SHARP-SHOOTER
The young Denis Law
!DAVID!!DOCHERTY!!RECALLS!! !THE!!EARLY!DAYS!!OF!! !LEGENDARY!!STRIKER!!DENIS!!LAW...
THERE was no more spectacular sight in British football than that of Denis Law springing above a ruck of tall defenders, with the reaction of a striking cobra, to bullet a header past yet another helpless goalkeeper.
He would then celebrate in his own unique style, by thrusting his hands skywards in a victory V, cuffs gripped tightly, as jubilant teammates ruffled his mane of blond hair and danced their jigs of delight.
Law at his very best was pure electricity. He could hit goals with either foot from all heights and angles. A natural goalscorer, a professional hit-man, he was never more dangerous than when he had his back to goal. Even if the ball was delivered at chest or shoulder height, he could catapult his body through the air to meet it with maximum force and effect.
Hitch-kicks and bicycle-kicks were all part of his lethal armoury and his bravery knew no bounds as he gave no thought to serious injury by diving headlong amidst a sea of flailing boots.
He specialised in lost causes and made the impossible possible. Other players could only look on open-mouthed.
The player I have described was the seasoned professional, the mature, world-travelled Denis. The polished diamond who went on to score 171 goals for Manchester United in 309 appearanc- es and had a career total of 258 goals in 543 appearances for Huddersfield Town, Manchester City (twice), Torino, United and Scotland.
He remains Scotland’s joint-record scorer alongside Kenny Dalglish with 30 in just 55 outings in the Dark Blue of his country. Dalglish took considerably longer to hit the 30-goal mark. His 30th came in his 96th appearance (of 102 in total) in a 3-1 win over Spain in a World Cup qualifier in 1985.
William Luscombe, of Pelham Books, once said of Law: “No one has ever doubted his courage. He is the sort of man who would fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites.”
Scotland legend Billy Bremner on comparing Law with his great contemporary Jimmy Greaves said: “Why do I say I would prefer to play against Jimmy than against Denis? Simple enough. Jimmy sees the hole before anyone else, but Denis makes more opportunities for himself. Denis doesn’t need to spot a gap – he’ll make one.
“I have no hesitation in saying that there is not a more complete footballer in the world, including Pele.”
The following rich prose was written about the young Denis and appeared in a book called ‘20 Football Greats’ which was published nearly 60 years ago.
“Bill Shankly, manager of Huddersfield, eases his mind with continued muttered commentary, repeating each phrase twice, “Go on, go on,” he says, “Hold it, hold it!”, “I’ve told him about that, I’ve told him about that!”
“Mr Shankly is an agitated watcher of football, the more so when he was watching young Denis Law. Law, for one thing, was probably the most brilliant player he had ever had, and it was difficult to watch him calmly. “For another, Mr Shankly’s anxiety and edginess had been increased by the persistence of the reports that he was about to sell Law for forty, fifty or sixty thousand pounds.
“He spent most of the 1959-60 season denying this, with increasing vehemence. Law was not yet nineteen.”
Law came to Huddersfield straight from Powis Street school, Aberdeen, when he was 15. He was a small, thin, fair-headed boy, slightly built, and wearing national health glasses to correct a squint.
The man who detected a footballer behind this unlikely appearance was Archie Beattie, the brother of the old Scottish international Andy Beattie, who at the time was manager of Huddersfield.
The boy was already a natural in-
side-forward, and a natural stylist, and when, soon after, Bill Shankly took over at Huddersfield, he realised that he had in his hands the making or breaking of a really great player.
The problem was simply to let him develop, to teach him his trade without taking away his individuality. Shankly set about it gently and patiently, holding the boy back rather than pushing him, and protecting him from publicity.
He played his first game for Huddersfield at Christmas 1956, two months before his 17th birthday, and played 13 games altogether that season.
In his second season, he played 18 games and in his third he was picked for Scotland.
By the time of his first international, Law was a player of surprising authority. The scraggy little boy from Aberdeen had now grown into a tall, gracefully moving young man, slightly-built, but with broad flat shoulders and good legs.
In October 1958, the Scotland side to play Wales was announced. Law, 18, was one of four new caps and the youngest since 1899. Scotland won the game by three goals to nil. Law’s quick thinking and sound positional play had a great part in the win.
He was involved in the first two goals and scored the third himself – involuntarily. A hard clearance from Welsh skip- per Dave Bowen hit him and rebounded into the net. For what it was worth, it was his first goal in international football.
Law had been in the game from beginning to end, in defence and attack. He had arrived as an international and the general opinion was that he would stay for ten years.
A month later he was in Scotland’s team again, against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park. His instructions in this game were to keep a close-eye on Ireland’s captain and key man Danny Blanchflower, to stay close to him and prevent him building up the rhythm of the Irish attack.
Law approached the job with considerable zeal. Effective as he was, many Scots were not happy to see such a precise and polished player as Blanchflower harried, whenever the ball came to him, by rough and destructive tackling.
Blanchflower himself said afterwards that he had never been kicked so much in his life. When he was asked what he thought of Law’s abilities, he said: “If that’s him at 18, I wouldn’t want to play against him when he’s twenty four.”
Two question marks hung against Law’s name. He was apparently liable to injury, already having been injured on several occasions in his short career. The other was temperament. He was a cheerful, audacious, disrespectful young man off the field.
One saw it in his narrow trousers, jazzy socks and espresso-bar shoes. On the field, it was his vitality and careless mastery of his talent. Yet it would have been a pity if he became respectable, conventional and reliable.
It was in March 1960 that Huddersfield finally parted with Law – to Manchester City for £55,000. It was then the biggest fee ever paid by one English League club to another.
The man who sold him was a chap called Eddie Boot, his mentor Shankly having left to become manager of Liverpool in December 1959.
To bring us right up to date, Denis Law will celebrate his 79th birthday on February 24. Many happy returns, maestro.