The feature returns for us to decide on who should be the second former Palace player to be inducted into our Hall Of Fame to join Jim Cannon. This was a tough one as there were plenty of candidates nominated but we came to a decision on another fans favourite.
Fact File
- Born – Forest Hill, London in October 1959
- Palace career – 1977 to 1984
- Palace debut – 2 March 1977 at Lincoln City
- Appearances – 255
- Goals – 29
Vince Hilaire is a player that is often mentioned by those Palace fans that saw him play. His mercurial talents made him a crowd favourite wherever he played.
Spotted by a Palace scout playing for East London School, Vince made his debut at the age of seventeen coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 loss at Lincoln City in March 1977. The skilful winger made two substitute appearances before making a full appearance. He soon became a favourite with the Selhurst Park crowd as well as a permanent fixture in the side that ended up with the tag ‘Team of the Eighties’ after winning the old Second Division title in 1979.
https://twitter.com/DBPalace/status/461543492674945024
The winger was more known for creating goals rather than scoring them but after a summer on loan at NASL side San Jose Earthquakes in the USA Vince joined Luton Town in an exchange deal that brought Trevor Aylott to Selhurst. Hilaire made over 255 league appearances for Palace scoring 29 goals and was Supporters ‘Player of The Year’ in both 1979 and 1980.
His brief stint at Luton Town was followed by a longer stay on the south coast with Portsmouth where he made 146 appearances and scored 25 goals. He went on to play for Leeds United, Stoke City and Exeter City while also being capped at England Youth, B and U21 international levels. He was one of the first established black players in English football at a time when racism was rife in the game.
@TheEaglesBeak First saw him play when I was about 5 and he was my first footballing hero. A player that had you on the edge of your seat
— Andy Hobbs (@AJHobbsy) April 30, 2014
A worthy addition to The Eagles Beak Hall Of Fame. You can follow Vince on Twitter here.
We need your nominations for the next former Palace player that deserves to be inducted into The Eagles Beak Hall Of Fame. Send your nominations to us by Twitter, Facebook, email or comment on this article below.
