Ernest Clère
Ernest Victor Clère was a French footballer who played as a midfielder for Olympique de Pantin, Olympique de Marseille, and the French national team in the 1920s.
Biography
Born in Brassy, Nièvre, on 22 January 1897, Clère received the War Crosses of both 1914–1918 and 1939–1945, and later a Knight of the Legion of Honour. When the First World War ended in 1918, the 21-year-old Clère began his football career at Olympique de Pantin, and after a short stint at Clichy Olympique, he returned to Pantin. He stayed loyal to this club for four years, from 1921 to 1925, when Olympique de Marseille signed him.On 23 March 1924, the 27-year-old Clère earned his first international cap for France in a friendly match against Switzerland at Geneve, which ended in a 3–0 loss.
Together with Edouard Crut, Jean Boyer, and Jules Dewaquez, he was a member of the OM team coached by Victor Gibson that won back-to-back Coupe de France titles in 1926 and 1927, the latter as the team's captain. In the semifinals of the 1926 edition, OM defeated Stade Français 5–0, but the local press stated that "Clère, whose main quality was to mow down his opponents in any position, was immediately asked to stop his game" by the firm refereeing of Mr. Jones. He stayed at OM for four years, from 1925 to 1929, having scored a total of 3 goals in 13 cup matches.
Clère played his last seasons of football at FEC Levallois,, and finally the reserve team of Olympique de Marseille from 1931 to 1934, when he retired at the age of 37.
Clère died in Suresnes on 3 May 1967, at the age of 70.