Marcel AUBOUR

Born in the South of France in Saint Tropez, Marc Aubour was undoubtedly a talented goalkeeper. In 1957, he headed to Lyon to become a chef, but quickly turned his attention to playing football. He spent two season being developed at Lyon and became a professional in 1960. In his first two seasons at the club, he played intermittently, before finally making a breakthrough in the starting eleven as of 1962. In 1964, he gained his first title with Lyon, winning the French Cup Final, and even got to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final the following season. He was also called up by France (for whom he would win 20 caps between 1964 and 1968), making his debut on 4th October 1964 in a 2-0 victory against Luxembourg. An imposing figure, ,he would play in the 1966 World Cup in England, but the tournament would prove to be disappointing from a personal perspective, but also for the team as a whole (France were eliminated in the First Round.) After the World Cup was over, Aubour chose to make a fresh start, leaving Lyon, where he was considered as one of the club's all-time greats. He signed for OGC Nice, back home in his native Côte d'Azur on the South Coast. He finished Second in the 1967/1968 campaign in Division 1, but the following season would prove to be catastrophic, as Nice ended bottom of the table, and relegated to the second tier. This relegation would prove fatal for Aubour's career with Nice, who would become frozen out the following season, and described as "finished" by the club's management. He would not see any action until December 1969, when Stade Rennais eventually came knocking, recruiting him to help them out of a hole after a poor start to the season. With a strong aerial presence, and some top-class saves, this goalkeeper, who wore woolly gloves, or didn't wear gloves at all, would become a key figure in Rennes revival. In 1971 he would win the French Cup, and was one of the architects of their cup run, notably decisive in the Second Leg of the Semi-Final against Marseille, where he saved two penalties. This sometimes whimsical goalie, would play to the galleries in the Final, going to collect artichokes which had been thrown onto the pitch by the Rennes fans, and using them to play Boules for a bit of fun during a break in play. He fell under the spell of Brittany, and he published a book in hommage to the region in 1973 to prove his attachment to his adopted home. In between times, he would leave Stade Rennais at the end of the 1971/1972 season, having become a historical figure at the club, to finish his playing days at Reims between 1972 and, 1977. After retiring from football, he returned to his native Saint Tropez, where he took over his father's restaurant. In his spare time, he divided his time between fishing, playing pétanque as well as card games.