Bert Trautmann

Bert Trautmann OBE
Trautmann at an event at the Olympiastadion in Berlin in October 2010
Born	Bernhard Carl Trautmann (1923-10-22)22 October 1923 Bremen, Germany
Died	19 July 2013(2013-07-19) (aged 89) La Llosa, Castellón, Spain
Spouses	Margaret Friar ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1972)​ Ursula von der Heyde ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1982)​ Marlis Trautmann ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	4
Association football career Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) Position(s) Goalkeeper Youth career Blau und Weiss Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1948–1949 St Helens Town 43 (0) 1949–1964 Manchester City 508 (0) 1964 Wellington Town 7 (0) Total 553 (0) Managerial career 1965–1966 Stockport County 1967–1968 Preußen Münster 1968–1969 Opel Rüsselsheim 1972–1974 Burma 1975 Tanzania 1978–1980 Liberia 1980–1982 Pakistan 1983–1988 North Yemen *Club domestic league appearances and goals
Military career
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1941–1944
Rank	Feldwebel
Unit	35th Infantry Division
Awards	5 medals (inc. Iron Cross First Class)

Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann EK OBE BVO (22 October 1923 – 19 July 2013) was a German professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester City from 1949 to 1964.

In August 1933, he joined the Jungvolk, the junior section of the Hitler Youth. Trautmann joined the Luftwaffe early in the Second World War, and then served as a paratrooper. He was initially sent to occupied Poland, and subsequently fought on the Eastern Front for three years, earning five medals, including an Iron Cross. Later in the war, he was transferred to the Western Front, where he was captured by the British as the war drew to a close. As a volunteer soldier, he was classified a category "C" prisoner by the authorities, meaning he was regarded as a Nazi. One of only 90 of his original 1,000-man regiment to survive the war, he was transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. Trautmann refused an offer of repatriation, and following his release in 1948 decided to settle in Lancashire, combining farm work with playing goalkeeper for a local football team, St Helens Town.

Performances for St Helens gained Trautmann a reputation as an outstanding goalkeeper, resulting in interest from Football League clubs. In October 1949, he signed for Manchester City, a club playing in the country's highest level of football, the First Division. The club's decision to sign a former Axis paratrooper sparked protests, and 20,000 people attended a demonstration. Over time, he gained acceptance through his performances in the City goal, playing in all but five of the club's next 250 matches.

Named FWA Footballer of the Year for 1956, Trautmann entered football folklore with his performance in the 1956 FA Cup final. With 17 minutes of the match remaining, Trautmann suffered a serious injury while diving at the feet of Birmingham City's Peter Murphy. Despite his injury, he continued to play, making crucial saves to preserve his team's 3–1 lead. His neck was noticeably crooked as he collected his winner's medal; three days later an X-ray revealed it to be broken.

Trautmann played for Manchester City until 1964, making 545 appearances. After his playing career, he moved into management, first with lower-division sides in England and Germany, and later as part of a German Football Association development scheme that took him to several countries, including Burma, Tanzania and Pakistan. In 2004, he was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for promoting Anglo-German understanding through football. Trautmann died at home near Valencia, Spain, in 2013, aged 89.