James Storme, a former player and coach of AA Gent, has died at the age of 83. The ex-footballer suffered a heart attack in Knokke-Heist, it was confirmed on Sunday.

Storme played for Gent from 1961 to 1965. He was part of the team that won the Belgian Cup in 1964 with a 4-2 victory over KFC Diest in the final. That triumph was the first trophy in the history of the club from Ghent. After his time at Gent, he also played for Standard and Union before ending his playing career at Oostende.

Coaching career and Lukaku

Following his playing days, Storme worked as a head coach. He managed clubs including KV Oostende, Lokeren, Kortrijk, Boom and Beerschot. In the early 1990s he was in charge of Boom. That squad featured Roger Lukaku, the father of Romelu Lukaku. Under Storme's guidance, Boom achieved promotion to the first division.

His former club Beerschot responded to the news. "James Storme made his name at Beerschot mainly off the pitch, as a likeable, extroverted and flamboyant guy," the club said. Beerschot added: "He was a true bon vivant, the man of improbable stories and anecdotes, always up for a good party."

Context for current Gent

The news about Storme reaches the club during a period of strong form. Gent currently sit second in the Jupiler Pro League with 16 points from six matches. The team is unbeaten in its last five games, with four wins and a draw. On Saturday, Gent drew 1-1 away at Genk, following an early goal from Momodou Sonko. The full standings are available online.

The next task for the first-team squad is the home match against Standard Liege on Friday 18 September. Standard, one of Storme's former clubs, are in sixth place. The last meeting between the two sides, in January, ended in a 0-4 victory for Gent. Preparations for that fixture are underway, which can be followed on our fixtures page. The squad of coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck, including top scorer Momodou Sonko, can be viewed in the squad overview.

James Storme passed away on the weekend before this important league match. His contribution to the club's first major honour remains a permanent part of Gent's history.

Read the full report at HLN Voetbal