the essential
Affectionately nicknamed “Ricou”, Henri Lauras, 101, died this Wednesday, November 13. He was a figure at Ségala and the oldest Football licensee in the country. In Tarn, a football stadium bears his name.
Born in Lédergues (Aveyron) on July 18, 1923 but based in Tanus (Tarn) since 1925, Henri Lauras died this Wednesday, November 13. A true memory of the village, the one affectionately nicknamed “Ricou” is forever inscribed in the history of his village, where the municipal stadium has borne his name since 2012.
It is also the football club which made the sad news official. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of Henri Lauras, emblematic figure of the Entente du Céret, at the age of 101,” underlines Yoann Falgas, president of the Football-Club Tanusien-Entente du Céret . Henri Lauras was not only its director and honorary president, he was also and above all the oldest football licensee in France. He was “the heart and soul of our club, a loyal enthusiast, present at all matches, regardless of the weather conditions”, recalls Yoann Falgas.
In August 2023, when the village celebrated its centenary, Benoît Ravailhe, mayor of Tanus, indicated that Henri Lauras was “the incarnation of the collective memory of the village”. Guy Malaterre, vice-president of the Tarn departmental council, presented him with the Department's medal of honor. Raphaël Carrus, president of the Tarn football District, noted with humor that “the honorary president of the Tanusian club had already resumed his license for the 2023-2024 season” before presenting him with the gold medal of the Tarn District. Tarn.
Of rare kindness
This discreet man, former hairdresser and father of four children born from his union with Marie-Antoinette, was of rare kindness. He had an incredibly intense life with football as his primary passion. “I played football very young, first in Pampelonne,” he explained on the occasion of his 100th birthday. “During the war I was in Austria for compulsory labor service (STO) and played with the English team against the Germans.”
During the time of the Resistance, Henri Lauras was also a liaison officer for the Lenoir du Tarn maquis. He brought information to the Aveyron maquis Antoine. After the Second World War, he participated in the creation of the Tanus Football Club in 1950.
His funeral will take place this Saturday, November 16 at 10:30 a.m. in the Saint-Salvy des Fournials Church in Tanus, followed by burial in the Tanus cemetery.
France
