Marcel LONCLE

Marcel Loncle was an unorthodox footballer. A striker, with undoubted talent, he would play primarily for the love of the game, and had a pretty fixed idea as to what the "Beautiful Game" was all about. He began his playing days in his hometown, Saint-Malo, before signing on apprentice amateur forms with SCO Angers in 1956. He would soon establish himself on the forward line at Angers, and would show his talents both on the wing and at centre-forward for three seasons in the First Division. But dispirited by the restrictions which the life of a professional footballer impose, he saw it as a chore, and decided in 1959 to return to the Amateurs of Saint-Malo in Division d'Honneur. As he had never signed a professional contract at that point in time, he was able to join the French Amateur National Team, and take part in the 1960 OIympic Games with them. Have spent a season back in Saint-Malo, he returned to Angers where he finally turned professional. He would spend two further seasons there before signing for Stade Rennais in 1962. Used in attack during his early years in Red and Black, he would be part of a 3-2-5 formation. Subsequently, he was deployed in a more withdrawn role when the side moved to a 4-2-4 formation, where he would demonstrate most ably what the "Beautiful Game" stood for. In 1965, he achieved his first trophy success, winning the French Cup Final, scoring in the Replay of the Final against Sedan (a 3-1 win), giving his side the lead. After playing a final season at the club in 1965/1966, he called time on his playing career as professional to return to amateur football with Saint-Malo, and then with Paramé until 1972. A good-natured player with a lot of character, he would experience two caps for France (against Yugoslavia and Austria) in 1965, this despite having turned down the opportunity twice a few years previously. He is the record holder in terms of the numbers of appearances with the Breton national team. Between 1984 and 1986, he held a temporary role as Sporting Director at Stade Rennais.