Stephen McGowan
Arise Sir Denis would have been a fitting tribute
SORRY, but handing Denis Law a CBE is like honouring Professor Stephen Hawking with a SCOTVEC. On the face of it, Commander of the British Empire is quite the honour. One rung down from a knighthood, it’s a significant personal accolade. Jock Stein was given one. Ron Greenwood, Billy Wright, Craig Brown and Paul Elliott as well. But, as with the incomparable figure of Stein, the feeling The Lawman has been sold short is hard to shift. On the Government website, it explains that knighthoods are awarded for ‘a major contribution in any activity, usually at national level. Other people working in the nominee’s area will see their contribution as inspirational and significant, requiring commitment over a long period of time.’ Perhaps the committee were unaware Law was the only Scot ever to have been voted European Footballer of the Year (in 1964). He won 55 caps for his country and is joint top goalscorer for the national team alongside Kenny Dalglish. As one third of Manchester United’s legendary Holy Trinity alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, the Aberdonian is immortalised in an Old Trafford statue and is joint second alongside Wayne Rooney in the club’s all-time scoring list behind Sir Bobby. Which raises the question. What more could Law actually have done to land a knighthood? No one would dispute that Sir Stanley Matthews and Sir Bobby Charlton were exemplary recipients of their gongs. Or that Scotland’s two knights of the realm, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, were masters of their field. But look at some of the others. Sir Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in the World Cup Final. But the game was played on home soil and his third never crossed the line. Sir Trevor Brooking? Hmm. Last but not least comes chairman of the FA Premier League, Sir Dave Richards. What kind of system deems a football administrator more worthy of a ‘K’ than Stein, the first British manager to win the European Cup? Or the peerless, heroic figure of The Lawman? One, perhaps, where Whitehall bureaucrats and politicos take care of their cronies first. And pass down scraps for the rest. One of those knighted this New Year was Lynton Crosby, an Australian best known for being David Cameron’s chief strategist at the last General Election. Proof that The Lawman might be better off out of it.