FULHAM 1 CITY 0
League Division 1
4th January 1950
attendance 30,000
Scorer McDonald
Ref P Power
City Trautmann, Phillips, Westwood, Gill, Walsh, Fagan, Munro, Oakes, Turnball, Black, AlisonFulham Kelly, Freeman, Pavitt, Quested, Taylor, Lawler, Stevens, Thomas, Rowley, Jezzard, McDonald
One game in particular, away at Fulham in January 1950, saw Bert in outstanding form. This was a landmark game for the ‘keeper as at the start of the match his appearance had not been welcome. Bert: “l had been getting a good press in the north-west by this time, but Jack Friar, who was to become my father-in-law, pointed out that my first game in London would really test me because of the papers and publicity down there. He said I wasn’t just playing against Fulham, I was playing against London. I needed to make a good impression to get the national press on my side, and he told me he expected we could lose 7-0 or 8-0!”
As the players entered the Craven Cottage pitch shouts of ‘Kraut’ and ‘Nazi’ rang out. Bert received tremendous abuse and clearly a lesser player would have buckled under the pressure, but the ‘keeper seemed to see the venom as a challenge, and he started to appear more confident and more determined than he had in any earlier City match. In the end the Blues lost 1-0, but the score would have been much worse had it not been for Bert: “I was at the Thames End of the ground and was the last player to come off. Both teams stood at the dressing room entrance and applauded. A very emotional moment.
ADAPTED FROM AN ARTICLE BY GARY JAMES IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 13TH NOVEMBER 2004
As the players entered the Craven Cottage pitch shouts of ‘Kraut’ and ‘Nazi’ rang out. Bert received tremendous abuse and clearly a lesser player would have buckled under the pressure, but the ‘keeper seemed to see the venom as a challenge, and he started to appear more confident and more determined than he had in any earlier City match. In the end the Blues lost 1-0, but the score would have been much worse had it not been for Bert: “I was at the Thames End of the ground and was the last player to come off. Both teams stood at the dressing room entrance and applauded. A very emotional moment.
ADAPTED FROM AN ARTICLE BY GARY JAMES IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 13TH NOVEMBER 2004
