There was only one thing Denis Law regretted more than England winning the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and that was how – two years later at the same stadium – a devastating knee injury ruled him out of Manchester United’s first European Cup triumph.
The forerunner to the Champions League never did show Denis its most loving side. Although he would go on to reign for many years as United’s top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals from 18 games, he had to settle for claiming his one European title vicariously.
Making just three appearances that season, he struck a double against Hibernians in United’s opening match and then played well in a 1-0 home defeat of Real Madrid in the semi-finals, his side eventually reaching Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate success.
For decades after, he also swore that his ‘goal’ against AC Milan in the semis the following season final WAS over the line – something which, unfortunately for him and United, the referee saw differently.
Each of those two epic Wembley occasions, in 1966 and 1968, brought different reactions from ‘the Law Man’, one of United’s fabled Holy Trinity along with George Best and Bobby Charlton. When England beat West Germany, Denis deliberately ignored the event by playing golf on the Chorlton-cum-Hardy course with his friend John Hogan, adding to his grim day by losing over 18 holes.
Two years later, when Matt Busby finally led United to the European summit, Denis was in a hospital bed, cartilage having been removed from his knee. Although Busby and the hospital had given the BBC the thumbs-up to place TV cameras in his room, Denis knew he’d be too overcome with enthusiasm, and eventually emotion, to be filmed. By his own admission, he had to be told to quieten down on several occasions by hospital staff as United registered their nail-biting extra-time win against Benfica.
As I got to know him well in later life, he emphasised to me that in no way was he anti-English. In fact, he absolutely adored Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were on the winning sides in both 1966 and 1968. Instead, he was simply a proud Scot who dreaded the inevitable teasing from his club-mates when they got back together later that summer. Denis was competitive that way. But also fun and very funny.
It was so typical of him to stubbornly organise a game of golf on 30 July 1966 and to pretend to be amazed that, for obvious reasons, the course was empty. Everyone else was watching England become world champions. Denis was just chuffed to have empty fairways and greens – and something to distract him.
The greatest of his playing exploits are now, of course, a long time ago. Pelé once said Denis could have slotted into Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side, and Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he “wanted to be” Denis. Rod Stewart, meanwhile, admitted that they shared a hairstyle and a great love for the Scotland team – and that he used Denis Law as a pseudonym to sign into hotels around the world, though the two men were divided by arguments over whose nose was bigger!
The only Scotsman ever to win the Ballon D’Or, Denis picked up the honour in 1964, after a season in which he plundered 46 goals – still a United record. You may have heard of the guys who’ve come closest to matching him: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42). In over 60 years, still no one has overtaken the Law Man.
It would always have been easy for me to adore him because we come from the same city, Aberdeen.
And anyone who hails from that fishing port in northeast Scotland knows we had true greatness among us. But, of course, the Denis I knew in his later years was by then showing a lesser-known side to his character – a reserve and shyness. He remained humble too, but his innate competitiveness still shone through in his often wicked but always funny wit.
One of the great things Denis did after competitive football was to put his name to the Denis Law Legacy Trust, his charitable foundation for which I’m an ambassador. Its flagship Streetsport programme, run in partnership with Robert Gordon University, is a voluntary initiative dedicated to providing access to sport for kids from deprived communities who might otherwise be drawn to nuisance crime.
The impact Denis had on his native city, a place he absolutely loved and always returned to with his wife Diana, was gigantic. Nowhere else in Britain, except London, has three Cruyff Courts – all-weather playing areas named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff. The Cruyff Foundation had thought of opening the facilities in Edinburgh or Glasgow, but once told there was only one Ballon d’Or winner in Scotland’s history, and he was born in Aberdeen, their focus changed.
In short, the improvement in conditions for many kids around Denis’ native city and the decrease in nuisance crime have been extraordinary to see. And when Robert Gordon University chose to give Denis a well-deserved honorary doctorate in 2017, I was asked to introduce him in front of a big audience at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Backstage, Denis was a little nervous, looking for support and guidance, which I was glad to give. I spoke from the heart and then handed the stage over to the legend. He came alive, brilliantly, full of humour and panache – revealing a man who didn’t crave audiences but reacted beautifully with style and wit whenever he was in front of them.
A great man, the Law Man.
There was only one thing Denis Law regretted more than England winning the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and that was how – two years later at the same stadium – a devastating knee injury ruled him out of Manchester United’s first European Cup triumph.
The forerunner to the Champions League never did show Denis its most loving side. Although he would go on to reign for many years as United’s top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals from 18 games, he had to settle for claiming his one European title vicariously.
Making just three appearances that season, he struck a double against Hibernians in United’s opening match and then played well in a 1-0 home defeat of Real Madrid in the semi-finals, his side eventually reaching Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate success.
For decades after, he also swore that his ‘goal’ against AC Milan in the semis the following season final WAS over the line – something which, unfortunately for him and United, the referee saw differently.
Each of those two epic Wembley occasions, in 1966 and 1968, brought different reactions from ‘the Law Man’, one of United’s fabled Holy Trinity along with George Best and Bobby Charlton. When England beat West Germany, Denis deliberately ignored the event by playing golf on the Chorlton-cum-Hardy course with his friend John Hogan, adding to his grim day by losing over 18 holes.
Two years later, when Matt Busby finally led United to the European summit, Denis was in a hospital bed, cartilage having been removed from his knee. Although Busby and the hospital had given the BBC the thumbs-up to place TV cameras in his room, Denis knew he’d be too overcome with enthusiasm, and eventually emotion, to be filmed. By his own admission, he had to be told to quieten down on several occasions by hospital staff as United registered their nail-biting extra-time win against Benfica.
As I got to know him well in later life, he emphasised to me that in no way was he anti-English. In fact, he absolutely adored Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were on the winning sides in both 1966 and 1968. Instead, he was simply a proud Scot who dreaded the inevitable teasing from his club-mates when they got back together later that summer. Denis was competitive that way. But also fun and very funny.
It was so typical of him to stubbornly organise a game of golf on 30 July 1966 and to pretend to be amazed that, for obvious reasons, the course was empty. Everyone else was watching England become world champions. Denis was just chuffed to have empty fairways and greens – and something to distract him.
The greatest of his playing exploits are now, of course, a long time ago. Pelé once said Denis could have slotted into Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side, and Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he “wanted to be” Denis. Rod Stewart, meanwhile, admitted that they shared a hairstyle and a great love for the Scotland team – and that he used Denis Law as a pseudonym to sign into hotels around the world, though the two men were divided by arguments over whose nose was bigger!
The only Scotsman ever to win the Ballon D’Or, Denis picked up the honour in 1964, after a season in which he plundered 46 goals – still a United record. You may have heard of the guys who’ve come closest to matching him: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42). In over 60 years, still no one has overtaken the Law Man.
It would always have been easy for me to adore him because we come from the same city, Aberdeen.
And anyone who hails from that fishing port in northeast Scotland knows we had true greatness among us. But, of course, the Denis I knew in his later years was by then showing a lesser-known side to his character – a reserve and shyness. He remained humble too, but his innate competitiveness still shone through in his often wicked but always funny wit.
One of the great things Denis did after competitive football was to put his name to the Denis Law Legacy Trust, his charitable foundation for which I’m an ambassador. Its flagship Streetsport programme, run in partnership with Robert Gordon University, is a voluntary initiative dedicated to providing access to sport for kids from deprived communities who might otherwise be drawn to nuisance crime.
The impact Denis had on his native city, a place he absolutely loved and always returned to with his wife Diana, was gigantic. Nowhere else in Britain, except London, has three Cruyff Courts – all-weather playing areas named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff. The Cruyff Foundation had thought of opening the facilities in Edinburgh or Glasgow, but once told there was only one Ballon d’Or winner in Scotland’s history, and he was born in Aberdeen, their focus changed.
In short, the improvement in conditions for many kids around Denis’ native city and the decrease in nuisance crime have been extraordinary to see. And when Robert Gordon University chose to give Denis a well-deserved honorary doctorate in 2017, I was asked to introduce him in front of a big audience at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Backstage, Denis was a little nervous, looking for support and guidance, which I was glad to give. I spoke from the heart and then handed the stage over to the legend. He came alive, brilliantly, full of humour and panache – revealing a man who didn’t crave audiences but reacted beautifully with style and wit whenever he was in front of them.
A great man, the Law Man.
There was only one thing Denis Law regretted more than England winning the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and that was how – two years later at the same stadium – a devastating knee injury ruled him out of Manchester United’s first European Cup triumph.
The forerunner to the Champions League never did show Denis its most loving side. Although he would go on to reign for many years as United’s top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals from 18 games, he had to settle for claiming his one European title vicariously.
Making just three appearances that season, he struck a double against Hibernians in United’s opening match and then played well in a 1-0 home defeat of Real Madrid in the semi-finals, his side eventually reaching Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate success.
For decades after, he also swore that his ‘goal’ against AC Milan in the semis the following season final WAS over the line – something which, unfortunately for him and United, the referee saw differently.
Each of those two epic Wembley occasions, in 1966 and 1968, brought different reactions from ‘the Law Man’, one of United’s fabled Holy Trinity along with George Best and Bobby Charlton. When England beat West Germany, Denis deliberately ignored the event by playing golf on the Chorlton-cum-Hardy course with his friend John Hogan, adding to his grim day by losing over 18 holes.
Two years later, when Matt Busby finally led United to the European summit, Denis was in a hospital bed, cartilage having been removed from his knee. Although Busby and the hospital had given the BBC the thumbs-up to place TV cameras in his room, Denis knew he’d be too overcome with enthusiasm, and eventually emotion, to be filmed. By his own admission, he had to be told to quieten down on several occasions by hospital staff as United registered their nail-biting extra-time win against Benfica.
As I got to know him well in later life, he emphasised to me that in no way was he anti-English. In fact, he absolutely adored Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were on the winning sides in both 1966 and 1968. Instead, he was simply a proud Scot who dreaded the inevitable teasing from his club-mates when they got back together later that summer. Denis was competitive that way. But also fun and very funny.
It was so typical of him to stubbornly organise a game of golf on 30 July 1966 and to pretend to be amazed that, for obvious reasons, the course was empty. Everyone else was watching England become world champions. Denis was just chuffed to have empty fairways and greens – and something to distract him.
The greatest of his playing exploits are now, of course, a long time ago. Pelé once said Denis could have slotted into Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side, and Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he “wanted to be” Denis. Rod Stewart, meanwhile, admitted that they shared a hairstyle and a great love for the Scotland team – and that he used Denis Law as a pseudonym to sign into hotels around the world, though the two men were divided by arguments over whose nose was bigger!
The only Scotsman ever to win the Ballon D’Or, Denis picked up the honour in 1964, after a season in which he plundered 46 goals – still a United record. You may have heard of the guys who’ve come closest to matching him: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42). In over 60 years, still no one has overtaken the Law Man.
It would always have been easy for me to adore him because we come from the same city, Aberdeen.
And anyone who hails from that fishing port in northeast Scotland knows we had true greatness among us. But, of course, the Denis I knew in his later years was by then showing a lesser-known side to his character – a reserve and shyness. He remained humble too, but his innate competitiveness still shone through in his often wicked but always funny wit.
One of the great things Denis did after competitive football was to put his name to the Denis Law Legacy Trust, his charitable foundation for which I’m an ambassador. Its flagship Streetsport programme, run in partnership with Robert Gordon University, is a voluntary initiative dedicated to providing access to sport for kids from deprived communities who might otherwise be drawn to nuisance crime.
The impact Denis had on his native city, a place he absolutely loved and always returned to with his wife Diana, was gigantic. Nowhere else in Britain, except London, has three Cruyff Courts – all-weather playing areas named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff. The Cruyff Foundation had thought of opening the facilities in Edinburgh or Glasgow, but once told there was only one Ballon d’Or winner in Scotland’s history, and he was born in Aberdeen, their focus changed.
In short, the improvement in conditions for many kids around Denis’ native city and the decrease in nuisance crime have been extraordinary to see. And when Robert Gordon University chose to give Denis a well-deserved honorary doctorate in 2017, I was asked to introduce him in front of a big audience at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Backstage, Denis was a little nervous, looking for support and guidance, which I was glad to give. I spoke from the heart and then handed the stage over to the legend. He came alive, brilliantly, full of humour and panache – revealing a man who didn’t crave audiences but reacted beautifully with style and wit whenever he was in front of them.
A great man, the Law Man.
There was only one thing Denis Law regretted more than England winning the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and that was how – two years later at the same stadium – a devastating knee injury ruled him out of Manchester United’s first European Cup triumph.
The forerunner to the Champions League never did show Denis its most loving side. Although he would go on to reign for many years as United’s top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals from 18 games, he had to settle for claiming his one European title vicariously.
Making just three appearances that season, he struck a double against Hibernians in United’s opening match and then played well in a 1-0 home defeat of Real Madrid in the semi-finals, his side eventually reaching Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate success.
For decades after, he also swore that his ‘goal’ against AC Milan in the semis the following season final WAS over the line – something which, unfortunately for him and United, the referee saw differently.
Each of those two epic Wembley occasions, in 1966 and 1968, brought different reactions from ‘the Law Man’, one of United’s fabled Holy Trinity along with George Best and Bobby Charlton. When England beat West Germany, Denis deliberately ignored the event by playing golf on the Chorlton-cum-Hardy course with his friend John Hogan, adding to his grim day by losing over 18 holes.
Two years later, when Matt Busby finally led United to the European summit, Denis was in a hospital bed, cartilage having been removed from his knee. Although Busby and the hospital had given the BBC the thumbs-up to place TV cameras in his room, Denis knew he’d be too overcome with enthusiasm, and eventually emotion, to be filmed. By his own admission, he had to be told to quieten down on several occasions by hospital staff as United registered their nail-biting extra-time win against Benfica.
As I got to know him well in later life, he emphasised to me that in no way was he anti-English. In fact, he absolutely adored Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were on the winning sides in both 1966 and 1968. Instead, he was simply a proud Scot who dreaded the inevitable teasing from his club-mates when they got back together later that summer. Denis was competitive that way. But also fun and very funny.
It was so typical of him to stubbornly organise a game of golf on 30 July 1966 and to pretend to be amazed that, for obvious reasons, the course was empty. Everyone else was watching England become world champions. Denis was just chuffed to have empty fairways and greens – and something to distract him.
The greatest of his playing exploits are now, of course, a long time ago. Pelé once said Denis could have slotted into Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side, and Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he “wanted to be” Denis. Rod Stewart, meanwhile, admitted that they shared a hairstyle and a great love for the Scotland team – and that he used Denis Law as a pseudonym to sign into hotels around the world, though the two men were divided by arguments over whose nose was bigger!
The only Scotsman ever to win the Ballon D’Or, Denis picked up the honour in 1964, after a season in which he plundered 46 goals – still a United record. You may have heard of the guys who’ve come closest to matching him: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42). In over 60 years, still no one has overtaken the Law Man.
It would always have been easy for me to adore him because we come from the same city, Aberdeen.
And anyone who hails from that fishing port in northeast Scotland knows we had true greatness among us. But, of course, the Denis I knew in his later years was by then showing a lesser-known side to his character – a reserve and shyness. He remained humble too, but his innate competitiveness still shone through in his often wicked but always funny wit.
One of the great things Denis did after competitive football was to put his name to the Denis Law Legacy Trust, his charitable foundation for which I’m an ambassador. Its flagship Streetsport programme, run in partnership with Robert Gordon University, is a voluntary initiative dedicated to providing access to sport for kids from deprived communities who might otherwise be drawn to nuisance crime.
The impact Denis had on his native city, a place he absolutely loved and always returned to with his wife Diana, was gigantic. Nowhere else in Britain, except London, has three Cruyff Courts – all-weather playing areas named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff. The Cruyff Foundation had thought of opening the facilities in Edinburgh or Glasgow, but once told there was only one Ballon d’Or winner in Scotland’s history, and he was born in Aberdeen, their focus changed.
In short, the improvement in conditions for many kids around Denis’ native city and the decrease in nuisance crime have been extraordinary to see. And when Robert Gordon University chose to give Denis a well-deserved honorary doctorate in 2017, I was asked to introduce him in front of a big audience at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Backstage, Denis was a little nervous, looking for support and guidance, which I was glad to give. I spoke from the heart and then handed the stage over to the legend. He came alive, brilliantly, full of humour and panache – revealing a man who didn’t crave audiences but reacted beautifully with style and wit whenever he was in front of them.
A great man, the Law Man.
There was only one thing Denis Law regretted more than England winning the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and that was how – two years later at the same stadium – a devastating knee injury ruled him out of Manchester United’s first European Cup triumph.
The forerunner to the Champions League never did show Denis its most loving side. Although he would go on to reign for many years as United’s top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals from 18 games, he had to settle for claiming his one European title vicariously.
Making just three appearances that season, he struck a double against Hibernians in United’s opening match and then played well in a 1-0 home defeat of Real Madrid in the semi-finals, his side eventually reaching Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate success.
For decades after, he also swore that his ‘goal’ against AC Milan in the semis the following season final WAS over the line – something which, unfortunately for him and United, the referee saw differently.
Each of those two epic Wembley occasions, in 1966 and 1968, brought different reactions from ‘the Law Man’, one of United’s fabled Holy Trinity along with George Best and Bobby Charlton. When England beat West Germany, Denis deliberately ignored the event by playing golf on the Chorlton-cum-Hardy course with his friend John Hogan, adding to his grim day by losing over 18 holes.
Two years later, when Matt Busby finally led United to the European summit, Denis was in a hospital bed, cartilage having been removed from his knee. Although Busby and the hospital had given the BBC the thumbs-up to place TV cameras in his room, Denis knew he’d be too overcome with enthusiasm, and eventually emotion, to be filmed. By his own admission, he had to be told to quieten down on several occasions by hospital staff as United registered their nail-biting extra-time win against Benfica.
As I got to know him well in later life, he emphasised to me that in no way was he anti-English. In fact, he absolutely adored Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were on the winning sides in both 1966 and 1968. Instead, he was simply a proud Scot who dreaded the inevitable teasing from his club-mates when they got back together later that summer. Denis was competitive that way. But also fun and very funny.
It was so typical of him to stubbornly organise a game of golf on 30 July 1966 and to pretend to be amazed that, for obvious reasons, the course was empty. Everyone else was watching England become world champions. Denis was just chuffed to have empty fairways and greens – and something to distract him.
The greatest of his playing exploits are now, of course, a long time ago. Pelé once said Denis could have slotted into Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side, and Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he “wanted to be” Denis. Rod Stewart, meanwhile, admitted that they shared a hairstyle and a great love for the Scotland team – and that he used Denis Law as a pseudonym to sign into hotels around the world, though the two men were divided by arguments over whose nose was bigger!
The only Scotsman ever to win the Ballon D’Or, Denis picked up the honour in 1964, after a season in which he plundered 46 goals – still a United record. You may have heard of the guys who’ve come closest to matching him: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42). In over 60 years, still no one has overtaken the Law Man.
It would always have been easy for me to adore him because we come from the same city, Aberdeen.
And anyone who hails from that fishing port in northeast Scotland knows we had true greatness among us. But, of course, the Denis I knew in his later years was by then showing a lesser-known side to his character – a reserve and shyness. He remained humble too, but his innate competitiveness still shone through in his often wicked but always funny wit.
One of the great things Denis did after competitive football was to put his name to the Denis Law Legacy Trust, his charitable foundation for which I’m an ambassador. Its flagship Streetsport programme, run in partnership with Robert Gordon University, is a voluntary initiative dedicated to providing access to sport for kids from deprived communities who might otherwise be drawn to nuisance crime.
The impact Denis had on his native city, a place he absolutely loved and always returned to with his wife Diana, was gigantic. Nowhere else in Britain, except London, has three Cruyff Courts – all-weather playing areas named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff. The Cruyff Foundation had thought of opening the facilities in Edinburgh or Glasgow, but once told there was only one Ballon d’Or winner in Scotland’s history, and he was born in Aberdeen, their focus changed.
In short, the improvement in conditions for many kids around Denis’ native city and the decrease in nuisance crime have been extraordinary to see. And when Robert Gordon University chose to give Denis a well-deserved honorary doctorate in 2017, I was asked to introduce him in front of a big audience at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Backstage, Denis was a little nervous, looking for support and guidance, which I was glad to give. I spoke from the heart and then handed the stage over to the legend. He came alive, brilliantly, full of humour and panache – revealing a man who didn’t crave audiences but reacted beautifully with style and wit whenever he was in front of them.
A great man, the Law Man.
There was only one thing Denis Law regretted more than England winning the 1966 World Cup at Wembley, and that was how – two years later at the same stadium – a devastating knee injury ruled him out of Manchester United’s first European Cup triumph.
The forerunner to the Champions League never did show Denis its most loving side. Although he would go on to reign for many years as United’s top scorer in the competition, with 14 goals from 18 games, he had to settle for claiming his one European title vicariously.
Making just three appearances that season, he struck a double against Hibernians in United’s opening match and then played well in a 1-0 home defeat of Real Madrid in the semi-finals, his side eventually reaching Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate success.
For decades after, he also swore that his ‘goal’ against AC Milan in the semis the following season final WAS over the line – something which, unfortunately for him and United, the referee saw differently.
Each of those two epic Wembley occasions, in 1966 and 1968, brought different reactions from ‘the Law Man’, one of United’s fabled Holy Trinity along with George Best and Bobby Charlton. When England beat West Germany, Denis deliberately ignored the event by playing golf on the Chorlton-cum-Hardy course with his friend John Hogan, adding to his grim day by losing over 18 holes.
Two years later, when Matt Busby finally led United to the European summit, Denis was in a hospital bed, cartilage having been removed from his knee. Although Busby and the hospital had given the BBC the thumbs-up to place TV cameras in his room, Denis knew he’d be too overcome with enthusiasm, and eventually emotion, to be filmed. By his own admission, he had to be told to quieten down on several occasions by hospital staff as United registered their nail-biting extra-time win against Benfica.
As I got to know him well in later life, he emphasised to me that in no way was he anti-English. In fact, he absolutely adored Charlton and Nobby Stiles, who were on the winning sides in both 1966 and 1968. Instead, he was simply a proud Scot who dreaded the inevitable teasing from his club-mates when they got back together later that summer. Denis was competitive that way. But also fun and very funny.
It was so typical of him to stubbornly organise a game of golf on 30 July 1966 and to pretend to be amazed that, for obvious reasons, the course was empty. Everyone else was watching England become world champions. Denis was just chuffed to have empty fairways and greens – and something to distract him.
The greatest of his playing exploits are now, of course, a long time ago. Pelé once said Denis could have slotted into Brazil’s 1970 World Cup side, and Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he “wanted to be” Denis. Rod Stewart, meanwhile, admitted that they shared a hairstyle and a great love for the Scotland team – and that he used Denis Law as a pseudonym to sign into hotels around the world, though the two men were divided by arguments over whose nose was bigger!
The only Scotsman ever to win the Ballon D’Or, Denis picked up the honour in 1964, after a season in which he plundered 46 goals – still a United record. You may have heard of the guys who’ve come closest to matching him: Ruud van Nistelrooy (44 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42). In over 60 years, still no one has overtaken the Law Man.
It would always have been easy for me to adore him because we come from the same city, Aberdeen.
And anyone who hails from that fishing port in northeast Scotland knows we had true greatness among us. But, of course, the Denis I knew in his later years was by then showing a lesser-known side to his character – a reserve and shyness. He remained humble too, but his innate competitiveness still shone through in his often wicked but always funny wit.
One of the great things Denis did after competitive football was to put his name to the Denis Law Legacy Trust, his charitable foundation for which I’m an ambassador. Its flagship Streetsport programme, run in partnership with Robert Gordon University, is a voluntary initiative dedicated to providing access to sport for kids from deprived communities who might otherwise be drawn to nuisance crime.
The impact Denis had on his native city, a place he absolutely loved and always returned to with his wife Diana, was gigantic. Nowhere else in Britain, except London, has three Cruyff Courts – all-weather playing areas named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff. The Cruyff Foundation had thought of opening the facilities in Edinburgh or Glasgow, but once told there was only one Ballon d’Or winner in Scotland’s history, and he was born in Aberdeen, their focus changed.
In short, the improvement in conditions for many kids around Denis’ native city and the decrease in nuisance crime have been extraordinary to see. And when Robert Gordon University chose to give Denis a well-deserved honorary doctorate in 2017, I was asked to introduce him in front of a big audience at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
Backstage, Denis was a little nervous, looking for support and guidance, which I was glad to give. I spoke from the heart and then handed the stage over to the legend. He came alive, brilliantly, full of humour and panache – revealing a man who didn’t crave audiences but reacted beautifully with style and wit whenever he was in front of them.
A great man, the Law Man.
