5

Huddersfield Town 1955-1957:

Teenage Talent Takes Flight

Aged 15, Denis left Aberdeen for Huddersfield Town, a daunting move for any teenager.

First Impressions

Denis was small for his age and the first to admit he felt like a fish out of water. He would later smile as he recalled the disbelief on the face of the man who was sent to greet him at the train station.

Steak Dinners

When Bill Shankly became Huddersfield's manager in 1956, he immediately recognised Denis' potential. Determined to build up his strength, he sent him daily to a local café for steak dinners after training.

Denis's Eyesight

A turning point came after an operation corrected his eye condition, boosting his self-confidence. Denis later said, “For the first time in my life, both my eyes were straight.”

Quick Progression

Denis made his professional debut aged 16 on Christmas Eve 1956 in a 2-0 win against Notts County. Under Shankly’s guidance, he thrived, signing his first professional contract in February 1957 and quickly began to catch the attention of bigger clubs.

  • Denis made his debut on 24 December 1956, aged just 16 years and 303 days, in a 2–1 away victory over Notts County.

    This made him the youngest first-team player in the club's history at the time.

  • During his four years at Huddersfield, Law made a total of 81 league appearances, scoring 16 goals, and 10 FA Cup appearances, netting 3 goals.

    His performances were particularly notable during the 1959–60 season, where he contributed 7 goals in 24 league matches and 1 goal in 3 FA Cup matches.

Additional Information

“Once we saw him with the ball, we knew he was special.”

- RAY WILSON, TEAMMATE

To compete with big defenders, Denis had to build up his strength. Every day, he worked on making his shots more powerful.

Accuracy & Power

Who knows? With enough practice, you could be the next goal-scoring machine!

  • Place the ball on the pitch at the designated shooting spot.

  • Pick a target in the goal. (Bottom corner, top corner, or just hit it with full power!)

  • Take a few steps back, run up, and strike the ball as hard as you can!

Denis in the Huddersfield forward line

black and white photo of a man and woman smiling at the camera

Denis and Mrs Atkins - his landlady whilst at Huddersfield

football programme cover

Huddersfield match programme

PHYSICAL TRAIL

Stop 5:

Follow the path into the park, a short walk away from Stop 4.