Me and Bert Trautmann

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann died this week aged 89.

I never met Bert Trautmann but I'd known about him for a long time.

As a young football fan in the 1970s there were three major events to learn about: England's World Cup win, Swindon's League Cup win and the FA Cup.

The FA Cup throws up all sorts of underdog stories, there's also the famous 'Matthews Final' but for the young me the story of Bert Trautmann - the man who broke his neck in the Final and played on - made the biggest impression. In the current footballing landscape of diving and feigning injury I think that's worth repeating - he broke his neck and played on.

It turns out that there's much more to Trautmann than this incident. He'd fought for Germany on the Russian Front in World War II, had won the Iron Cross and been captured by the British in France. He was a Prisoner of War in Lancashire who opted to stay in Britain at the end of hostilities.

After performing well in amateur football he joined Manchester City in 1949, overcoming media and supporter hostility (not least from Manchester's Jewish community) through his performances between the sticks. He became the first German to play in the FA Cup Final[1] in 1955 when he was on the losing side but returned with City a year later.

With City winning 3-1 the 'superb artist under the crossbar'[2] dived at the feet of a Birmingham City forward with 17 minutes left and sustained his injury. After some attention from the trainer the 'blond parachutist'[2] continued to preserve his team's lead and win the Cup (no substitutes in those days.) Three days later an x-ray revealed the damage and Trautmann missed the majority of the following season.

After Trautmann retired in 1964 there was no cosy seat on the pundits' sofa waiting for him. After a dabble in management (at Stockport County) he worked for the German Football Association developing the game in countries such as Burma, Tanzania and Pakistan. In 2004 he was awarded the OBE for his work on improving Anglo-German relations.

Frankly, I'd have the 'Life and Times' of Bert Trautmann taught in schools but the man definitely deserves to be remembered in the game. Maybe the Man of the Match award in the Cup Final should be renamed the Trautmann Trophy. The FA certainly have a responsibility to teach young fans that there are better ways to find role models rather than goal celebration, size of pay packet or what they say on Twitter.

Football needs fewer Wayne Rooney's and more Bert Trautmann's.


[1] The Encyclopaedia of Association Football new revised edition, compiled by Maurice Golesworthy, published by Robert Hale Ltd, 1958

[2] The History of the FA Cup, new and enlarged edition by Geoffrey Green, published by The Sportsmans Book Club, 1960