"The Keeper"

[hmblue]

Best of his generation and best of all time. My hero.

 

[canyerdogputoutafire]

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.

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.

 

[Bluep*ss]

Best of his generation and best of all time. My hero.

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.

 

[Jazzman]

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.

 

[Vienna_70]

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".

 

[kinkyisno.1]

Can't wait for this.

 

[franksinatra]

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.

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.

 

[blumanchu]

Also held the record for penalty saves 60% don't know if this still stands, 2nd best was another city legend

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

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.

Yaya?
Vincent?


Mario
;-)

 

[theinvisibleman]

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.

I remember that guy at the Christmas market at BMG too. He was a big bugger wasn't he?