Platnauer was born in
Leicester but moved to
Bedford as a youngster, where began his career with his local side
Bedford Town after previously been a
Northampton Town apprentice. He began the 1978–79 campaign in the
youth team and would make his first-team debut at the end of the season. He scored 12 goals in 125 club appearances. He left his position at a bank to turn professional when he was signed by
Bristol Rovers manager Bobby Gould in August 1982, who paid Bedford a
transfer fee of £5,000. He switched to
Birmingham City in December 1984, after
Don Mackay replaced Gould as the boss at Coventry. Having helped relegate the "Blues" the previous season, Platnauer then helped
Ron Saunders to bring top-flight football back to
St Andrew's with promotion out of the
Second Division in
1984–85. Finding the competition for first-team places greater in the
1985–86 season, Platnauer joined
Reading on
loan in January 1986, after Saunders was sacked and replaced by
John Bond. He made seven league appearances at
Elm Park, as he helped
Ian Branfoot's "Royals" to top the Third Division table. He joined newly relegated
Cardiff City in the
Fourth Division on a
free transfer in September 1986, thereby completing the set of all four levels of the
Football League. After making his debut in a 1–1 draw with
Halifax Town, he was a regular in the
1986–87 season. He also featured heavily in the
1987–88 promotion-winning season before helping
Frank Burrows's "Bluebirds" to consolidate their third-tier status in
1988–89. He left
Ninian Park in August 1989, after he was picked up by
Neil Warnock at league rivals
Notts County for a £50,000 fee. The "Magpies" missed out on automatic promotion by four points in
1989–90, but he played at
Wembley as County won promotion to the Second Division with a
2–0 victory over Tranmere Rovers in the play-off final. The county would achieve promotion from the
play-offs for a second successive season in
1990–91, though Platnauer would play little part in it.a He was loaned out to league rivals
Port Vale in January 1991. He played 15 games for the
Burslem club, helping
John Rudge to keep the "Valiants" in the Second Division, before returning to
Meadow Lane in April. In July 1991 he joined another Second Division side in
Leicester City on a free transfer. He enjoyed regular football in the
1991–92 season, helping
Brian Little's "Foxes" to an encounter with
Blackburn Rovers in
the play-off final, though he would finally taste defeat at the national stadium, as Rovers won 1–0. Leicester would have another crack at the play-off final
the following year, though Platnauer would have little contribution to
the season, as he lost his first-team place at
Filbert Street, and moved to
Scunthorpe United on a free transfer in March 1993. He scored two goals in 14 Third Division games for the "Iron" but did not win a longer stay at
Glanford Park after
Bill Green was sacked for failing to bring promotion. In August 1993, Platnauer signed with Football League newcomers
Mansfield Town. He made 32 appearances for the "Stags" in
1993–94, helping
Andy King to establish the
Field Mill club in mid-table. In February 1994, he joined
Keith Alexander at
Lincoln City, and they spent the 1993–94 near the foot of the Third Division. There was a managerial merry-go-ground in
1994–95, as Alexander was replaced by
John Beck between short spells with
Sam Ellis and then
Steve Wicks in the hot-seat. On leaving
Sincil Bank, Platnauer became a player-
coach at
Bedworth United, under former Notts County teammate
Dean Thomas. He joined the newly amalgamated
Hinckley United in 1997. The "Knitters" were then competing in the Division One Midlands of the
Southern League, and Platnauer played 51 games despite being in his late 30s. ==Management career==