Denis Law - question for older fans.

[bert's broken neck]

Remember him getting a pen for the scum at Maine Road in 66 (I think) when he he kicked Harry Dowd and fell over him!

The 1-1 draw helped to get us relegated that season (despite the famous 3-2 win at the swamp when Alex Harley scored in the last minute!)

Probably the backheel at the swamp was pay back for the above!

Back on topic - we didn't really get the best out of Law when he first played for us. The second coming was more a case of him moving down a gear prior to retiring!

 

[dawlish dave]

Older fan here. Went to see his first game when he signed from Huddersfield Town (Shankly was there manger) Leeds away, a very young looking Billy Bremmer stood out in that game.City did well to sign Law as loads of clubs were hovering around but City payed 55k a massive amount to shell out for a div 2 player.
Travelled down to Luton by Melba coaches from Reddish pissed down all day City 2 down after 10 min then Law scored 6 goals in about 50 min before the ref to his shame abandoned the game saying the pitch was unplayable the only thing unplayable that day was wearing a No 10 City shirt.
Law was a great player Mario at times took me back to the feeling of excitement I had watching Law play in that first spell with City.
Sorry to say but I was not at "York away" so will be looked on as a part timer by the Ultras on Bluemoon.

 

[Q-Blue]

There is also a myth that after that back heel, he was so gutted that he retired and never wanted to play football again. This is untrue, because he was back at Maine Road for pre-season and even scored another goal. I think it was in the Anglo-Scottish Cup.

I always like to hear the story of his, that when England were winning the World Cup in '66 he was out on the Golf Course and was the only person out there! What a bitter tw*t!

 

[Neville Kneville]

Bizarre. In all the years I've been watching City, I've rarely heard a bad word said against Denis Law either by fans or staff etc of City.

Now a whole bunch of people are giving him abuse on here.

I'va also never heard him say a bad word against City in any interview I've seen. He's always been very complimentary & wished us the best whenever I've seen him interviewed.

Great bloke, great player from my experience & from many stories related by City fans & personnel.

 

[Bozzie]

In fairness I think you have to remember that the most successful part of his playing career was spent at United and so the guy is bound to have an affinity with them, but all City fans want to remember and talk about (understandably) is the back-heel at Old Trafford, so it's bound to piss him off after a while. If you meet Denis he's a lovely, very generous guy who doesn't have a bad word to say about anyone, including City.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

We paid a British record transfer fee (of around £53 000, I think) for Dennis Law on transfer deadline day, from Bill Shankly's Huddersfield, when we bought him, so he was hardly unknown! Most of the (other!) "big clubs" were interested but we were the ones who took the plunge. He scored twice on his debut, against Leeds at Elland Road, but couldn't prevent a 4 - 3 defeat. The belief was that he wasn't too keen on the move to City, but he certainly performed brilliantly for City in the one complete season he spent with us. I don't think it's overstating things to say the he kept us in the first division; if I remember correctly he got over twenty goals for us that season, though I don't remember if the 6 he got in an abandoned cup tie at Luton count in that total or not. He was clearly too good to stay at a club like City who had never really replaced the team which had won the cup with players of equal quality. I remember his performance in the last match of the season, in which Burnley beat us 2-1 in front of a crowd of 72 000 at Maine Road to clinch the title (I ended up watching from the running track as the Burnley fans moved forward in the final minutes!); he was magnificent even compared to Jimmy McIlroy of Burnley. Then Torino came in for him, he wanted to go and we doubled our money, but at the end of the next season we were heading for Division 2. But Dennis Law left us with some wonderful memories of what a genuine, top class player really was like. But that was nothing to the memory he left us with at the end of his other season with us!

 

[Tbilisi]

Bizarre. In all the years I've been watching City, I've rarely heard a bad word said against Denis Law either by fans or staff etc of City.

Now a whole bunch of people are giving him abuse on here.

I'va also never heard him say a bad word against City in any interview I've seen. He's always been very complimentary & wished us the best whenever I've seen him interviewed.

Great bloke, great player from my experience & from many stories related by City fans & personnel.

Yes,whenever I have met him in the past he has always been respectful towards City,even when we were losing every week.

 

[blueleader]

Another older "Blue" here. yes I remember Law's first season. The team was in transition. Dave Ewing, Ken Barnes & Billy Haydock were coming to the end. Alan Oakes & Waggy were young hopefulls. Colin Barlow, Joe Hayes & George Hannah were the mainstays of the team. In this company Law was outstanding. The way he hung in the air for corners & crosses, went up with everyone else, but stayed there & was still airborne when the rest had landed. His speed & alertness in the 6 yard box, the space he created around him and of course the magnificent goals. I make no apology for stating that at that time he was the most accomplished finisher I had ever seen in a City shirt. Far & away better than any of those around him. For a comparison think of Bell, Kinkladze, Robhino, Aguero or Tevez ON A GOOD DAY. But Law was like that every match day. When he returned to us in 1973, he was a pale shadow of his former self but still good enough to give some glimpses of his magic (not forgetting his goal at the swamp).

I remember putting into a collection at one match at Maine Road for his 21st Birthday. Can't remember if they got him a present. I rather think that as he would still be on the maximum wage which I think was about £20 at the time, that they gave him the money.
I still look upon him as a City Hero. Blotting out of course his tragic years in purgatory on the dark side. Don't recall him ever slagging City off.

 

[Q-Blue]

No, I don't think he was ever bitter with City. My remark was aimed at his bitterness to England, but then he was living in England and probably taking some stick from Bobby Slaphead and his mates at OT.

 

[Bluep*ss]

We paid a British record transfer fee (of around £53 000, I think) for Dennis Law on transfer deadline day, from Bill Shankly's Huddersfield, when we bought him, so he was hardly unknown! Most of the (other!) "big clubs" were interested but we were the ones who took the plunge. He scored twice on his debut, against Leeds at Elland Road, but couldn't prevent a 4 - 3 defeat. The belief was that he wasn't too keen on the move to City, but he certainly performed brilliantly for City in the one complete season he spent with us. I don't think it's overstating things to say the he kept us in the first division; if I remember correctly he got over twenty goals for us that season, though I don't remember if the 6 he got in an abandoned cup tie at Luton count in that total or not. He was clearly too good to stay at a club like City who had never really replaced the team which had won the cup with players of equal quality. I remember his performance in the last match of the season, in which Burnley beat us 2-1 in front of a crowd of 72 000 at Maine Road to clinch the title (I ended up watching from the running track as the Burnley fans moved forward in the final minutes!); he was magnificent even compared to Jimmy McIlroy of Burnley. Then Torino came in for him, he wanted to go and we doubled our money, but at the end of the next season we were heading for Division 2. But Dennis Law left us with some wonderful memories of what a genuine, top class player really was like. But that was nothing to the memory he left us with at the end of his other season with us!

Law was a great player for City - he was head and shoulders above his then team mates. Does not deserve abuse from any "older" City fans. Always have fond memories of him. He was Scottish so you can understand his pleasure when Scotland went to Wembley in 1967 and beat "the World Champions" 2-1. Law and Baxter scored if memory serves me right. Also remember him in our forward line - Buzzer , Bell ,Lee , Law , and Marsh. - 1974 League Cup against Wolves. City struggled that day but when Bell got an equaliser in the second half - City fans thought right we are on our way to win but unfortunately lost 2-1.