Friday Video: Bert Trautmann

Bert Trautmann's story has always fascinated me.

From Iron Cross winning paratrooper to Manchester City's FA cup winning hero.

A man who defied the odds in the war (only 90 of his 1000 strong regiment survived by the time of his capture by British troops) and survived a broken neck at Wembley in that successful 1956 final.

As it has entered footballing legend the story has been reduced to the rather simple tale of a "good" German triumphing against the odds to reach the top of the English game.

It's much more than that.

Trautmann, now living in Spain and in his late 80s, was a magnanimous and determined character, capable of inspiring those around him and working hard to overcome the initial outrage that greeted his move to City in the late 1940s.

He could also be difficult, rash and given to unleashing a wild temper.

Contradictory? Perhaps. But Bert Trautmann was the product of quite extraordinary times.

Part of a generation who saw their childhood stolen by Hitler's totalitarian Germany, he volunteered for the German war effort before being conscripted.

As a paratrooper he was suddenly forced to confront death, among both his own comrades and the nameless young British and Commonwealth troops he faced. It was a stark lesson in the futility of war for a young man who thought he was simply doing the right thing for his country.

As a high profile German in Britain he had to face the obvious anti-German feeling of many.

More than that, as a high profile German in Manchester, he had to face the anger of the city's Jewish community when signed for City.

Trautmann worked hard to overcome this prejudice. Where he could have been a figurehead for continued hate and resentment, he actually became a figurehead for improved relations between two countries.

Respected and admired in Britain he was feted in Germany for his role in the difficult process rebuilding that country's reputation.

Eleven years after he was captured as part of National Socialism's vanquished army, 1956 should have been Trautmann's greatest year as he was voted player of the year and won the FA Cup.

But in the course of that triumphant final he broke his neck. That he played on seems a story too outrageous for Roy of the Rovers and cemented his place in the hearts of British football supporters.

Just months later Trautmann was again coming face to face with tragedy when his young son was knocked down and killed.

Again he overcome professional and personal adversity to reclaim his place in the Manchester City first team.

In 1960 he became the first foreign player to captain an English League representative side - the closest he would come to international football.

By 1964 his playing career was coming to an end. 60,000 fans turned out for his testimonial game as a combined City and United side took on an international select. Just 15 years earlier 20,000 people had protested at his signing.

It was a remarkable end to a remarkable playing career.

Kenny Miller To Turn Down Italian Job

Kenny Miller's eventual destination this January is still undecided at the time of writing.

But rumours suggest he'll be picking Birmingham City over Fiorentina.

It might be too late for Kenny but this article by Alan Temple on Gib Football Show is well worth reading if you despair of our increasing footballing insularity:

"However, if there proves to be substance behind these links then it would be foolhardy for the two players to cast aside moves which could potentially shape and enhance the rest of their playing days, and their potential coaching careers beyond that, simply because they could earn more money in the sickeningly wealthy Barclay’s Premier League."

More at gibfootballshow.co.uk

The Scottish Football Blog News Feed

Farewell Fergie

BARRY FERGUSON’S decision to quit international football is one that may have some apologists within the media ready to finally write his Scotland obituary. For me, it’s no big loss.

The former Rangers captain has finally decided to called time on his international career and has reportedly informed coach Craig Levein, presumably sitting by his phone in eager anticipation at what Baz was going to do.

Ferguson has given nothing but lip service to Scotland in the last decade or so and the fact that he’s decided to walk away after being given an olive branch by Levein should be treated with the sort of contempt Ferguson showed the national team.

Craig Anderson's certainly not sorry to see Barry Ferguson pull the plug on his international career.

Difficult not to disagree. Ferguson was a player who was rarely as bad for Scotland as his critics made out. But nor did he ever play as well as you suspected he could have.

However well he has been playing for Birmingham City, and I saw some excellent performances last season, there was never a guarantee with Ferguson that he could carry that into an international week.

Like many things with Barry Ferguson I suspect this had a lot to with his state of mind.

His 45 caps from a decade or so of being considered for the team is a fairly mediocre return compared to his career at club level and raises questions over his commitment to the cause.

That statistic, just as much as "Boozegate," means yesterday announcement should come as no surprise.

Leaving aside my thoughts on Barry as an individual I've got to say I welcome the news for the team.

Craig Levein was keen to be able to choose from all his available talents. But at least Ferguson's official retirement means the manager has to move forward.

Scottish football is in a hole. We're looking for a brave new world. Ferguson has just ensured that Craig Levein will need to be that little bit braver in taking us there.

> Stephen Naismith has been touting Kevin Thomson as a ready made Ferguson replacement. With only two caps at the age of 25 and a number of calls offs from the squad, my big fear would be it being a like for like replacement both on and off the field.

Life and death

What do you give to the football who has everything? Well, if they're dead why not give them a football funeral?

Here's what the Midland's Co-op offers:

Birmingham City Football Club funeral service

Midlands Co-operative Funeral Services is the official provider of special funeral service options for Birmingham City Football Club. We offer a range of services enabling you to create a funeral for a lost Blues fan one that reflects their lifelong passion.

Derby County Football Club funeral service

Midlands Co-operative Funeral Services is proud to be the official provider of special funeral service packages for Derby County Football Club. Our services include a specially designed “DCFC” coffin for the ultimate tribute to a lost fan.

When a football club has "an official provider of special funeral service packages" you know that the commercialisation of the game has reached the point of no return.

I discovered this through Hunter Davies' article in this week's New Statesman. (unfortunately it's not online yet - will be soon though I think).

Hunter reports that:

Your ashes don't get scattered on the pitch - clubs are not keen on that. Instead, they dig a plug of turf around the side, shove in the ashes, then replace the plug. Being caring and thoughtful, the Co-op tries to dig as near as possible to where the deceased had his season ticket.

I wrote about football themed wreaths back in 2007. This would seem to take that a step further.

Football ruins my life often enough. I don't want to spend my own afterlife haunted by the memories.

Know Your Employees

"Judge him over five seasons."

So says David Gold, co-owner of Birmingham City and paymaster of Alex McLeish. In a strong message of support for his manager Gold paid tribute to the man who he thinks will get City back to the top flight. That said, Gold thought he would keep them in the top flight so he might not be a great judge.

Some fans are grumbling that Steve Bruce would have kept Birmingham in the league if he had not been replaced by McLeish, who now has a two for two success rate in keeping struggling teams in the drop zone after inheriting them.

All conjecture of course, but as McLeish faces up to salvaging his oh-so deserved reputation in the most competitve league in Britain, the distant rumblings that Gold can hear are probably not the sound of Aston Villa and West Brom fans chuckling.

Rather it is likely to be the sound of McLeish dusting down his prime managerial tactic and searching hastily for the exit door.