- Denis Law has died at the age of 84, his family announced Friday.
- Law formed a legendary triumvirate with George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
- READ MORE: Law had glory, glamor and goals, but with a touch of humility – he embodied what the club should stand for, writes IAN LADYMAN
On a warm summer afternoon in 1966, when England won their only World Cup, Scotland's greatest goalscorer kept his head down on a Manchester golf course.
Not only to ensure solid contact with that little shoe ball.
As he reached the 18th fairway, another member reached over a fence and told him, “Lawman, England won.”
Said Denis, the perpetual threat to England: 'Thank you for ruining my day. It was bad enough losing to someone who played poorly. “Now it seems like the end of the world.”
To invoke his own cryptic sense of humor, it didn't take him long to get over it.
It was not more than a quarter of a century later, when we were already neighbors in the football press boxes, that we were the first to go down to the hotel bar after checking in before one of Manchester United's days away from Europe .
Denis Law has died at the age of 84, his family and Man United confirmed on Friday.
Law, who also scored 30 goals in 55 appearances for Scotland, is a Manchester United legend.
Law (L) was part of 'The Holy Trinity' alongside Sir Bobby Charlton (C) and George Best (R)
'What will Denis be?' I asked first. Some things never change.'
—Brandy on ice, little one.
As we clinked glasses, he added, “Here's to your friend Mooro.” He deserved to win that damn thing.
There was a permanent respect between them. Bobby Moore, the goal defender, and Denis Law, the sharpest thorn in every defense he played against.
Their personal rivalry within England and Scotland was always dignified by their mutual sporting spirit.
Law sent his sincere condolences when Bobby died too young. Now English football pays tribute to him, including both halves of Manchester
It took a special man to handle the deeply opposed fans across two-way transfers between City and United.
Law pulled it off with his biting charm and intoxicating personality.
Man United's famous 'Holy Trinity' of Charlton, Law and Best are immortalized at Old Trafford
Law was also able to handle playing for both United and arch-rivals Man City in his career.
Law won the Ballon d'Or in 1964 and to date is the only Scot to have achieved it.
For those of us who enjoyed continued contact with him over the years, albeit with increasingly less frequency as the curse of Parkinson's took greater control, we have the feeling of losing a blood brother from Aberdeen, across the Scottish divide.
And now, at the gates of Old Trafford. there is none. Of the three masters of United's golden era immortalized in their combined statue.
Besty was the first to leave. Then, Mr. Bobby. Now the man of the law.
Raise them the best glasses of cognac. We may never see anything like a triumvirate again.
