Henri Conchy
French footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henri Aimé Louis Conchy (3 July 1908 – 6 May 1993) was a French footballer who played as a defender for Olympique de Marseille in the 1930s. His brother Max also played football for OM.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Henri Aimé Louis Conchy | ||
| Date of birth | 3 July 1908 | ||
| Place of birth | Sisteron, France | ||
| Date of death | 6 May 1993 (aged 84) | ||
| Place of death | 12th arrondissement of Marseille, France | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1920–1925 | Etoile Alpine Sisteron | ||
| 1925–1928 | EP Manosque | ||
| 1928–1930 | Istres | ||
| 1930–1940 | Olympique de Marseille | 193 | (2) |
| 1940–1943 | CA Château-Gombert | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Born on 3 July 1908 in Sisteron, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Conchy began his football career in the youth ranks of his hometown club EA Sisteron in 1920, aged 12, where he stayed for five years. In 1925, he moved to EP Manosque, with whom he played for three years. In 1928, Conchy went to Istres, remaining there for two years, until 1930, when he was signed by OM.[2]
He was soon joined by his younger brother Max, with whom he formed a great defensive pair, which together with goalkeeper Laurent Di Lorto, formed one of the best backlines in the club's history that was partly responsible for the team's success in the mid-1930s. They finished as runner-ups in the 1932–33 French Division 1 and reached back-to-back Coupe de France finals in 1934 and 1935, losing the former to Sète (2–1), but then keeping a clean-sheet in the latter to help his side to a 3–0 win over Rennes.[3][4][5][6] The following day, the journalists of the French newspaper L'Auto (the future L'Équipe) stated that "the Conchy brothers played a good match; their style is simple, but incredibly effective, and their vigor and decisiveness did not fail to influence the Rennes forwards".[7]
Even though his brother Max left the club in 1935, OM remained a dominant side in the late 1930s, with Conchy helping his side win the Ligue 1 title in 1936–37, as well as another Coupe de France in 1938, beating Metz in the final.[1][8] He remained loyal to OM for a decade, from 1930 until 1940, scoring only 1 goal in 159 league matches.[1] After leaving OM, he played a further three seasons at CA Château-Gombert, where he retired in 1943, at the age of 35.[2]
Death
Conchy died in the 12th arrondissement of Marseille on 6 May 1993, at the age of 84.[2][1][9]