Frédéric Boniface

Frédéric André Boniface (born 12 October 1971) is a French former footballer who played as a striker. He played for Stade Reims in Ligue 2, and had a lengthy career in the third tier of French football, as well as playing for Clyde in Scottish Division One.

Frédéric Boniface

Personal information
Full name	Frédéric André Boniface[1]
Date of birth	(1971-10-12) 12 October 1971[2]
Place of birth	Paris,[1] France
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 ^1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1996	Cercle Dijon
1996–1997	Stade Poitevin
1997–1998	US Boulogne
1998	Olympique Noisy-le-Sec
1998–1999	ES Fréjus
1999–2000	Paris FC
2000–2001	Clyde	8	(2)
2001–2002	Olympique Noisy-le-Sec
2002	Stade de Reims	3	(0)
2002–2003	Cherbourg
2003–2005	FC Chalon
2005–2006	Montceau
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Boniface was born in Paris.[1] His older brother, Éric, had a long career in football as a centre back.[3][4] Boniface played for a number of clubs in the Championnat National, the third tier of French football. These included Cercle Dijon, Stade Poitevin, US Boulogne, Olympique Noisy-le-Sec, ES Fréjus and Paris FC.[1]

In September 2000, he was a member of the Noisy team that beat Amiens in a league match. Amiens challenged his eligibility, and the FFF upheld their protest and awarded them the victory. Noisy's manager was confident that the decision would be reversed on appeal.[5]

Meanwhile, Boniface moved to Scotland, where his girlfriend was intending to study, and after training with Clyde, he signed a two-year contract with the injury-hit Division One club.[6][7] He scored his first goal for Clyde in his fifth match, in a 3–1 win against Airdrie,[8] and again ten days later with a powerful, albeit deflected, free kick against Raith Rovers. The Sunday Herald's reporter described him as "a striker who would look as comfortable in a bar room brawl as leading the line. He's broad, likes to mix it and his touch is shrewd."[9] However, Clyde manager Allan Maitland lost patience with the player's failure to adapt to the team's style of play, and with the club in serious financial difficulty, Boniface's contract was cancelled in January 2001.[10]

Also in January, the FFF rejected Noisy's appeal, confirming their position in the relegation zone. The decision was based on a regulation dubbed "unjust" by Le Parisien's correspondent, who believed its restrictions had a disproportionate effect on those clubs whose weaker financial situation made them less able to employ players on semiprofessional federal contracts.[11] Boniface rejoined the club during the second half of that season, helping them retain their third-tier status,[1] and stayed on for 2001–02; his ten goals were not enough to save the team this time. He was the first of the squad to confirm he would be leaving; although disappointed at the way the season ended, he would remember Noisy as a club that gave a chance to youngsters and players from ethnic minorities, both black and those of Arab origins.[3]

At the age of 30, Boniface signed a one-year contract with Stade de Reims in May 2002, to move into Ligue 2 for the first time in his career.[3] Asked if such a move was not rather unexpected, he pointed to his consistency over the past season and suggested that Reims must think he had something to offer at that level if they wanted to sign him.[3] Boniface made his Reims debut on 10 August 2002, in the second match of the 2002–03 Ligue 2 season, as a second-half substitute in a goalless draw with FC Metz,[12] and played the whole of the next match, at home to Le Mans, in which his brother Éric scored an 89th-minute own goal to give the visitors the win.[13] His next and final Ligue 2 appearance was in December, playing the whole of a 2–0 away defeat against Toulouse.[14]

Boniface finished the season back in the National with Cherbourg, and then dropped down a further two divisions to play for FC Chalon of the Championnat de France Amateur 2.[1] He spent the 2005–06 season with another fifth-tier club, Montceau.[15]

References

1. "Frédéric Boniface". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
2. "Frédéric André Boniface". Ligue de Football Professionel. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
3. Tournoux, Gilles (21 May 2002). "Frédéric Boniface: Une belle opportunité" [Frédéric Boniface: A great opportunity]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 27 August 2017.
4. "Eric Boniface". FootballDatabase.eu. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
5. Mallet, Bruno (11 November 2000). "Noisy-le-Sec perd Liazid Sandjak" [Noisy-le-Sec lose Liazid Sandjak]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 27 August 2017.
6. Scott, Graham (27 October 2000). "Division One: Boniface arrival won't set new trend". Evening Times. Glasgow. p. 80. Retrieved 27 August 2017 – via Infotrac Newsstand.
7. "Clyde draw on inner strength". Scotland on Sunday. Edinburgh. 22 October 2000. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
8. "Games played by Frédéric Boniface in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
9. McKay, Ron (3 December 2000). "Boniface hits the big time as Raith rue recent transfers". Sunday Herald. Glasgow. p. 3. Retrieved 27 August 2017 – via Infotrac Newsstand.
10. "Two depart cash-strapped Clyde". BBC Sport. 26 January 2001. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
11. Mallet, Bruno (18 January 2001). "Noisy chute en appel" [Noisy fall on appeal]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 27 August 2017.
12. "Feuille de match FC Metz – Stade de Reims" [Match details] (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
13. "Feuille de match Stade de Reims – Le Mans FC" [Match details] (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
14. "Toulouse FC – Stade de Reims" [Match details] (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
15. "Deux nouvelles recrues ont signé cette semaine" [Two new recruits have signed this week]. Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire (in French). 21 June 2005. Retrieved 27 August 2017.

External links

• Frederic Boniface at Soccerbase