Bert Trautmann breaks neck during FA Cup Final

He literally put his neck on the lineGrumpy, sports-loving cynics often state that they don't make footballers like they used to. These days they are spoiled, pampered millionaires, while previously they were tough, hardworking he-men who would smoke pipes while they played and did a shift down the foundry during half time.

Though that might be a slight exaggeration, there can be no denying that the magnificent Bert Trautmann was made of stronger stuff.During the 1956 Cup Final, between Manchester City and Birmingham City, goalkeeper Bert collided with striker Peter Murphy. Bert got a knee to the neck and was knocked completely unconscious.

As substitutes weren't allowed at the time, he was revived and insisted on staying on the pitch. He managed to play the final seventeen minutes and saw his Manchester team win 3-1. A few days after the match he went to the doctor with ‘a bit of a sore neck’ and discovered that his neck was actually broken. Let's hope he got some sort of bonus for his efforts.