August 11 2011
Marcel Gaillard
Marcel Gaillard was the first foreign player to represent Crystal Palace.
The Belgian was signed from Tonbridge in February 1948 and played during one of the club's darkest periods.
Charleroi-born Gaillard scored on his Palace bow in a 5-0 rout of Watford in the Third Division (South) to also become the first overseas footballer to score for the club.
The elegant left winger helped the Glaziers to a respectable 13th-place finish in his debut season at Selhurst Park.
But he could do nothing to stop Palace becoming the worst team in the land after they ended the 1948/49 campaign bottom of Third Division (South) and having to apply for re-election to the league.
Gaillard made 21 appearances overall, finding the net on three occasions before joining Portsmouth in February 1951. He later had spells in non-league at Weymouth, Yeovil Town and Dorchester Town.
Defender Kenny Verhoenen and goalkeeper Nico Vaesen are the other Belgians to have featured for Palace.
*Foreign is outside of the British Isles.
In Depth Palace Pioneers
InvictaK9 Security 'firm'
at 11.52pm by Pierre
Palace potentially denied entry to Europa League?
at 10.19pm by Eaglecoops
Marc Guéhi
at 4.48pm by est1905
Team 2025/6
at 10.26pm by sprites
African Cup of Nations
at 3.57pm by Lanzo-Ad
Winners Shirt
at 3.09pm by eaglesdare
Odsonne Edouard
at 10.57am by BromleyMonkey
Main Stand redevelopment thread
at 8.34pm by ex hibitionist
FA cup final commerative ticket
at 1.39pm by BromleyMonkey
Crystal Palace Fans — Help with University Research on Club Ownership
at 10.39pm by Spindle
Registration is now on our new message board
To login with your existing username you will need to convert your account over to the new message board.
All images and text on this site are copyright © 1999-2025 The Holmesdale Online, unless otherwise stated.
Web Design by Guntrisoft Ltd.