"The Keeper"

franksinatra said:
For the younger fans who never had the privilege of watching him play what were his greatest strengths, what were his weaknesses and which modern keeper would you say his style is most similar too?

Any other bits of information would be appreciated.
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He was a brilliant Handball player in his youth, maybe at national level. Its that mad 7-a side game you see at the Olympics and wonder what the hell the rules are.
 
hmblue said:
Best of his generation and best of all time. My hero.
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Couldn't have put it better.
My favourite since I started watching in the '50's. First game for me at Maine Road 1953 , versus PNE. - Finney et al...City lost 4-1'
Watched the 1956 Cup Final on my Aunties 14" (black and white) TV.
Joe Hayes - 2 1/2mins - had an old wooden rattle loaned to me by an Uncle. Bert's broken neck......
Got his book somewhere - ? - think it was called " From the Steppes to Wembley "- reference to his time in Russia (Steppes).
Also had Frank Swift's book - Football from the Goalmouth - lent it to a mate - sometime in the 60's - never to be seen again.
Bert was my boyhood hero. Wonder who will play him in the film - Blond haired is a must.
 
Hope the film will be good. The director Marcus Rosenmüller is mainly known for doing comedies here in Germany. Have seen a couple of them and they are alright. Not sure if he can do a serious sports film like this one. We will see.
 
I'm much too young to have seen Bert play, but I did meet him once, at Maine Road. I saw him signing an autograph for someone and it took me a few seconds to work out who it was.

I approached him and asked him to sign my autograph book, but once he'd done that and thanked him, I was so star struck that I couldn't think of anything else to say to him.

We often see a gent in the lift on the way up to Level Three, who started going in the '30s, and I asked him recently who was the better 'keeper, Swift or Trautmann.

He replied, "I never thought I'd see a better one than Frank, but when Bert came along, I did".
 
canyerdogputoutafire said:
He was a brilliant Handball player in his youth, maybe at national level. Its that mad 7-a side game you see at the Olympics and wonder what the hell the rules are.
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Of the limited footage I have viewed of the great man it appears he often, when coming for crosses, brought it down from the air with one hand to the ground and then catches the ball after its hit the ground. Maybe this is related to his handball days.
 
Also held the record for penalty saves 60% don't know if this still stands, 2nd best was another city legend
 
BillCarlisle Ex-Manchester said:
Saw his last 3 seasons before retirement and he's still my all time favourite. What a man. Had the privilege of meeting him at a book signing and he was an absolute gentleman. As the OP has suggested by the thread title, he's probably the only City player referred to simply by his first name and every True Blue instantly knows who it is. Mind you, Sergio is approaching that accolade, but even the great Colin Bell usually has the prefix 'King' . There is only one Bert. Always will be.
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Yaya?
Vincent?


Mario
;-)
 
Tim of the Oak said:
Great points Bluekiwi

Just to add to my points about distribution. This was integral to the Revie Plan that more Blues might have heard of.

This thread also brings back memories of last season in the Christmas Market at BMG, when are number of Bluemoonets were singing, "There's only one Bert Trautman" to a lookalike from German TV.
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I remember that guy at the Christmas market at BMG too. He was a big bugger wasn't he?
 
franksinatra said:
Another question for anybody who remembers that time or if it was mentioned in the book was it universally agreed, at the time, that Trautmann was a better keeper than Swift or was it more a generational thing dependent upon which player you grew up watching???
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Some years ago, @Gary James started to research a book about Swift, which was never published. IIRC, Gary said that one of the things he wanted to cover was the debate over which of Swift or Trautmann was better. If Gary happens to be around and has time, maybe he can confirm or refute this, but my memory is that he said the majority view of those who saw both at their peak was that Swift edged it. FWIW, my grandad, who died in 1989 and had watched City since the Hyde Road days, was also of that view. Both men were widely recognised to be English football's best 'keeper by a mile for most of their respective careers, though.

The incredible thing for me about Trautmann as a footballer is that he never played in serious, organised football match until he was a PoW in England aged 24. It's never really mentioned, but to start that late and become a genuinely world class player (remember that Bert's contemporary, the legendary Yashin, hailed himself and Trautmann as the world's two great goalkeepers) is truly phenomenal.
 
petrusha said:
Some years ago, @Gary James started to research a book about Swift, which was never published. IIRC, Gary said that one of the things he wanted to cover was the debate over which of Swift or Trautmann was better. If Gary happens to be around and has time, maybe he can confirm or refute this, but my memory is that he said the majority view of those who saw both at their peak was that Swift edged it. FWIW, my grandad, who died in 1989 and had watched City since the Hyde Road days, was also of that view. Both men were widely recognised to be English football's best 'keeper by a mile for most of their respective careers, though.

The incredible thing for me about Trautmann as a footballer is that he never played in serious, organised football match until he was a PoW in England aged 24. It's never really mentioned, but to start that late and become a genuinely world class player (remember that Bert's contemporary, the legendary Yashin, hailed himself and Trautmann as the world's two great goalkeepers) is truly phenomenal.
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Cheers for the information. I never realised that Trautmann started to play organised football at such a late date and as you have highlighted it makes his achievements all the more remarkable.

Interesting to hear that fans who watched both thought that Swift edged it. It must have been a real pleasure for your grandad to have watched them both.

Note - Bert signed for us at 26 only two years after playing organised football.
 
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Stretch said:
I remember years ago seeing an interview with the actor and big City fan Warren Clarke(who's sadly no longer alive) In it he let slip that he was trying to get some kind of funding for a film based on Bert ( or possibly it was on the horizon) but that never materialised unfortunately. Now another big blue in the form of John Henshaw ( him out of Early doors) is due to star in the film. Sometimes it's funny how things work out. I personally can not wait for this. My absolute City hero. CTID
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Give it to Bert, give it to bloody Bert....
 
franksinatra said:
That would be most appreciated Tim.

The latter point I can well imagine as even at 80 years old his presence and personality dominated a room. Even outside football I cannot think of an equivalent I have met and could well imagine him having the strengths of character to follow his own path and probably lead others also.

I know @Corky was there that night I wonder if he thought similar or anyone else for that matter.

Another question for anybody who remembers that time or if it was mentioned in the book was it universally agreed, at the time, that Trautmann was a better keeper than Swift or was it more a generational thing dependent upon which player you grew up watching???
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I think the crowd were in awe of the closest they will have been to a living legend at the time. Most of them looked like they would have grown up watching Joe Corrigan and on tales of Bert passed down.

By the way Swift's book ends in 1947 so no mention of Bert and the relationship he talked about.
 
Corky said:
I think the crowd were in awe of the closest they will have been to a living legend at the time. Most of them looked like they would have grown up watching Joe Corrigan and on tales of Bert passed down.

By the way Swift's book ends in 1947 so no mention of Bert and the relationship he talked about.
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Cheers Corky. Yes I think we were all in awe of him and in fairness he did nothing to dispel that as he had such presence, character and humour particularly for somebody of his age.

Incredible also how he spoke english so effortlessly having lived in Spain for such a long period.
 
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