Gérard LEFILLATRE

Gérard Lefillatre was a goalkeeper who was developed by US Granville, and he began his professional career with Stade Rennais in 1966. In his first three seasons in Red and Black, he made do with the role of understudy to the first-choice goalkeeper of the day, Gilbert Robin. He took advantage of the regular absences of /his teammate, and became a regular in the starting line-up as of the end of the 1968/1969 season, and then at the start of the following season. With the results of Rennes, his performances were singled out, conceding more than two goals on average per match. The Red and Blacks were going through tough times both on and off of the pitch with financial difficulties plaguing the club in the 1969/1970 season, and signed up Marcel Aubour from Nice in January 1970. Gérard Lefillatre was transferred in the other direction as a makeweight in the transaction, travelling to the Côte d'Azur on loan for the rest of the season, but he would see virtually no action, albeit Nice went on to become Second Division Champions. At the beginning of the 1970/1971 season, he signed for Alès, where he would see his game-time increase significantly; firstly in the Second Division, then in the Third Division. He stayed there for three seasons before finishing his career as a player at Ajaccio between 1973 and 1979. It would be in Corsica where he would began his journey in football management. In 1992; he returned to Stade Rennais in the role of General Manager, as well as recruitment manager. In the beginning, he was particularly successful (notably with the arrival of Grassi and Nonda) but then there were also some less glorious recruitment choices, towards the end, with the likes of Lucas or Turdo, who proved to be flops. He was eventually relieved of his duties after ten years of good and loyal service, replaced by Pierre Dréossi.