Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week's episode, co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper tell the remarkable story of Bert Trautmann — the former Nazi paratrooper who became Manchester City's beloved goalkeeper and an unlikely symbol of Anglo-German reconciliation. 70 years on from the legendary 1956 FA Cup final, Wilson and Draper trace Trautmann's extraordinary journey: from Hitler Youth member and fighting on the Eastern Front, to prisoner of war in England, to the man who played on with a broken neck at Wembley. They examine his teenage indoctrination, the atrocity he witnessed, that shattered his faith in Nazism and the 25,000 protesters at Maine Road. Along the way, they explore the brutal treatment of goalkeepers in this era and how three successive cup final incidents began to change the game's laws. Finally, they reflect on how a flawed, charismatic man became the perfect bridge between two nations.

00:00 Jimmy Ashcroft and the Goalkeeper's Lot

06:30 Hitler Youth — Trautmann's Indoctrination

12:45 The Eastern Front

19:20 Witnessing the SS Massacre

25:00 Captured Three Times — Soviets, Americans, and a Cup of Tea

27:10 Prisoner of War and the Accidental Goalkeeper

34:50 Staying in England

42:15 25,000 Protesters

48:00 Winning Over Manchester

53:40 The 1956 FA Cup Final — Playing On with a Broken Neck

58:10 The Dangerous Life of the Goalkeeper

01:03:20 Footballer of the Year and Personal Tragedy

01:09:00 Burma, Women's Football, and an OBE

01:14:30 The Perfect Symbol of Reconciliation

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Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week's episode, co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper revisit the 1995-96 Premier League season. 30 years on from one of the great title races. They trace Manchester United's unlikely triumph, beginning with the summer meltdown that saw Ince, Hughes, and Kanchelskis all depart, the infamous opening-day defeat to Aston Villa, and Alan Hansen's immortal verdict. From Cantona's Paris crisis and Ferguson's diplomatic dinner to Newcastle's flying start and that seemingly insurmountable 12-point lead, Wilson and Draper unpick every twist. They examine Schmeichel's heroics in the pivotal March showdown at St James' Park, the Tino Asprilla effect, the curse of the grey shirts at The Dell, and finally the extraordinary moment Kevin Keegan lost his composure on live television.

00:00 Alan Hansen Sets the Scene

06:30 The Summer Meltdown — Ince, Hughes, Kanchelskis

12:45 Class of '92 and the Aston Villa Opener

19:20 Cantona's Paris Crisis and Ferguson's Rescue Mission

27:10 Newcastle's Flying Start and the 12-Point Lead

34:50 The March Showdown at St James' Park

42:15 Tino Asprilla and the Rodney Marsh Debate

48:00 Liverpool 4, Newcastle 3 — The Moment It Turned

53:40 The Grey Shirts and the Southampton Collapse

58:10 The Mind Games Begin

01:03:20 Keegan's Meltdown — "I Will Love It"

01:09:00 United Win the League and the Double

01:14:30 Why This Season Made the Premier League

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Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week’s episode, co-hosts Jonthan Wilson and Rob Draper are joined by Sports Journalist and author Jonathan Northcroft to take a look 10 years on from that extraordinary and famous Premier League win! They frame the story around key pivot points, including the Valentine’s Day defeat at Arsenal and the self-belief it sparked, plus Ranieri’s unexpected decision to still grant the squad a holiday. Northcroft traces the longer build-up through the 2013 Watford play-off heartbreak, Nigel Pearson’s cross-department reset, the 2014 Championship-winning platform (and the later FFP breach), and the club’s smart recruitment and early data use that delivered players like Kanté, Mahrez and Okazaki. They cover Pearson’s departure after off-field incidents, the scepticism around Ranieri’s appointment, his “dilly ding” media touch, rivals’ crises, standout wins over Liverpool and Manchester City, Spurs’ chase, and the city’s all-in celebrations as the miracle became real.

06:35 Origins of the Build

10:39 FFP and the Promotion Debate

11:35 Recruitment and Data Edge

17:36 Kante and Mahrez Backstories

22:22 Pearson Great Escape and Exit

26:10 Ranieri Arrives Against the Odds

27:46 Dilly Ding and Pizza Psychology

35:24 Chelsea Chaos Unravels

41:42 Big Clubs in Crisis

45:02 Vardy Volley and City Statement

47:37 Leicester Media Frenzy

53:30 Spurs Pressure and Title Night

59:19 Leicester Celebrates as One

01:04:30 Bonkers Finale

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