SCENES FROM THE TESTIMONIAL MATCH IN 1964, WITH TRAUTMANN DEFENDING MANCHESTER CITY'S GOAL; FLASHBACK SCENES FROM THE MATCH IN 1956 IN WHICH TRAUTMANN GETS A BROKEN NECK DEFENDING HIS GOAL BUT PLAYS ON; RETURN TO SCENES FROM THE TESTIMONIAL MATCH.




Initials



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Background: A GERMAN WHO SETTLED IN BRITAIN AFTER THE WAR AND BECAME ONE OF ITS TOP SOCCER GOALKEEPERS BEFORE HIS RETIREMENT IN 1964 -- BERT TRAUTMANN -- HAS BEEN APPOINTED TEAM ATTACHE TO THE WEST GERMAN WORLD CUP SIDE THEY ARE IN BRITAIN. SO POPULAR WAS TRAUTMANN WITH MANCHESTER CITY PEOPLE THAT 47,000 OF THEM TURNED UP FOR THE TESTIMONIAL MATCH AT MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL GROUND ON THE 16 APRIL, 1964, GIVEN FOR THEIR TEAM'S RETIRING GOALKEEPER. DURING HIS 15 YEARS WITH MANCHESTER CITY, TRAUTMANN'S POPULARITY WAS REINFORCED BY SUCH INCIDENTS AS IN MAY, 1956, WHEN HE CONTINUED TO DEFEND HIS GOAL IN SPITE OF A BROKEN NECK.

TRAUTMANN'S TESTIMONIAL MATCH RAISED GBP9,000 STERLING. IT WAS DURING THE 1955-56 SEASON THAT THE THEN 41-YEAR-OLD GOALKEEPER HELPED HIS TEAM WIN THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CUP, AND WAS CHOSEN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR AS A RESULT -- MAKING HIM THE FIRST GERMAN TO WIN A BRITISH CUP FINAL MEDAL.

CARL BERNHARDT TRAUTMANN FIRST WENT TO BRITAIN AS A PRISONER OF WAR AND SOON AFTER THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR HE BEGAN HIS BRITISH FOOTBALLING CAREER WITH A SMALL LANCASHIRE TEAM. IN OCTOBER, 1949, HE JOINED MANCHESTER CITY. HE WAS TO PLAY IN MORE THAN 500 MATCHES IN OVER 20 COUNTRIES.

THE MOST SENSATIONAL EVENT IN TRAUTMANN'S CAREER OCCURRED DURING THE CUP FINAL AT WEMBLEY IN 1956, AFTER A GOAL-MOUTH SCRAMBLE. HE WAS SEEN TO BE HOLDING HIS NECK AND APPEARED TO BE IN PAIN. HOWEVER, TRAUTMANN CONTINUED TO PLAY FOR THE REMAINING 17 MINUTES OF THE MATCH -- RESULTING IN MANCHESTER CITY'S CUP VICTORY. LATER, IT WAS FOUND THAT TRAUTMANN HAD A BROKEN NECK.

TRAUTMANN'S TESTIMONIAL MATCH WAS PLAYED BETWEEN A MANCHESTER CITY SIDE -- WITH TRAUTMANN HIMSELF IN GOAL -- AND AN INTERNATIONAL XI. THE MANCHESTER SIDE WON 5--4. AT THE END OF THE MATCH POLICE HAD TO ESCORT THE STAR TO HIS DRESSING ROOM TO PROTECT HIM FROM THE OVER-ENTHUSIASTIC ADMIRATION OF THE CROWD. LATER, HE RETURNED TO PERSONALLY THANK THE WILDLY CHEERING CROWD.