Controversy is a word that regulates far more often in today’s headlines as the press are a lot less likely to let a great news story slip through the pens and pads, laptops and Mac books that collect the anecdotes which help writers share these amazing inspirational and life longing stories.

Bert Trautman who really was in the middle of controversy managed to show that competing with enemies during sport was far from violent and mainly remembered for his courageous efforts after breaking his neck during the FA cup final and continuing until the final whistle.

The German former professional goalkeeper was truly in his rival country when he signed for Manchester City in 1949 just four years after the end of world war two.

During his teen years he managed to grow a keen interest in sport playing football, handball and Volker ball, a form of dodgeball, alongside this he became part of the YMCA ( Young Men’s Christian association) and also played for Blau and Weiss football club.

As the war was becoming more and more likely sport became a lost ambition for Trautmann as his time was taken up through other commitments when he joined the Jungvolk, a pre Hitler youth group in 1933.

After the war began in 1939 he became part of the Luftwaffe initially as a radio operator until he showed no interest in radio work which gave him a transfer to Spandau where he became a Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper).

Despite being a paratrooper his regiment managed to find time to fit in some football, as they were behind the front line they would get increasingly bored and something had to settle the tension of war.

Trautman managed to win five medals during his placement in Ukraine when the Germans advance halted due to the winter weather, by 1942 only 300 of the 1,000 troops remained in Trautmanns unit because of the soviet counter attacks.

In 1944 Trautmann was to suffer an incredible scare when he became part of a unit scrambled with surviving men from other units, he decided to head home to Bremen to find out German soldiers without valid leave papers were at this point being shot as deserters.

After avoiding fellow soldiers he was soon found in a near by barn with his hands heaved to the air and without question fled through fields and farms despite the inevitable starvation and loss of navigation.

Trautmanns fleeing led him towards a British signals unit, after hurdling over fences and sprinting to near death it seemed one fence was too many when he was taken to the senior officer by a British soldier, in a heart pounding interrogation which finished with him being told to sit under a tree and shut up he realised he was in trouble.

Still terrified for his life sitting watching British soldiers go out their everyday war time jobs, barely taking notice of the man they called “Fritz.”

Despite being enemies one British soldier felt that Trautmann could use a drink and decided to settle his fears “Hello Fritz, fancy a cup of tea?”

After being kept prisoner for a few years he was finally sent to a prisoner of war camp called PoW Camp 50 in Ashton-in-Makerfield, a small town in Lancashire between St Helens and Wigan until 1948

Finally Trautmanns true ambitions had a chance to shine through again after a football team was created in the camp where he would play his first game as goalkeeper, when playing Haydock park he picked up an injury and asked to swap with Gunther Luhr and from that day on this would remain as his position.

Trautmanns happy devise in Britain led to him declining an offer of repatriation back to Germany, he remained in Britain as a farmer and occasionally working in the bomb disposal unit, but more importantly his football career was to continue for St Helens.

The Mahon cup would see Trautmanns biggest crowd, an amazing 9000 fans watched the game which would prove to be the clinical for his career.

On the 7th October 1949 Trautmann signed for Manchester City, as expected many City fans were averse to the idea of having a former Luffwaffe as their starting goalkeeper, it lead to many season ticket holders boycotting and large amounts of protests and angry letters.

Sport has and always will be a way in which anybody across the world can convert competitively without violence or disrespectful meanings, simply just for enjoyment.

Manchester City’s club captain at the time was a former Normandy veteran by the name of Eric Westwood, what Westwood did astonished fans and pretty much everyone British at the time, consequently as the war had just ended it was a much more demeaning fixation at the time.

Westwood stated that “There’s no war in this dressing room”, after this Trautmann made his debut against Bolton Wanderers where he showed an incredible goalkeeping display.

When fans realised he was a great keeper and he would be beneficial for the club, protests soon decreased although Trautmanns history would not be ignored as he suffered many forms of hatred from fans mainly using the words “Kraut” and “Nazi”.

Again Trautmanns skills would turn the crowds, in January 1950 City faced Fulham, this would be his first game in London, the score finished 1-0 to Fulham, at the time Manchester City were definitely the underdogs but for Trautmanns great keeping the game finished with them only conceding one goal.

A standing ovation from both sets of fans was given to Trautmann after the final whistle.

After being relegated and promoted the following season Manchester City managed to improve greatly in the mid 1950s where they would reach the FA cup final in 1955 against Newcastle but unfortunately lost 3-1.

The following season City finished 4th in the league and reached the FA cup final again, this time against Birmingham, City led 3-1 and in the 75th minute Trautmann was knocked unconscious after a collision with Birmingham’s Peter Murphy.

City had no substitutions and what was seen next on the pitch was remarkable, Trautmann didn’t only just continue the game but saved every single shot that was taken at him for the last fifteen minutes.

City won 3-1 and Trautmann still looked uncomfortable when receiving his winners medal.

It was later on discovered through x-rays that he had dislocated five vertebrae in his neck, Trautmann recovered well through seven months out, he returned for a testimonial for his 545 appearances for City and continued to coach and leave an incredible inspirational story for all future goalkeepers.