Derby County v Manchester City 1949/50

City Trautmann, Sproston, Phillips, Murray, Fagan, Walsh, Oakes, Black, Turnbull, Clarke, WestwoodDerby Townsend, Poppett, Parr, Ward, Oliver, Musson, Powell, Morris, Stamps, Steel, McLaren

Bert Trautmann, more than most, had good reason to remember this game in the mud at the Baseball Ground, and those people who already were comparing him with the great goalkeepers of all time began to have reser-vations. They need not have worried. In my book at least he will always command a high place among the best half dozen I saw in 50 years
In his formative days, however, he was very vulnerable against the shots which travelled fast along the ground and especially when the ball skidded, and on this occasion at Derby he endured torture. Years later, he let eight past him at Leicester, but he always maintained that December 5th, 1949 at Derby was just about the worst experience he had with City. Apart, of course, from breaking his neck. Derby County merely broke his heart.
Not that Trautmann was alone in his misery this day. City persisted in a close passing game, quite useless in the conditions, while Derby played fast, open football and their accurate passes especially to the wings were a delight to watch.
In the first minute, Stamps gave a through pass to Morris and Derby were in front. Thirty seconds later, Sproston brought down McLaren. Stamps took the penalty, and hit a post. But Stamps, who gave Joe Fagan the run around all afternoon, wasted little time in making amends. He scored twice and made other goals for Steel and Morris, Derby scoring four of their seven in the last twenty minutes.
The Derby defenders had their easiest afternoon of the season although Clarke and Westwood tried hard enough on City’s left flank. The rest of the forwards, as indicated, fretted and fumbled in the mud and when they did manage to enter Derby’s half of the field, they always found Ward, Musson, and Oliver far too good for them. Late in the game Sproston was injured and went on the right wing, but by that time City were beyond hope and redemption. And if City delivered one worthwhile shot nobody, least of all Townsend, remembered it.
An article by Eric Todd of The Guardian Published in the City programme 4th November 1972