Here’s film of Denis Law making his debut on this day (19 March) in 1960 at Elland Road against Leeds. He was, of course, making his first appearance for Manchester City following his transfer from Huddersfield Town. Notice the photographers lining up to catch him. This was an uncommon sight at football back then and demonstrates how significant Law’s transfer was at the time.
You can read more about Law elsewhere on this site. There’s also a series of articles already posted on the 1950s and 1960s for Manchester City. Why not start with the following subscriber article on Manchester City during the 1959-60 season? If you’d like to read this 1200 word article, plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below).
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The series of features on the 1950s continues with this subscriber article on Manchester City during the 1959-60 season. If you’d like to read this 1200 word article, plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below).
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On this day (24 February) in 1940 Denis Law was born. Law who passed away in January, achieved major success in a glittering career for Huddersfield, Manchester City and Manchester United. He would have been 85 years old today.
There are plenty of articles mentioning Law on this site, here are those tagged with his name:
Mancunian Dave Wagstaffe was a Manchester City and Wolves star who made his City debut in September 1960. Fifteen years ago I interviewed Dave and spent a really enjoyable afternoon chatting with him about every period of his career. This was a for an article on his time at City and the 3000 word article that eventually came out of that can be read below.
Sadly, Dave died in 2013 after a heart attack. He was only 70.
The following interview is available to subscribers to the site and is published here as it was written back in 2010 with Dave’s words written as he said them.
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Continuing the series of features on the 1960s, here’s a subscriber article on Manchester City during the 1960-61 season. If you’d like to read this 1200 word article, plus all other articles on the site, then please subscribe (see below).
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On this day (28 January) in 1961 Denis Law’s six goals against Luton in the FAC were wiped from the records when the game was abandoned due to waterlogged pitch. Manchester City were winning 6-2, and lost the replay 3-1 (Law scored City’s consolation). If you want to know more about the 1960-61 season then you can read the following 1200 word article. It’s a subscriber piece and if you want to read it (plus all other articles on the site) then please subscribe (see below).
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For those lucky enough to get the match programme for today’s game at the Etihad my programme feature focuses on Tony Book and Denis Law. It’s not extensive as I’m sure they’ll also be featured elsewhere, but I wanted to make sure I made mention of them in my piece too.
City v Chelsea has been an important fixture over the decades with European semi finals played between the sides over fifty years ago for example. Many of these are featured on this website, so why not have a search around. Here’s a link to all articles tagged Chelsea on here:
Today’s article on the 1960s is free for anyone to read and tells the story of Manchester City signing Denis Law back on 15 March 1960. There’s also film here of his debut and a great colour film of City and Law that season (see below). City manager Les McDowall had been after signing Denis Law for many, many months before he finally signed the Scottish striker for a British record fee of £55,000 the day before the transfer deadline on 15 March 1960. It had been a tense negotiation. Law himself had expected to join Arsenal to link up with his Scottish colleague Tommy Docherty, however, Huddersfield were adamant that they could not sell Law for anything less than £55,000.
Ken Barnes welcomes Denis Law to Maine Road, 1960
It all came to a head at Leeds Road where Arsenal had sent coach Ron Greenwood to negotiate a good deal. At the same time City, represented by Les McDowall and Chairman Alan Douglas, were keen to sign the 20 year old Scotsman. The Gunners had only given Greenwood power to offer £25,000 plus David Herd, making a total of £50,000, whereas McDowall and Douglas were able to discuss the pros and cons of offering more. The discussions and negotiations went on while Law himself was playing Table Tennis in the games room. When the young player was summoned he quickly realised that his move to Arsenal was off and, after less than ten minutes, he agreed to join the Blues at a cost that was said to be three times his weight in gold.
Denis Law’s Manchester City debut 1960
Law made his debut a memorable one by scoring in the 4-3 defeat at Leeds on 19th March 1960. You can view Law’s first goal for City here:
I think the commentary was added some time after and that the commentary was done in a studio over the top. The commentator (is it Stuart Hall?) mentions City’s kit as being old gold and black but colour film of kit from that season shows City wearing yellow and maroon – as can be seen in this wonderful film from that same year which includes Tottenham v City from about 5 minutes in:
Eleven days after Law’s debut he scored again as City defeated West Ham 3-1. He made one other appearance, away at Chelsea, before the player became the subject of his first controversy at the Club. Law was selected to play for Scotland at Hampden Park on 9th April – the date of the vital home game with West Bromwich Albion – and the City management took the view that playing for your country was more important than playing for your club. This angered many supporters, who realised that a Law-less City would struggle and that relegation was still a strong possibility. The Blues were only two points above the relegation zone.
The controversy heightened when other clubs took a different view and refused to release players. The City Board then felt justified in asking the League for a postponement, but the League refused. In the programme for the game, the Board outlined their views and explained how the circumstance had occurred. The article ended by stressing that the situation of club V Country cannot be allowed to continue.
As expected, without Law the Blues were defeated 1-0.
You can find out more on Manchester City in the 1959-60 season by reading the following article on the season. This is available to subscribers.
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Denis Law had such a wonderful footballing career, with so many periods deserving focus. Inevitably – and rightly – many will focus on his exploits with Manchester United and Scotland. Following his death I’d like to add to the tributes out there by highlighting a couple of periods of his career that may be being overlooked. It’s totally understandable, but today I’d like to highlight his Manchester City career. A career that saw him become a City legend. Not many manage to become idolised at both City and United in equal measure (Meredith & Kidd are the other prominent two I can think of) but Law managed it.
He was signed by City in March 1960 from Huddersfield Town for a record figure of £55,000 – £10,000 more than the previous British transfer record. It was a bold move by Les McDowall but was clear proof that City were still a force to be reckoned with, particularly as they had managed to fight off the likes of Arsenal to sign the 20 year old.
Denis Law signs for City from Huddersfield
Law was a lethal finisher, and a genuine crowd pleaser. His first goal for the Blues came during his debut match at Leeds United on 19th March 1960, although City were defeated by the odd goal in seven. His second League game brought another goal as West Ham were defeated 3-1 at Maine Road on 30th March. He ended the season with 7 appearances.
The following season he was top scorer with 19 League goals – 1 more than Joe Hayes – and again made the headlines with an amazing goalscoring feat in an abandoned cup tie. On 28th January City were defeating Luton 6-2 with Law scoring all City’s goals, when the match was abandoned. In the replay, Law again scored but this time City were defeated 3-1 in conditions which Law himself believed were worse than the original game.
In addition to his performances for City, Law was making a name for himself with his country. He made 5 international appearances during his first two seasons at Maine Road, and was an obvious choice for his beloved Scotland.
All the media interest which understandably focused on Law helped to make him known throughout the footballing world and, with City still struggling to find consistency during the early sixties, it was perhaps inevitable that he would move on. In the end he was transferred to Italian side Torino for another record. This time he became Britain’s first £100,000 footballer when the Italians paid City £110,000 for his signature in July 1961.
After a little over a year in Italy, Law returned to Manchester. This time to help United. In his first season there he helped the Reds avoid relegation, but regrettably City suffered as a consequence. While at Old Trafford, Law found the success that had not seemed possible at Maine Road.
In July 1973 after becoming a legend with the Reds – please go and read everything you can about his career at Old Trafford – he was given a free transfer. City manager Johnny Hart quickly made arrangements to sign the player, and on his second City debut he again scored (twice) as Birmingham were defeated 3-1. Of the City side he joined in 1973 only Alan Oakes remained from his final City game in 1961, and the Blues were in an entirely different position.
The late sixties and early seventies had seen City achieve phenomenal success and eclipse Law’s United side, and so rather than join a poor, struggling side, law was now with a team of entertainers capable of tremendous success. He had also joined a team renowned for its unpredictability!
Johnny Hart was replaced by disciplinarian Ron Saunders as manager, and the entire mood of the club changed. Saunders seemed to be at odds with many of the club’s more senior professionals and his handling of the stars was often attacked. For a while there were rumours of player power, especially when City started plummeting down the table. Inevitably, Saunders was sacked and his replacement, Tony Book, managed to change the approach. On the final day of the season, it was as a member of Book’s side that Law scored his final – and most memorable – League goal.
It was scored with his last kick in League football, and he often said it was the worst he had ever felt after scoring a goal. It wasn’t his last competitive goal in football or even for City – people often incorrectly claim it was but he played on into the 1974-75 season, scoring for City in a competitive game at the start of that season.
A page from Manchester A Football History by Gary James
City fans usually remember Denis Law more for that particular goal than for any other moment in his City career. That goal was widely held responsible at the time of ‘sending Manchester United into the Second Division’. In actual fact, the goal was irrelevant as United would have gone down in any case, but it has become a landmark goal and inevitably keeps the name of Law in the minds of Blues fans everywhere. Law’s City career deserves to be remembered for much more.
Less than two months earlier he made his final appearance at Wembley as a member of City’s League Cup final team. That game ended in a 2-1 defeat, but then it did take place during Ron Saunders’ period as manager. Had the atmosphere of the club changed prior to Wembley then it’s possible Law’s illustrious career would have ended with a League Cup winners’ medal.
1974 League Cup final Tommy Booth, Francis Lee, Frank Munro, Denis Law.
Denis Law only managed three seasons with City in total, but in each of those seasons he did enough to make the headlines and become a member of City’s hall of fame. During the mid 1970s The King’s Head pub at Crown Point, Denton became a shrine to football and its sign depicted “The King” Denis Law. Although the nickname was awarded to him at Old Trafford, the pub sign depicted him in a City shirt – the team that first brought him to Manchester. It should never be forgotten that Law is a hero to both Blues and Reds.
I’ve just heard the sad news that yet another legendary footballer has passed away. Denis Law, who achieved major success in a glittering career for Huddersfield, Manchester City and Manchester United, has died aged 84.
I’ll post more on him over the coming days but, once again, following Bobby Kennedy and Tony Book this is yet another sad day for Manchester football.
There are plenty of articles mentioning Law on this site, here are those tagged with his name:
I’ve just heard the news that Manchester City’s legendary captain and manager Tony Book has died. I’ve met Tony many times over the decades and it’s difficult to put into words how significant he remains in City’s history. My thoughts are with his family and close friends. I last saw Tony at the former players dinner a few months back. To commemorate his life here’s a profile of him I wrote only a few months ago.
Tony was of course a major footballing star of the 60s and early 70s. It seems appropriate today to highlight some of his achievements with quotes here from interviews I’ve performed over the years.
Tony arrived at Maine Road in 1966 and captained Manchester City to phenomenal success. When he arrived at City Book he was in his thirties: “I hoped I’d get a couple of years and I would have been very happy with two years at City, of course. Because of what happened and the way the success came in my second year, I felt I could go on again. Winning the League in 1968 was like a spark and I wanted to keep the flame going.”
Book lifted more trophies as captain than any other Blue, until the incredible success experienced during Vincent Kompany’s time. Back in 2015-16 as Kompany was nearing Book’s record, Book told me: “Next time he lifts a major trophy he’ll have matched my record as captain. I hope that success comes soon, and that he then goes on to pass my record this season.”
His time as captain and player was incredible and this was a golden era for City. What is often overlooked though is Tony’s contribution as a manager. In 1973-74 he became manager of City for the final month of the season – a spell that was noteworthy for the infamous Manchester derby when Denis Law netted against United in the Reds’ relegation match. In the years that followed, Book developed a squad of real talent, blending well-regarded internationals with enthusiastic youth to create a flamboyant and entertaining team.
Book’s second full season saw his team of entertainers annihilate United 4-0 in the 4th round of the League Cup – on a night remembered more for the devastating injury to Colin Bell – and progress to the competition’s final where they defeated Newcastle 2-1. The victory meant Book was the first man to win the trophy as a player and as a manager. He said at the time: “Two weeks ago I met Gordon Lee (Newcastle manager) and we agreed that whoever won, it was more important for us to provide a good final. I think we have done that. This was my greatest moment. It was a tremendous final and Tueart’s goal was something special… quite out of this world.”
Looking back on 1976 Book believes the key to the success lay in City’s preparation: “We wanted everything to be low key and travelled down early in the week. We did simple training and tried to build an environment around us that was positive. It worked well and by the day of the final we were ready.”
City were missing Kenny Clements, and Colin Bell was still out of action, causing Book to bring youngster Ged Keegan in. There had been media talk that Keegan and another youngster, Peter Barnes, would feel the pressure but Book felt differently: “I had total faith in my lads. Barnes scored the first – in a move that we’d worked on in training – and Keegan more than justified his place. I never had a doubt.”
Book managed City through one of the club’s most exciting periods: “As a manager I was proud that in five years we won the League Cup; finished runners up by a point to Liverpool; we were in Europe for three consecutive seasons; and we reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. I had some good players that came in – Dave Watson, Brian Kidd, Joe Royle, Asa Hartford – and did an excellent job for me.”
City fans loved what he had brought the club and at the 1976 League Cup homecoming they chanted ‘Tony, Tony’ repeatedly for some time. At various film shows over the last decade I’ve shown (together with Will McTaggart from the North West Film Archive) a rediscovered film of the homecoming parade which shows exactly what the success meant to the City boss: “I wanted to win the League Cup for them and I remember looking out over the crowd in Albert Square. They were celebrating and singing. Everything we did was for the fans. These fans have been so loyal over the years and they had made me so welcome when I arrived in 1966. Such a special club and wonderful fans. They deserved that success – and so many more for the way they stood by this club during the painful years that came later.”
Almost sixty years after he first arrived at City, Tony Book remained a regular and popular presence around the club: “I love this club and am grateful to all those who brought me here and involved me for so long. Whenever I’ve been given a job to do I’ve always tried to give my best.”
Book certainly represents all that is good about football and he is a powerful reminder of the successes Manchester City achieved during his captaincy and as manager.
Gary James' Football Archive 