What did Bert Trautmann do?

[Hornet-Fez]

Given the current debate over Sunderland's James McClean deciding not to wear a poppy on his shirt this Rememberance Weekend I would be very interested to learn how the great Bert Trautmann managed these games during his career at Manchester City. Did any of you older fans see him?
My Dad served in the RAF Regiment during WWII and he had the utmost respect and admiration for 'Bert' as a man, a soldier, a footballer and a humanitarian. "Make yourself big like Bert" he'd coach me as a goalkeeper -he was the best keeper ever so far as he was concerned... I'm not arguing either!
The wounds of the war were still wide open for many and he was subject to all sorts of abuse - he was, after all, 'the enemy'. And yet...

In the absence of managing to get in touch with the great man I'm hoping perhaps that City fans - you know him best - might share some memories.

Cheers!

 

[goonercymraeg]

It's only in the last few years that players have started wearing poppies on their shirts so i doubt very much if the subject would have arisen in Trautmann's time

 

[Agent Bruce]

I believe City's keeper before Trautmann, Frank Swift, had an even bigger reputation than Bert.

 

[Swarbs]

It's only in the last few years that players have started wearing poppies on their shirts so i doubt very much if the subject would have arisen in Trautmann's time

This. Pretty sure 2010 was the first time all clubs actually wore a poppy on their shirt during PL games on Remembrance Weekend. In Trautmann's day I don't think they even had names or sponsors on the shirts (cym will be able to confirm as he was just a sprightly 40 year old at the time).

And given the abuse he got from fans for being German, I think he'd have been put under more pressure not to wear a poppy than to wear one.

 

[Hornet-Fez]

No mistaking, the wearing of a poppy on the shirt is a very modern thing, certainly introduced only in the last few seasons.
Having been pointed in the right direction in a PM I have since found out that Trautmann always wore a poppy through November and publicly supported the shirt initiative when it was introduced. He did have a tough time from a minority of supporters and Manchester does have a significant Jewish population which would understandably have strong feelings over a PoW playing professional football. That said I think it is fair to say he won them over, especially having to fill the boots of Frank Swift who, as Agent Bruce pointed out, was also a goalkeeper of incredible talent and stature. Many would argue that Trautmann is the 'Godfather' of modern goalkeeping, I wouldn't argue too strongly against it.