Throwback Thursday: When Denis Law and Johnny Giles fired Man United to a win at Flower Lodge
The Man United team in Cork in 1963. Back: Maurice Setters, Albert Quixall, Bill Foulkes, Pat Crerand, Harry Gregg, Shay Brennan, Denis Law. Front: John Giles, David Herd, Noel Cantwell, Ian Walker.
THE recent heavy rain across the City and County would inevitably lead to the abandonment of the majority of matches played on grass pitches over the weekend.
It's 60 years ago, February 13, 1963 to be precise, that a heavy pitch at Flower Lodge greeted Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers as they squared up in a friendly on behalf of the Cork Schoolboys League. Both teams were playing only their second match since early January as a big freeze gripped Britain and forced the cancellation of all fixtures.
United’s Matt Busby and the Wanderers’ William Ridding elected to field full-strength teams in order to get in some competitive practise. The home fans got a first glimpse of the Red Devils’ Paddy Crerand, who had signed from Glasgow Celtic earlier in the month for the then substantial fee of £57.000. But the star all Corkonians wanted to see was record-signing Denis Law who arrived at Old Trafford back in August for a fee of £115,000.
In atrocious underfoot conditions, deteriorating by the second as heavy rain cascaded down on the 6,000 who braved the elements to get a close look at Busby’s 'New Babes'. United were first to lay down a marker when David Herd slipped in the mud as he was about to fire the Reds in front. Law headed narrowly wide before, at the other end, Bill Foukes did well to deflect Davies’ shot onto the crossbar with keeper Harry Gregg well beaten.
Bolton enjoyed their best spell on the churned-up surface in the first quarter as Butler fed Farrimund who stung Gregg’s fingers with a blistering shot. Butler was again the instigator as his free-kick stuck in the mud which allowed the in-rushing Lee to tap home.
The goal appeared to galvanise the Reds as twice Law went close from a Giles’ corner and a Herd through ball. United’s Cork-born captain Noel Cantwell denied Hill a second in the 35th minute in a race for possession.
After the interval, United at last got to grips with their opponents and went in front for the first time through an Albert Quixall penalty after Edwards handled Herd’s cross in the area. Law added a third on the hour which was followed by a second from Lee from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.
Johnny Giles was left to score the goal of the game in the 86th minute after finding himself in a one-on-one with Hopkinson and coolly lifting the ball over the England keeper to bring the curtain down on an enjoyable contest.
At the end, both managers were happy with the conditions saying that ‘they were a welcome change from the frost and ice-bound pitches in England.’
Gregg: Brennan, Cantwell, Foukes; Crerand, Setters; Giles, Quixall, Herd, Law, Walker.
Hopkinson: Hartle, Farrimund, Edwards; Stanley, Rimmer; Lee, Hill, Davies, Deakin Butler.
Sammy Spillane.
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