The footballing world is in mourning after the passing of Manchester United icon Denis Law, with the news announced on Friday night.
Law, who scored 30 goals in 55 international appearances for Scotland, is one of United’s greatest-ever players having netted 237 times in 404 games for the club.
He became the only Scottish player to date to have won the Ballon d’Or, lifting football’s greatest individual honour back in 1964 – and won four major honours with the Red Devils, including a European Cup in 1967-68.
Law was part of United’s famed ‘Holy Trinity’ alongside, George Best and England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton, who passed away in 2005 and 2023 respectively.
During his esteemed career, Law also represented Huddersfield, Torino and Manchester City on two occasions, with one of the former forward’s most memorable moments coming during a Manchester derby when he was playing for City.
It has been widely reported over the years that Law’s final kick in his professional career saw him relegate United when he scored the winner for City in their last game of the 1973-74 season.
The truth behind Denis Law’s backheel goal that relegated Man United has been revealed
Law was claimed to have relegated United by scoring for City at the end of the 1973-74 season
Law spent the final season of his professional career playing for City for the second time
In the 81st minute of the clash, Law netted an audacious back-heel but refused to celebrate after realising that his former club may be about to drop out of the First Division.
Law later recounted how he felt terrible and was hoping the goal would be ruled out for offside.
‘I didn’t want to go there and particularly win the game,’ Law said about the match. ‘Equally I didn’t want to go there and get beat, so the game for me was going nice. 0-0, five minutes to go, whatever.
‘I had not a clue where the goal was. I back-heeled it, it was a complete fluke. I turned around and Stepney was going that way and the ball’s going in the back of the net.
‘It was awful. The referee gave the goal but he could have given anything, couldn’t he. He could have given offside he could have given a foul… but he’s given a goal.
‘I was very sad… that turned out to be my last kick of a ball ever in league football.’
The tale has continued to be told ever since that one of United’s greatest icons, who is third in their list of all-time record goalscorers, relegated them.
However, this is not strictly true as Law wasn’t in fact responsible for ending United’s 36-year stay in the top flight.
Law’s finish gave City a 1-0 win over United – but the English giants were already relegated
Heading into the clash, United would only have survived if they had beaten City and also seen their relegation rivals Birmingham and West Ham drop points.
They would then also have to win their subsequent rearranged game against Stoke, which fell after the Manchester derby.
And, despite their defeat to City, Birmingham beat Norwich and West Ham got a point against Liverpool, meaning that even if Law hadn’t scored the goal, the Red Devils would still have been relegated.
Tommy Docherty’s side went onto lose 1-0 at Stoke in their final game of the season anyway, meaning Law simply confirmed their fate, rather than being responsible for it.
Meanwhile, despite Law highlighting how it was his last ever professional game, this wasn’t actually the case.
Law was under contract for the following campaign, but City’s new boss Tony Book informed the forward that he was likely to struggle for gametime.
Law didn’t want his career to end like that so he attempted to change Book’s mind and he featured twice in the 1974-75 season.
However, he ultimately decided to retire on August 26, 1974, with his final professional game coming against Oldham on August 10.
Nevertheless, Law’s goal remains perhaps the most famous strike in Manchester derby history.
