by Alex Gordon
* Attendances. Highest: 133,245 witnessed Scotland’s 1-0 win over England on 11 April 1964 at Hampden. Lowest: 4,000 attended the 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia in Belo Horizonte during the Brazilian Independence Cup on 29 June 1972. Smallest Hampden crowd was 7,483 for the 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in the Home International match on 6 May 1969.
* In his 16-year international career, Law faced 16 different countries and lined up against the Home Countries on 25 occasions.
* In 2003 Law was named Scotland’s most outstanding player in 50 post-war years and was awarded the Golden Player accolade by the Scottish Football Association.
* Law served a total of 21 managers during his 18-year career between 1956 and 1974 – 12 at club level and nine on the international front. Club bosses: Andy Beattie, Bill Shankly, Eddie Boot (Huddersfield Town 1956-60), Leslie McDowell (Manchester City 60-61), Beniamino Santos (Torino 61-62), Matt Busby, Wilf McGuinness, Frank O’Farrell, Tommy Docherty (Manchester United 62-73), Johnny Hart, Ron Saunders, Tony Book (Manchester City 73-74); International: Matt Busby (58), Andy Beattie (59-60), Ian McColl (60-65), Jock Stein (65), John Prentice (66), Malky MacDonald (66), Bobby Brown (67-72), Tommy Docherty (72-73), Willie Ormond (74).
* In his 55 appearances for Scotland, Law served under eight different captains with Billy Bremner skipper on 13 occasions. Others: Dave Mackay (Spurs), Bobby Evans (Celtic and Chelsea), Eric Caldow (Rangers), Billy McNeill (Celtic), Jim Baxter (Sunderland), John Greig (Rangers) and Davie Hay (Celtic). Law captained Scotland five times.
* Law faced the other two members of the United Trinity – England’s Bobby Charlton and Northern Ireland’s George Best – in 12 international games, winning five and drawing two.
* Law scored 236 goals in 393 games for Manchester United – 171 in 305 league games, 33 in 44 FA Cup-ties, four in 11 League Cup appearances and 28 from 33 in three European competitions. At Huddersfield, he scored 16 in 81 league games and three in ten FA Cup-ties. At Manchester City, he claimed 30 goals in 66 league games, two in FA Cup (excluding six against Luton in abandoned tie) and one in three League Cup-ties. At Torino, he netted ten in 27 league games. He scored a total of 295 goals at club level. Plus 30 on the international front bringing an overall tally of 325 goals.
* Law scored six goals in an FA Cup-tie against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road – and finished on the losing side. With Manchester City leading 6-2 in January 1961, the match was abandoned due to heavy rain. Law netted again when the tie was replayed, but Luton won 3-1.
* Law made a massive impact on European football as a Manchester United player. He is credited with more hat-tricks than any other Briton at this level. He hit trios on five occasions: against Willem II (Holland) and Sporting Lisbon in the Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1963-64, Djurgaarden (Sweden) in the Fairs Cup in 1964-65 and twice against Waterford (Republic of Ireland) in European Cup-ties in 1968-69 (scoring four goals at Old Trafford).
* Between the years 1963 and 1969 Law scored a total of 28 goals in European competitions.
* In Law’s 11 years at United, the club played 42 European games and were undefeated in 20 home games with 64 goals scored. In a sequence in 1963-64 they scored 20 goals in four games and Law netted half of them.
* In season 1963-64, Law joined an elite in English football by scoring three hat-tricks in league games for Manchester United.
* In a total of 452 league games in the UK, Law appeared as a substitute only six times, coming off the bench for both Manchester clubs.
* Law appeared as a guest on the BBC’s This Is Your Life programme in February 1975.
* Law was acknowledged by the University of Aberdeen with an Honorary Doctorate in June 2005.
* In February 2010, Law was appointed a patron of the UK-based charity Football Aid in succession to the late Sir Bobby Robson.
DENIS LAW GOALS
Denis Law scored his 30 goals in 20 games against ten nations. Goals: Norway 7, Northern Ireland 6, Wales 4, England 3, Austria 3, Czechoslovakia 2, Poland 2, Finland 1, Spain 1, Peru 1. Fourteen during the first-half; 16 in the second-half. Nineteen were scored at Hampden. Sequence of goals (Scotland first in scorelines).
WALES 1 (18 Oct 1958: 70 mins: Score: 3-0)
POLAND 1 (4 May 1960: 23 mins: 2-3)
N IRELAND 1 (9 Nov 1960: 8 mins: 5-2)
CZECHOSLOVAKIA 2 (26 Sept 1961: 62, 83 mins: 3-2)
WALES 1 (20 Oct 1962: 63 mins: 3-2)
N IRELAND 4 (7 Nov 1962: 40, 64, 77, 87 mins: 5-1)
AUSTRIA 2 (8 May 1963: 33, 71 mins: Game abandoned 79 mins: 4-1)
NORWAY 3 (4 June 1963: 14, 22, 76 mins: 3-4)
SPAIN 1 (13 June 1963: 16 mins: 6-2)
NORWAY 4 (7 Nov 1963: 19, 44, 59, 82 mins: 6-1)
WALES 1 (20 Nov 1963: 47 mins: 2-1)
FINLAND 1 (21 Oct 1964: 2 mins: 3-1)
ENGLAND 1 (10 April 1965: 41 mins: 2-2)
POLAND 1 (23 May 1965: 76 mins: 1-1)
ENGLAND 1 (2 April 1966: 42 mins: 3-4)
WALES 1 (22 Oct 1966: 86 mins: 1-1)
ENGLAND 1 (15 April 1967: 27 mins: 3-2)
AUSTRIA 1 (6 Nov 1968: 7 mins: 2-1)
PERU 1 (26 April 1972: 65 mins: 2-0)
N IRELAND 1 (20 May 1972: 86 mins: 2-0)
LAW MINUTES ON PITCH
Denis Law spent 4,675 minutes (78 hours and 32 minutes) playing for Scotland. He was substituted nine times. Alex Young (Hearts) came on after 12 minutes against Austria in 1960. Others: Willie Wallace v. USSR 1967 (46 mins); Alan Gilzean v. Austria 1968 (75 mins); Jimmy Bone v. Yugoslavia 1972 (76 mins); Colin Stein v. Czechoslovakia 1972 (78 mins); Donald Ford v. Czechoslovakia 1973 (58 mins); Joe Jordan v. West Germany 1973 (87 mins); Donald Ford v. West Germany 1974 (59 mins); Joe Jordan v. Northern Ireland 1974 (65 mins).
THEY SERVED WITH THE KING
EXACTLY 113 players performed alongside Denis Law during his 55-game international reign.
Two – Donald Ford, of Hearts, and Norwich City’s Jimmy Bone – just missed the privilege of serving with The King. Both were involved in games that also saw Law in action, but they only made their appearances when the iconic frontman was substituted. Bone came on for Law in the 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia during the Brazilian Independence Cup-tie on 29 June 1972 in Belo Horizonte. Ford replaced the Lawman on two occasions – the 1-0 World Cup defeat against Czechoslovakia in Bratislava on 17 October 1973 and in the 2-1 loss against West Germany in a friendly in Frankfurt on 27 March 1974.
Jim Baxter clocked up the most outings alongside Law. The Rangers and Sunderland star played in 23 matches with his great friend. Twenty-six players started only one game in Law’s company: Eddie Connachan (Dunfermline), Jim Cruickshank (Hearts), Jim Herriot (Birmingham City), Thomson Allan (Dundee), Jackie Plenderleith (Manchester City), Davie Provan (Rangers), Ron Yeats (Liverpool), Tom Forsyth (Rangers), John Blackley (Hibs), Erich Schaedler (Hibs), John Hansen (Partick Thistle), Pat Quinn (Motherwell), Jimmy Gabriel (Everton), Willie Hamilton (Hibs), Kenny Burns (Nottingham Forest), Tony Green (Blackpool), Jimmy Smith (Newcastle United), Willie Carr (Coventry City), Bobby Robinson (Dundee), Johnny MacLeod (Hibs), Alex Young (Hearts), George Herd (Clyde), Hugh Robertson (Dundee), Jimmy Robertson (Spurs), Joe McBride (Celtic) and Colin Stein (Rangers).
The full list and number of appearances of players who participated in games alongside Law.
GOALKEEPERS
BILL BROWN (Spurs, 19)
GEORGE FARM (Blackpool, 2)
FRANK HAFFEY (Celtic, 2)
LAWRIE LESLIE (Airdrie, 2)
EDDIE CONNACHAN (Dunfermline, 1)
ADAM BLACKLAW (Burnley, 2)
TOMMY LAWRENCE (Liverpool, 2)
CAMPBELL FORSYTH (Kilmarnock, 4)
JIM CRUICKSHANK (Hearts, 1)
BOBBY FERGUSON (Kilmarnock, 2)
RONNIE SIMPSON (Celtic, 4)
JIM HERRIOT (Birmingham City, 1)
ALLY HUNTER (Celtic, 3)
BOBBY CLARK (Aberdeen, 5)
DAVID HARVEY (Leeds United, 4)
THOMSON ALLAN (Dundee, 1)
DEFENDERS
JOHN GRANT (Hibs, 2)
ERIC CALDOW (Rangers, 16)
WILLIE TONER (Kilmarnock, 2)
TOMMY DOCHERTY (Arsenal, 2)
DUNKY McKAY (Celtic, 6)
ERIC SMITH (Celtic, 2)
BOBBY EVANS (Celtic, Chelsea, 7)
JOHN HEWIE (Charlton, 5)
JOHN CUMMING (Hearts, 3)
JACKIE PLENDERLEITH (Manchester City, 1)
BILLY McNEILL (Celtic, 18)
BOBBY SHEARER (Rangers, 2)
BERT McCANN (Motherwell, 4)
ALEC HAMILTON (Dundee, 21)
IAN URE (Dundee, 9)
DAVIE HOLT (Hearts, 4+1 sub)
JOHN CLARK (Celtic, 2)
DAVIE PROVAN (Rangers, 1)
JIM KENNEDY (Celtic, 6)
JOHN GREIG (Rangers, 18)
RON YEATS (Liverpool, 1)
JACKIE McGRORY (Kilmarnock, 2)
FRANK McLINTOCK (Leicester City, Arsenal, 4+1 sub)
EDDIE McCREADIE (Chelsea, 12)
TOMMY GEMMELL (Celtic, 8)
RONNIE McKINNON (Rangers, 6)
PAT STANTON (Hibs, 3)
WILLIE DONACHIE (Manchester City, 7)
JOHN BROWNLIE (Hibs, 3)
EDDIE COLQUHOUN (Sheffield United, 4)
BOBBY MONCUR (Newcastle United, 4)
MARTIN BUCHAN (Manchester United, 6)
ALEX FORSYTH (Partick Thistle, 3)
SANDY JARDINE (Rangers, 6)
GEORGE CONNELLY (Celtic, 2)
DANNY McGRAIN (Celtic, 4)
TOM FORSYTH (Rangers, 1)
JOHN BLACKLEY (Hibs, 1)
ERICH SCHAEDLER (Hibs, 1)
JOHN HANSEN (Partick Thistle, 1 sub)
JIM HOLTON (Manchester United, 4)
MIDFIELDERS
DAVE MACKAY (Hearts, Spurs, 14)
BOBBY COLLINS (Celtic, Everton, Leeds United, 7)
JOHN WHITE (Falkirk, Spurs, 17)
JIM BAXTER (Rangers, Sunderland, 23)
PAT QUINN (Motherwell, 1)
PAT CRERAND (Celtic, Manchester United, 9)
DAVIE GIBSON (Leicester City, 6)
JIMMY GABRIEL (Everton, 1 sub)
BILLY BREMNER (Leeds United, 18)
WILLIE HAMILTON (Hibs, 1)
BOBBY MURDOCH (Celtic, 4)
ASA HARTFORD (West Brom, Manchester City, 5+1 sub)
ARCHIE GEMMILL (Derby County, Nottingham Forest, 5+1 sub)
GEORGE GRAHAM (Arsenal, Manchester United, 3)
DAVIE HAY (Celtic, 5)
KENNY BURNS (Nottingham Forest, 1)
TOMMY HUTCHISON (Coventry City, 5+1 sub)
TONY GREEN (Blackpool, 1+1 sub)
JIMMY SMITH (Newcastle United, 1+1 sub)
WILLIE CARR (Coventry City, 1)
BOBBY ROBINSON (Dundee, 1 sub)
FORWARDS
GRAHAM LEGGAT (Aberdeen, Fulham, 8)
DAVID HERD (Arsenal, 2)
JACKIE HENDERSON (Arsenal, 2)
WILLIE HENDERSON (Rangers, 19)
BERTIE AULD (Celtic, 3)
ALEX SCOTT (Rangers, Everton, 6)
JOHNNY MacLEOD (Hibs, 1)
IAN ST JOHN (Motherwell, Liverpool, 16+1 sub)
GEORGE MULHALL (Aberdeen, Sunderland, 2)
ANDY WEIR (Motherwell, 3)
ALEX YOUNG (Hearts, 1+1 sub)
GEORGE HERD (Clyde, 1)
RALPH BRAND (Rangers, 2)
DAVIE WILSON (Rangers, 14)
HUGH ROBERTSON (Dundee, 1)
JIMMY ROBERTSON (Spurs, 1)
JIMMY MILLAR (Rangers, 2)
ALAN GILZEAN (Dundee, Spurs, 9+1 sub)
JIMMY JOHNSTONE (Celtic, 8+1 sub)
STEVIE CHALMERS (Celtic, 2)
WILLIE WALLACE (Hearts, Celtic, 4+1 sub)
JOHN HUGHES (Celtic, 4+1 sub)
NEIL MARTIN (Hibs, 2)
WILLIE JOHNSTON (Rangers, 2+1 sub)
JOE McBRIDE (Celtic, 1)
JIM McCALLIOG (Sheffield Wednesday, 3)
BOBBY LENNOX (Celtic, 4)
WILLIE MORGAN (Burnley, Manchester United, 10)
CHARLIE COOKE (Chelsea, 2)
COLIN STEIN (Rangers, 1+1 sub)
JOHN O’HARE (Derby County, 3)
PETER LORIMER (Leeds United, 3+2 sub)
LOU MACARI (Celtic, Manchester United, 4+1 sub)
KENNY DALGLISH (Celtic, Liverpool, 6)
JOE JORDAN (Leeds United, 2+3 sub)
THE LAW LINE-UPS
1958
October 18 v. Wales (Cardiff) 3-0
Brown; Grant, Caldow; Mackay (c), Toner, Docherty; Leggat, Collins, D Herd, Law, J Henderson.
Scorers: Leggat, Law, Collins Att: 59,162
November 5 v. Northern Ireland (Hampden) 2-2
Brown; Grant, Caldow; Mackay (c), Toner, Docherty; Leggat, Collins, D Herd, Law, J Henderson.
Scorers: Herd, Collins Att: 72,732
1959
May 27 v. Holland (Amsterdam) 2-1
Farm; McKay, Caldow; Smith, Evans (c), Hewie; Leggat, Collins, White, Law, Auld.
Scorers: Collins, Leggat Att: 55,000
June 3 v. Portugal (Lisbon) 0-1
Farm; McKay, Caldow; Smith, Evans (c), Hewie; Scott, Collins, White, Law, Auld.
Att: 30,000
October 3 v. Northern Ireland (Belfast) 4-0
Brown; Caldow, Hewie; Mackay, Evans (c), McCann; Leggat, White, St John, Law, Mulhall.
Scorers: Leggat, Hewie, White, Mulhall Att: 59,000
November 4 v. Wales (Hampden) 1-1
Brown; Caldow, Hewie; Mackay, Evans (c), McCann; Leggat, White, St John, Law, Auld.
Scorer: Leggat Att: 55,813
1960
April 9 v. England (Hampden) 1-1
Haffey; McKay, Caldow; Cumming, Evans (c), McCann; Leggat, White, St John, Law, Weir.
Scorer: Leggat Att: 129,783
May 4 v. Poland (Hampden) 2-3
Brown; McKay, Hewie; Mackay, Evans (c), Cumming; Leggat, White, St John, Law, Weir.
Scorers: Law, St John Att: 26,643
May 29 v. Austria (Vienna) 1-4
Brown; McKay, Caldow; Mackay, Evans (c), Cumming; Leggat, White, St John, Law (Young), Weir.
Scorer: Mackay Att: 60,000
November 9 v. Northern Ireland (Hampden) 5-2
Leslie; McKay, Caldow (c); Mackay, Plenderleith, Baxter; G Herd, Law, Young, Brand, Wilson.
Scorers: Law, Caldow, Young, Brand 2 Att: 34,564
1961
April 15 v. England (Wembley) 3-9
Haffey; Shearer, Caldow (c); Mackay, McNeill, McCann; MacLeod, Law, St John, Quinn, Wilson.
Scorers: Mackay, Wilson, Quinn Att: 97,350
September 26 v. Czechoslovakia (Hampden) 3-2
Leslie; Shearer, Caldow (c); Crerand, McNeill, Baxter; Scott, White, St John, Law, Wilson.
Scorers: St John, Law 2 Att: 51,590
November 29 v. Czechoslovakia (Brussels) 2-4 (After extra-time)
Connachan; A Hamilton, Caldow (c); Crerand, Ure, Baxter; Brand, White, St John, Law, H Robertson.
Scorer: St John 2 Att: 7,000
1962
April 14 v. England (Hampden) 2-0
Brown; A Hamilton, Caldow (c); Crerand, McNeill, Baxter; Scott, White, St John, Law, Wilson.
Scorers: Wilson, Caldow (pen) Att: 132,431
October 20 v. Wales (Cardiff) 3-2
Brown; A Hamilton, Caldow (c); Crerand, Ure, Baxter; W Henderson, White, St John, Law, Wilson.
Scorers: Caldow (pen), Law, Henderson Att: 58,000
November 7 v. Northern Ireland (Hampden) 5-1
Brown; A Hamilton, Caldow (c); Crerand, Ure, Baxter; W Henderson, White, St John, Law, Mulhall.
Scorers: Law 4, Henderson Att: 58,734
1963
April 6 v. England (Wembley) 2-1
Brown; A Hamilton, Caldow (c); Mackay, Ure, Baxter; W Henderson, White, St John, Law, Wilson.
Scorers: Baxter 2, 1 pen Att: 98,606
May 8 v. Austr
ia (Hampden) 4-1
(Game abandoned after 79 minutes)
Brown; A Hamilton, Holt; Mackay (c), Ure, Baxter; W Henderson, Gibson, Millar, Law, Wilson.
Scorers: Wilson 2, Law 2 Att: 94,596
June 4 v. Norway (Bergen) 3-4
Blacklaw; A Hamilton, Holt; Mackay (c) (McLintock), Ure, Baxter; W Henderson, Gibson, St John, Law, Wilson.
Scorer: Law 3 Att: 23,000
June 9 v. Republic of Ireland (Dublin) 0-1
Lawrence; A Hamilton, Holt; McLintock, McNeill, Baxter; W Henderson, Gibson, Millar (St John), Law (c), Wilson.
Att: 26,000
June 13 v. Spain (Madrid) 6-2
Blacklaw; McNeill, Holt; McLintock, Ure, Baxter; W Henderson, Gibson, St John, Law (c), Wilson.
Scorers: Law, Gibson, McLintock, Wilson, W Henderson, St John
Att: 40,000
November 7 v. Norway (Hampden) 6-1
Brown; A Hamilton, Provan; Mackay (c), Ure, Baxter (Gabriel); Scott, White, Gilzean, Law, W Henderson.
Scorers: Law 4, Mackay 2 Att: 35,416
November 20 v. Wales (Hampden) 2-1
Brown; A Hamilton, Kennedy; Mackay (c), McNeill, Baxter; W Henderson, White, Gilzean, Law, Scott.
Scorers: White, Law Att: 56,167
1964
April 11 v. England (Hampden) 1-0
Forsyth; A Hamilton, Kennedy; Greig, McNeill (c), Baxter; W Henderson, White, Gilzean, Law, Wilson.
Scorer: Gilzean Att: 133,245
May 12 v. West Germany (Hanover) 2-2
Cruickshank; A Hamilton (Holt), Kennedy; Greig, McNeill (c), Baxter; W Henderson, White, Gilzean, Law, Wilson.
Scorer: Gilzean 2 Att: 75,000
October 3 v. Wales (Cardiff) 2-3
Forsyth; A Hamilton, Kennedy; Greig, Yeats, Baxter; Johnstone, Gibson, Chalmers, Law (c), J Robertson.
Scorers: Chalmers, Gibson Att: 37,093
October 21 v. Finland (Hampden) 3-1