On This Day: Denis Law was born, 1940

 

And thanks to the superb Well Offside, we’ve some delicious photos of him, including the very best one you’ll ever see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The boy’s a freak. Never did I see a less likely football prospect: weak, puny and bespectacled.” So said Huddersfield Town manager Andy Beattie when he first saw Denis Law. All true, no doubt, but he did ok in the end.

Even in the days when not all footballers were miserable excuses for men, Denis Law stood out as a man. Friendly, funny, and deadly in the penalty box, despite playing with Best and Charlton, it was he who was the terrace favourite, with the moniker King appended to his name. Ad me’ah ve’esrim shana, as they say.

 

Here’s a poem called Denis Law, by Gareth Owen (thanks Dad):

Denis Law
I live at 14 Stanhope Street,
Me Mum, me Dad and me.
And three of us have made a gang,
John Stokes and Trev and me.

Our favourite day is Saturday;
We go Old Trafford way
And wear red colours in our coats
To watch United play.

We always stand behind the goal
In the middle of the roar.
The others come to see the game-
I come for Denis Law.

His red sleeves flap around his wrists,
He’s built all thin and raw,
But the toughest backs don’t stand a chance
When the ball’s near Denis Law

He’s a whiplash when he’s in control,
He can swivel like an eel,
And twist and sprint in such a way
It makes defences reel.

And when he’s hurtling for the goal
I know he’s got to score.
Defences may stop normal men-
They can’t stop Denis Law.

We all race home when full time blows
To kick a tennis ball,
And Trafford Park is our back-yard,
And the stand is next door’s wall.

Old Stokesey shouts, ‘I’m Jimmy Greaves,’
And scores against the door,
And Trev shouts: ‘I’ll be Charlton,’-
But I am Denis Law.

 

And if you’ll excuse its vaguely parochial nature, here’s a very fine football song:

Son of a fisherman from Aberdeen,
Played for his country when only eighteen,
His football magic is a sight to see,
As he leads United on to victory,
Denis, Denis Law,
King of the Football League.

He left Torino in ’63,
Denis Law left Italy,
He joined Man United and became our King,
And all around the Stretford End,
You’ll hear us sing,
Denis, Denis Law,
King of the Football League.