Bert Trautmann
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bernhard Carl Trautmann | ||
| Date of birth | 22 October 1923 | ||
| Place of birth | Bremen, Germany | ||
| Date of death | 19 July 2013 (aged 89) | ||
| Place of death | La Llosa, Valencia, Spain | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1948–1949 | St Helens Town | 43 | (0) |
| 1949–1964 | Manchester City | 508 | (0) |
| 1964 | Wellington Town | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 553 | (0) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1965–1966 | Stockport County | ||
| 1967–1968 | Preußen Münster | ||
| 1968–1969 | Opel Rüsselsheim | ||
| 1972–1974 | Burma | ||
| 1975 | Tanzania | ||
| 1978–1980 | Liberia | ||
| 1980–1983 | Pakistan | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann, OBE (22 October 1923 – 19 July 2013) was a German footballer. He played from 1949 to 1964 for Manchester City as the keeper. Trautmann was in Germany almost unknown, and never played in the national team of his country. But in Manchester, he was one of the most popular players.
Early life[change | change source]
Bert Trautmann was born on 22 October 1923. He began playing football at age 10, when he was 18 he had to go to do his military service for the German Nazi-Regime. The paratrooper was first imprisoned by the Soviet, later by the British army. He did not leave Britain after his release, and became a professional football player.
Career[change | change source]
After some time he joined Manchester City. At first, the fans hated the "Nazi boy", but they soon accepted him. He was a leading goalkeeper for ten years in the English first division (which was then the top division). In the 1956 FA Cup final, it the 75th minute, Trautmann was hit by a Birmingham City player. The crash broke his neck, but Trautmann finished the game. It was often called a medical miracle that Trautmann did not die on that day.[1]
Personal life[change | change source]
Just a few days Trautmann's medical miracle, his five years old son died in a car crash. In 1950 he had married for the first time, and in 1990 he married again. In 2004 he was honored by Queen Elizabeth II.
Death[change | change source]
Trautmann died on 19 July 2013 from probable heart failure after suffering two previous heart attacks. He was 89 years old.[2]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "05.05.1956 Bert Trautmann breaks his neck". The Guardian. London. 6 May 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2008.
- ↑ "Manchester City legend Bert Trautmann dies aged 89". BBC Sport. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
Other websites[change | change source]
- The Trautmann Foundation Archived 2013-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
- Bert Trautmann, video clip of FA cup Final 1956: BBC Motion Gallery Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- English Football Hall of Fame profile Archived 2007-11-15 at the Wayback Machine
- Bert Trautmann in the Museum of Goalkeeping Archived 2008-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Bert Trautmann @ Goalkeeping Greats Archived 2009-02-02 at the Wayback Machine