the sharpest blend
of mind and muscle
that's
Derek Potter
'Daily Express'
says
Unwary sporting know-alls may be caught
out by the question: Who scored seven goals
in an F.A. Cup tie for a losing side
You certainly will not catch anyone from
canny Aberdeen or anywhere in Manchester
with that. Of course it was Denis Law.
Demon Denis, the sharpest blender of mind
and muscle I have seen in sport, cracked in all
six for City at Luton in January, 1 961As if
appalled at this affront to soccer commonsense
the gods deluged the Luton ground and the
tie was postponed.
Of course I say of course because City
were in one of those endearing spells when
anything could happen at Maine road and
often did City had to lose the tie 31
when it was replayed. And of course I say
of course because Denis has a flair for such
things Law scored in an unbelievable 31
defeat that reminded us forcibly what the
soccer set are always telling us that "football
is a funny game".
It is also a curious game. How strange that
Law, after his sojourn in Italy with Torino,
should return to England with United and
re-appear at Maine Road.
Yet this remarkable soccer cartwheel should
not be looked upon as the end of a career. It
is the beginning of a new one. And anyone who
knows Law, razor witted as well as the
lightning goaltaker, knows that he approached
his new job as zestfully as he did all those
years and goals ago when he was brought
from Huddersfield to Maine Road by Les
McDowall in March, 1960.
Every generation has "buzz players".
They catch on with the crowd. They are
busybodies, always in the action, eager for
the fight, crowd pullers.
We cannot expect "Buzz" Law to have
retained the whiplash reactions he had first
time around at Maine Road. What we can
expect is action, genuine effort, maybe a few
unwise gestures or thoughtless acts on the field.
Denis will be delighted to be "buzzing"
again for the Blues.
Denis
Denis goes into action against Terry Cooper
