Denis Law wouldn’t have felt so bad. He believed he’d relegated Utd and he did kill off all hope they had.

Exactly this.

 

[normskih]

To counter Utd’s argument that ‘it didn’t matter’ all we need to do is think back to that relegation of ours v Stoke in 1998. Before the game there was hope (not much but some). We had a great win but results elsewhere meant we were down any way. So for us what day/game do we regard as our relegation match - Stoke. Even though it was a win it was the day we got relegated. Had we lost it would’ve felt even worse. Had we lost to our nearest, fiercest rivals it would’ve felt worse still.

It’s a simple fact that before the derby in 74 Utd had a chance of survival; after it they were down. Had they beat City that day then they could rightly say ‘result didn’t matter’ but because they lost then emotionally and mentally on that day in that ground it was City that relegated Utd. Had it been irrelevant then Denis Law wouldn’t have felt so bad. He believed he’d relegated Utd and he did kill off all hope they had.

Plus, all I remember about the derby match in 74, is my brother laughing his head off for what seemed like months:)

 

[cyan]

I listened to that match whilst at a Scout camp at Middlewood (now RHS Bridgewater and well worth a visit if you like that sort of thing.) The few reds that were with us were very quiet. School on Monday was fun - made trickier by all the idiots who liked to think they were hard suddenly becoming United fans because they liked the idea of traveling the country smashing places up - and they did.

 

[Spurs quarter 69]

I listened to that match whilst at a Scout camp at Middlewood (now RHS Bridgewater and well worth a visit if you like that sort of thing.) The few reds that were with us were very quiet. School on Monday was fun - made trickier by all the idiots who liked to think they were hard suddenly becoming United fans because they liked the idea of traveling the country smashing places up - and they did.

Not at Villa they didn't, every firm in the Midlands turned out plus the West Midlands Police. A rag mate says he was still having nightmares 20 years later