Tributes to footballing giant Denis Law CBE - Scotland's only winner of Ballon d'Or - were made today (Wednesday 5 February 2025) at Aberdeen City Council’s Full Council meeting.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, who chairs the meeting, made special mention at the start of the session to the city’s greatest footballing son who died aged 84, on 17 January 2025.
The Lord Provost said: ““Denis Law was truly an iconic footballer, hero, and inspiration to many people, here in Aberdeen, and further afield in Manchester, Huddersfield and Italy.
“Denis was and continues to be an inspiring role model to so many people and he never forgot his roots. “He especially demonstrated his strong and caring commitment to younger generations through his legacy trust. The positive support and opportunities that Denis Law has given through the trust is an enduring way to celebrate our much-loved and much-respected local football hero."
“It is fitting he is recognised in Council today for all his achievements, not just those on the football pitch.”
The Lord Provost’s comments and sentiments were shared by councillors across the chamber including the Co-leaders Councillors Christian Allard and Martin Greig, deputising for Councillor Ian Yuill.
Denis was born and raised in the Printfield area of Aberdeen went to the former Powis Academy before moving to England to play for Huddersfield when he was 16. He went on to play for Manchester United, Torino, and Manchester City. Known as The Lawman, he scored 30 goals for Scotland.
He was European footballer of the year and Scotland's only winner of Ballon d'Or, football’s most prestigious award for individuals.
Denis frequently returned home to Aberdeen to his roots with several accolades in his honour. These include the Freedom of the City, featuring in the Sporting Champions section of Provost Skene’s House, and a 4.7m high bronze statue was unveiled in his honour in 2021.
When Denis received the Freedom of the City in November 2017, more than 15,000 people lined the streets of Aberdeen as he led the annual Christmas lights switch-on parade, following an earlier conferral ceremony at the Beach Ballroom. He said at the time that receiving the Freedom of the City as one of his life’s highlights.
Denis and his friend Sir Alex Ferguson feature in Provost Skene’s House, which showcases people with links to Aberdeen and the North-east who have transformed the wider world.
As well as having a presence in the Hall of Heroes on the ground floor, Denis is celebrated in the Sporting Champions section, where memorabilia from his career is on display. In the View of Aberdeen exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery you can see one of the #Yes Ball Games signs made famous by Denis’ involvement in Cruyff Courts.
The bronze statue of Denis was unveiled by The King himself in the heart of his home city in Marischal Square, beside Provost Skene’s House. Sir Alex Ferguson was at the ceremony to watch the unveiling.
Denis was known as ‘The King’ for his achievements in football and the statue was sited to be in close proximity to the statue of King Robert the Bruce outside Marischal College – two kings of the city facing each other.
Many floral tributes have been laid at the foot of the statue since Denis’s passing.
The legacy of Denis Law continues to be represented within Aberdeen through Denis Law Legacy Trust and its successful Streetsport initiative with Robert Gordon University, as well as the Trust’s thriving Cruyff Courts in partnership with Aberdeen City Council.