To many, Bert Trautmann is one of the most popular post-war goalkeepers to have ever played in British football, thanks mainly to his heroic exploits in the 1956 FA Cup final – playing for Manchester City he broke his neck after a courageous save but continued playing until the final whistle, and a City victory.
To thousands he was a hero, but Bert hid a dark secret.
This UK premiere documentary tells the remarkable story of a former Hitler Youth devotee and Nazi soldier captured by the British who, after serving his time as a prisoner of war in Lancashire, went on to become one of Britain’s most popular goalkeepers.
Told by Bert himself – now in his 88th year – his story starts with childhood, where he was regarded as the perfect Aryan boy, and then encompasses German soldierhood at the age of 18, how he won two Iron Crosses, how he was taken prisoner by the British in 1945, and how he excelled as a goalkeeper in the German POW football team.
This developed into a new career and he signed for Manchester City in 1949, even though there was a huge protest by the city’s local Jewish community. It was only when he played in the infamous 1956 FA Cup final that Bert’s reputation was saved, and remade.
The extraordinary story of an extraordinary life.
