Mintball wrote:
Survived the Eastern Front, survived the Western Front. Won over an initially hostile public. Later awarded an OBE for services to Anglo-German reconciliation. One of the first Europeans to go and coach in Africa ...
He went to war. So did millions of other people.
He won over a retarded public who were easily won over because he was a decent keeper.
Apart from being a German who decided that life in England was the best for him and went and did a great job pretty well, what exactly was so special about his services to Anglo-German reconciliation? (And are you arguing that the honours system is valid now?)
He tried coaching. He wasn't very good. He was sent over to Africa and other countries and was told to show them what a football was.
Like I said, Bert Trautman is an example of the overuse of the word legend. He got injured in a game, didn't know the extent of his injuries and played on because the laws of the game were a nonsense at that time. It later emerged that his injuries were far more serious than anyone could have imagined.
Is he a Man City legend? Yes, because Man City people are allowed to bestow that title on him. Just like they do on Paul Dickov, apparently.
But Burt Trautman, bona fide legend in a world that uses the word too much? No. He's an example of the overuse of the word.
I'm Chelsea and I'd say that Petr Cech and Roberto Di Matteo are Chelsea legends. I think every CFC fan would agree. Both of their careers wiped the the floor of Trautman's career. But I would never presume to award them bona fide legend status outside of Chelsea, because clearly most outsiders wouldn't give a damn about what they did for CFC.
I think Shaun Edwards is a RL legend because of his achievements playing for Wigan. I think he was badly let down by his coaches who allowed him to play with a fractured cheekbone for GB, but I admire his determination to play. I think he was a complete moron who let his team down when he played for London in the Challenge Cup final when he was injured.
