Former professional footballer and coach James Storme has died at the age of 83, Beerschot confirmed on Sunday.
A midfielder during his playing career, Storme represented La Gantoise, Standard, Union Saint-Gilloise and VG Ostende. He won the Belgian Cup with La Gantoise in 1964.
After retiring as a player, he went on to coach several clubs, including FC Boom, Kortrijk, Lokeren, Beerschot, Mons, Sint-Niklaas and Roeselare.
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One of his notable achievements came with Boom, whom he led to promotion to the top flight in 1992. Among the players he coached there was Roger Lukaku, the father of Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku.
Beerschot said Storme would be remembered as “a likeable, extrovert and flamboyant man who approached football as an enjoyable pastime” and who would sometimes arrive at training in a Ferrari or on a Harley-Davidson.
The club added that he was “a true epicurean, a man of improbable stories and anecdotes, always ready to celebrate.”
Born and raised in Ghent, Storme died on Saturday following a cardiac arrest. He had been living for several years in Knokke, where his wife ran an art gallery.
