Goalkeeping Museum

Name: Bernhard “Bert” Carl Trautmann

Club Appearances: 590 (545 Manchester City, 43 St Helens town, 2 Wellington town)

Height: 6ft 2in - 189.5cm

Date of Birth: 22/10/1922 Bremen, Germany

Biography

Bert Trautmann had a quite remarkable goalkeeping career which began in a prisoner of war camp in Ashton-in-Makerfield and ended, long after, having lifted the FA Cup for Manchester City … with a broken neck.

Bernhard Carl Trautmann, as his name suggests, was a German goalkeeper.

These days to be a successful German goalkeeper plying his trade in English football is not only possible, but perfectly acceptable. At the end of the Second World War, it was understandably much less so. This was the first hurdle that Bert Trautmann would surpass on his way to becoming one of the finest goal keepers ever to have graced the English top flight. His fearless nature would see him go on to achieve almost legendary status in the history of goalkeeping.

The Early Years

As a child, Trautmann enjoyed the sport of Volkerball (a variation of handball) and was extremely effective at the sport: his height and large hands made him a natural catcher of the ball.

Sport took up much of Bert’s early life, as he also joined a football club, Tura FC (though not in goal) when he was aged just nine. At this same time, Trautmann joined the Hitler Youth Movement, a club which most of his contemporaries joined and was similar, in nature, to the Boy Scout movement and allowed boys to learn similar skills.

The Hitler Youth Movement, however, would later provide a large pool from which the German army would be drafted when the Second World War began after attempts to appease Adolf Hitler by the British government monumentally backfired. And so, Trautmann’s progression into the German army was sealed by this seemingly (at the time) inconsequential action and a set of circumstances which were beyond his control.

The War Years

Bert Trautmann found himself on English shores as an Allied Prisoner of War. The story of how he got there is worthy of recount.

Having trained as a motor mechanic before his enrollment in the German army in 1941, Trautmann blotted his copybook by being court martialled and sentenced to three months. Bert’s first brush with his mortality meant he never had to see out this sentence as shortly after his conviction, he fell seriously ill with appendicitis. Doctors rushed him to the operating table. Following his revival, Bert was informed that another hour without surgery would have seen him dead. Moreover, had this occurred on the Front, he would have had a much more uncertain future.

It did not end there: Bert would later see his train blown up; later he was taken prisoner by the Russians, only to escape with two others. Following this escape, hiding out in a school in Cleves, the building they were in took a ‘direct hit’ - Trautmann escaped with shrapnel wounds.

He then had arguably his most frightening experience when he was captured, not once, but twice, by the Allies, in an incident which must have made him seriously wonder whether his ‘time was up’. These events are well described by Bob Wilson (who idolised Trautmann as a boy) in his book You’ve Got To Be Crazy (1989, George Weidenfield & Nicholson Limited):

The German army were in retreat when Bert, in trying to help some injured soldiers, was captured by the Americans. The interrogation that followed was not at all friendly and when two soldiers with automatic weapons were called to lead Bert away, he really thought he was about to be shot. Frogmarched, with hands held aloft to a nearby tree, Bert suddenly felt desperately tired and surrendered to what he though was his fate. He was so fatigued he let his arms fall to his side. Suddenly all tiredness evaporated as one of the soldiers yelled at Bert in English and waved his arms. Not truly understanding, Bert believed he was being told to make a run for it. With nothing much to lose, he did just that, half expecting a bullet to hit him. No shot rang out. Bert carried on running over several fields and then he negotiated a hedge. Sitting on the other side of it was a British field telephone unit. Bert’s freedom had lasted less than ten minutes!

Following this harrowing experience, Bert was eventually moved to a Prisoner of War camp in Northwich (Cheshire, England) where the inmate’s main form of entertainment and exercise was soccer. Bert played left-half.

A couple of months later, Trautmann was moved to a camp in Ashton-in-Makerfield (Wigan, Lancashire, England) which had a camp football team. Bert played centre half until yet another twist of fate would occur. Bert suffered an injury and, rather than miss a game, he asked the current goalkeeper (Gunther Luhr who went on to become a great German goalkeeper in his own right) if he could swap places - this was agreed and Trautmann never looked back. Bert Trautmann had become a goalkeeper.

Early Football Career

Trautmann played for the ‘Camp 50′ team which was allowed to play local teams and regularly attracted crowds of over 4,000 until his release in March 1948 at which time he decided to stay in England for a year rather than return to his homeland. He came through a trial to play for St Helens, briefly went home and played for Tura FC (his boyhood club), returned to St Helens Town first team (winning a cup competition) and went to Bristol to work whereupon he trialed for Bristol City. They rejected him.

All of this meant that Bert began the 1949-50 season as a member of the St Helens Town squad. He would not be there for long. Within months, Manchester City, looking for a long term replacement for the excellent Frank Swift, came knocking on the door. Trautmann signed as an amateur for Manchester City on 6 October 1949 - for nothing.

This unleashed the floodgates on a torrent of anti-German sentiment, which lesser clubs might have taken as a sign that it was a mistake to have signed a German Prisoner of War as their future goalkeeper. Some Manchester City fans even returned their season tickets. Hate mail, protests and petitions all indicated that a German was not welcomed by a significant proportion of the local population.

However, some fans though differently, one wrote to Trautmann:

I don’t give a *%$^ what you are or where you come from as long as you can play football…

Trautmann took 35 days in the reserve team to show his worth and gain promotion to the first team.

Trautmann the Man City Regular

Bert Trautmann’s first three games for City would see him concede three second half goals (at Bolton), keep a clean sheet (at home beating Birmingham 4-0) and then have an absolutely miserable game conceding seven goals at Derby.

His next game could potentially make or break Bert’s prospects as a first team player for Manchester City. Given that it took place in London, which was still recovering from the heavy German bombardment, the atmosphere at Craven Cottage of Fulham was likely to have begun nothing short of hostile for Bert. By the end of the match, which City held 1-0, the crowd was on its feet applauding this formidable German goalkeeper!

Bert Trautmann had won over this hostile crowd with nothing more (or less) than an incredible goalkeeping performance. Not only that, but the City management would need no further evidence of his abilities between the sticks. His place was firmly established.

Bert Trautmann - A Fierce Will

As so often with the very best goalkeepers, Bert Trautmann had a fierce will, and fearless nature. He would never miss an opportunity to dive at a strikers feet to pluck the ball away; he would never let a perceived injustice pass unnoticed.

This second point is best evidenced by a game against Sunderland at Roker Park in that debut season. Sunderland were awarded a penalty (having already converted one) which Trautmann saved. The referee ordered a retake. Trautmann was incensed and booted the ball high and hard into the home supporters. Silence descended. The re-spotted ball was struck; Trautmann saved again, to rapturous applause from the home support. Incredible to consider how much respect these fans had gained for a German goalkeeper playing for an opposing team.

Trautmann was a regular in the Manchester City team right up until November 1954 when his temper flared up once more: “whoever made you a referee?” he blasted to the official in a match against Charlton. When later asked his name for a booking, Trautmann replied “Stanley Matthews”. City were not amused, and punished him with a two match ban - the first games he had missed since making his debut in 1949. That season, however, Man City would finish seventh in the league and reach the FA Cup final.

FA Cup Final 1955 - Trautmann the Runner-Up

Bert Trautmann became the first German ever to appear in an FA Cup final after a remarkable cup-run which included a semi-final clean sheet in a mud bath match against Sunderland at Villa Park which City edged 1-0.

As Man City lined up against their rivals Newcastle in the FA Cup Final of 1955, Bert Trautmann was a bag of nerves.

If he thought he’d have time to settle, he could think again: Jackie Milburn of Newcastle scored within a minute with a header from a corner which went right into the near post top corner from eight yards. Trautmann was nervy following this and it looked as though this might get the better of him as he began to fumble crosses and speculative efforts that he usually fielded with ease. This soon changed, though, when he made a wonder save from a deflected Hannah drive.

Man City received a further blow when their right full-back Jimmy Meadows was forced to leave the field with ruptured ligaments. In those days, substitutions were not allowed: City must continue with ten players for the remaining 72 minutes of the match, a goal behind.

Trautmann made three exceptional saves before half time to keep the deficit to 1-0 and that looked to be the half-time scoreline until City equalised with one minute of that half remaining.

However, six minutes into the second half, Trautmann would make an error of judgement, leaving too big a gap at his near post, which Bobby Mitchell exploited to score “a goal in a million” from a tight angle. Trautmann was trying to get back for the cross he anticipated - an understandable error which has oft been made by a goalkeeper manfully attempting to carry a team against the odds.

Newcastle scored another as City went down 3-1 but Trautmann had played arguably the most eyecatching role of the day. City were welcomed home as heroes, and Trautmann’s family witnessed the City fans chanting their son’s name first hand as they paraded in an open top bus.

A year later, Trautmann and his Manchester City colleagues would have an opportunity to redress the balance.

FA Cup Final 1956 - Trautmann Breaks Neck Winning the Cup

In 1956, Manchester City, aided by their Player’s Player of the Year, Bert Trautmann, achieved fourth place in the English First Division. Trautmann had an important role in that successful season, and became the first ever goalkeeper, and the first ever foreigner to be awarded the Football Writer’s Association Footballer of the Year (for 1956).

Two days after picking up this award, the Manchester City team headed to Wembley for their second FA Cup final in as many years. This time, playing Birmingham, the result would be different.

Don Revie, at centre forward, was a surprise inclusion in the City team, having only made one appearence prior to that Final. His back heel would set up Man City’s third minute opening goal.

After fifteen minutes, though, Trautmann was picking the ball out of the Manchester City net after a shot from Kinsey flew in off the post. With twenty-five minutes in the match remaining, City scored twice inside five minutes to make the score 3-1.

And then it happened.

With twenty minutes remaining, the ball fell loose between Trautmann and Peter Murphy, of Birmingham, well inside the City area. As he was apt, Trautmann quickly and fearlessly dived straight for the ball, head first. Murphy swung his left leg to score a goal which would hopefully put his side back in the tie. Trautmann collected first, but momentum cannot be stopped and he dived head first into Murphy’s hard-swinging knee with a crunch.

Both players went down in clear pain. Trautmann was motionless. After a few minutes, during which the crowd chanted “we want Bert!”, the City trainer pulled a now revived Trautmann to his feet and he returned to his goal rubbing his neck. Those who witnessed the match state that Trautmann was “tottering around his goal like a drunk”.

Birmingham kept up their push for the goals they required, and Bert Trautmann would make another hard collission in a fearless attempt to prevent any further score. Bert Trautman succeeded - watch the video of these two fateful incidents, and the Man City goals below:

And you can see further the blows Trautmann received in this video:

City lifted the cup, the victors at 3-1 thanks in no small part to the heroics of their beloved German goalkeeper Trautmann. He did not yet know what was to firmly implant him in the hearts of those fans for many years to come: those fearless attempts to save the ball at all costs had broken his neck. He did not find out for four days.

Any jolt to his head in the final minutes of that match, or indeed the incident which broke his neck itself, could easily have killed Bert Trautmann, as those who remember John Thomson of Celtic will be all too aware.

After Bert’s X-Ray had confirmed that Trautmann had several clear cracks in his vertebrae, everyone understood just what strength of character and desire he must have had to continue in that final - not to mention making more fearless saves. It would also allow Bert Trautmann to prove himself a true gent.

Bert Trautmann the Gentleman

Bert Trautmann then had his head and neck encased in plaster and would receive a further shattering blow when his five year old son, John, died twenty days later following a car accident.

Because of this, he received many letters of support and best wishes from fans around the country - not just those of Manchester City either. Bert Trautmann responded to one such letter with this reply, handwritten, to E. Bolderson (who, interestingly, went on to play the farmer in the film Kes) after he had shared his best wishes following recovery from a similar injury:

May I thank you most sincerely for your kind letter… I am pleased to know that people do care for each other, which makes life so much easier.

I suppose we both can thank God to be alive and I am very please to know that you have completely recovered from your injury. Wishing you all the very best in future life.

This was by no means a one off: Bert Trautmann had once again proved himself to be a fine gentleman as well as a great goalkeeper.

Following his return seven months later, Bert would go on to achieve more accolades, despite failing to gain international recognition.

Whatever the Germany selectors thought, the great Lev Yashin considered Bert Trautmann to be the only goalkeeper, apart from the Black Panther himself, to be worthy of the title: “The Best Ever”. The highest praise for an outstanding goalkeeper.