Frédéric Boniface

Frédéric André Boniface (born 12 October 1971) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward. He played for 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.

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

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. He scored his first goal for Clyde in his fifth match, in a 3–1 win against Airdrie, and again ten days later with a powerful, albeit deflected, free kick against Raith Rovers. The Sunday Herald 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." 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.

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 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. Boniface rejoined the club during the second half of that season, helping them retain their third-tier status, 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. His next and final Ligue 2 appearance was in December, playing the whole of a 2–0 away defeat against Toulouse.

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.