On this day in 1960… Denis Law joined City

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

Very interesting that film. I remember well City leading 3-2 but then going down 4-3. I wasn't at the match but I was consoled by the news that City were to make a very rare appearance on Sports Special for obvious reasons. After waiting for what seemed endless hours the highlights were announced and began ... only to be abandoned a minute later because the film was running ten times too fast and the sound track was like the chipmunks speaking Chinese. Now I've seen it I know that they were actually preoccupied even then by City's spending.

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

Somethings never change - "Is he worth £50,000", "Cost 22 guineas per ounce".

 

[spiny]

Denis Law is still one of my all time favourite players starting from his first time at City.

Wish we had the likes of him now. Intelligent, sharp, quick feet, great leap, could pick a pass and knew where the goal was. At a time when we had King Colin the rags had King Denis for good reason over the likes of Best and Charlton and different gravy to Cantona.

My first City hero as Bert was a bit old by then. Easily forgiven for being a Scot. He would walk into any Pep side.

 

[spiny]

when he made his debut, he was about 8 stone. Played much bigger, never looked over-awed. Weird scrap with Alan Oakes at ol' trafford when he came back from Italy. Hough end would have lots of players clutching their shirt cuffs "just like Denis".

Turned out to be a tough, wirey bugger capable of holding his own against the biggest, baddest defenders in the winter mud heaps in the centre of the field. His skill still shone through.

The only United player I admired throughout his career regardless who he played for. Holding his long shirt sleeve cuffs in his hands became a trademark copied everywhere. No wearing gloves then.

 

[Legal Alien]

Denis Law is still one of my all time favourite players starting from his first time at City.

Wish we had the likes of him now. Intelligent, sharp, quick feet, great leap, could pick a pass and knew where the goal was. At a time when we had King Colin the rags had King Denis for good reason over the likes of Best and Charlton and different gravy to Cantona.

My first City hero as Bert was a bit old by then. Easily forgiven for being a Scot. He would walk into any Pep side.

He was my Dad's favourite player too.

My first game at Maine Rd was in 1973 v Birmingham, i was 8.
Denis had just come back and was making his second debut.
My favourite player at that time was Rodney Marsh but my old man said to me with a laugh "you get to watch Denis, he's getting old but he's still better than Marsh will ever be"
He scored a couple that day, an acrobatic shot at our end too, my old man was elated!

 

[BillCarlisle]

62 years ago today (15 March 1960) Denis Law moved to Manchester…

https://gjfootballarchive.com/2022/03/15/denis-law-signs-for-manchester-city/

Gary, I wonder if you could answer a question. My memory as a kid in those days was that our away kit was Old Gold & Black, as indicated in the footage commentary.
Other pics and footage of the time show us in Old Gold with Maroon Trim & white shorts. Can you confirm that I'm not going senile and we did in fact at one time play in the "Wolves" kit ? Cheers, Bill

 

[xgorton]

Gary, I wonder if you could answer a question. My memory as a kid in those days was that our away kit was Old Gold & Black, as indicated in the footage commentary.
Other pics and footage of the time show us in Old Gold with Maroon Trim & white shorts. Can you confirm that I'm not going senile and we did in fact at one time play in the "Wolves" kit ? Cheers, Bill

I remember at Leeds road Huddersfield us running out in old gold and black 63/64 old second division,Jimmy Murray played that day bet he thought he was still at Wolves with those colours.

 

[BillCarlisle]

I remember at Leeds road Huddersfield us running out in old gold and black 63/64 old second division,Jimmy Murray played that day bet he thought he was still at Wolves with those colours.

Yes that's my recollection of the early 60's.

 

[Gary James]

Gary, I wonder if you could answer a question. My memory as a kid in those days was that our away kit was Old Gold & Black, as indicated in the footage commentary.
Other pics and footage of the time show us in Old Gold with Maroon Trim & white shorts. Can you confirm that I'm not going senile and we did in fact at one time play in the "Wolves" kit ? Cheers, Bill

There’s colour film of a game at Spurs where the team wore old gold/yellow and maroon. The shorts were white but the shirt V, numbers and top of socks were maroon too. Not only that but at one time the camera shows the crowd and there’s a City fan with a maroon and yellow scarf.

A contemporary football annual shows Law taking to the field at his debut - it was published in the book coloured so not a colour photo as such but one coloured by the publisher. That coloured photo shows Law in yellow and maroon.

Having said that a former player who was a youngster at the time claimed City ‘never wore yellow and maroon‘ and that the kit was yellow and black. The Spurs film proves they wore yellow and maroon but it looks like yourself and others remember a yellow and black kit too.

I‘ve been searching for yellow and black photos/evidence but not found anything yet. Let’s hope something appears - personally I think the shorts may have changed due to clashes, so it may be that black shorts were normal.

Here’s a link to the colour film at Spurs. City are on after about 5 minutes:

 

[BillCarlisle]

There’s colour film of a game at Spurs where the team wore old gold/yellow and maroon. The shorts were white but the shirt V, numbers and top of socks were maroon too. Not only that but at one time the camera shows the crowd and there’s a City fan with a maroon and yellow scarf.

A contemporary football annual shows Law taking to the field at his debut - it was published in the book coloured so not a colour photo as such but one coloured by the publisher. That coloured photo shows Law in yellow and maroon.

Having said that a former player who was a youngster at the time claimed City ‘never wore yellow and maroon‘ and that the kit was yellow and black. The Spurs film proves they wore yellow and maroon but it looks like yourself and others remember a yellow and black kit too.

I‘ve been searching for yellow and black photos/evidence but not found anything yet. Let’s hope something appears - personally I think the shorts may have changed due to clashes, so it may be that black shorts were normal.

Here’s a link to the colour film at Spurs. City are on after about 5 minutes:

Thanks Gary
I'd already seen the Spuds footage and it was this that made me question my memory. It would appear that City may have alternated from Old Gold & Black/ Maroon between seasons in the early 60's as the commentator for the Leeds footage clearly describes City running out in Old Gold & Black. Where would we be without trivia ? Lol.