Remembering Bert Trautmann

Great bloke.
I remember as an excited nipper who lived a stones throw from Maine Road once waiting outside the main entrance to collect autographs.
There was a bunfight round most players but Bert made us all line up and told us he would only give us one autograph each.
We all did what we were told instantly of course.
As Paul Whitehouse said it’s the accent makes you obey!
 
denislawsbackheel said:
Great bloke.
I remember as an excited nipper who lived a stones throw from Maine Road once waiting outside the main entrance to collect autographs.
There was a bunfight round most players but Bert made us all line up and told us he would only give us one autograph each.
We all did what we were told instantly of course.
As Paul Whitehouse said it’s the accent makes you obey!
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I remember that day well I was there. I used to go often with my autograph book. Like you say he would make us line up,but he would sign every one. Top man.
 
Legend. Suffered a broken neck in 1956 cup final against Birmingham City and still played on for the final 20 minutes, stll diving at strikers' feet. The only player ever to have been awarded the OBE, and the German equivalent, Cup winner's medal and the iron cross. Would have been 1st choice for Germany in 1954 world cup but they had a policy of only picking home based players.
 
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fanatic1 said:
Legend. Suffered a broken neck in 1956 cup final against Newcastle and still played on for the final 20 minutes, stll diving at strikers' feet. The only player ever to have been awarded the OBE, and the German equivalent, Cup winner's medal and the iron cross. Would have been 1st choice for Germany in 1954 world cup but they had a policy of only picking home based players.
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vs. Birmingham.
Signed my copy of his "Steppes To Wembley" book at Sportspages bookshop (long gone) on St. Ann's Square. Listening to him talk about feeling as much (did he say "more"?) English than German at the end of "The Bert Trautmann Story" video gets me every time.
 
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AliBobbyJ said:
vs. Birmingham.
Signed my copy of his "Steppes To Wembley" book at Sportspages bookshop (long gone) on St. Ann's Square. Listening to him talk about feeling as much (did he say "more"?) English than German at the end of "The Bert Trautmann Story" video gets me every time.
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I too queued with my dad at the bookshop for the book signing. Was the bookshop called Wilshaws. Also got a Xmas card signed by Bert but have never known whether it really was from Bert or my Dad tricking me.
 
I attended Bert's testimonial in 1964. He was a veteran and playing in the reserves that season as Harry Dowd had taken over. The teams were a combined City/United side versus an all England X1 (Matthews, Finney, Lofthouse, Moore, Banks etc). The result didn't matter as Bert pulled off a series of stunning saves. The game didn't finish though as after 80 minutes a ten year old urchin evaded the police cordon, ran up to Bert, and embraced him. Seconds later the crowd engulfed the pitch. Bert gave a tearful farewell address on the tannoy and many others were in tears too.
 
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