30th August

Gerard Pieter (Gerrit) Keizer was the first foreign player to wear the Arsenal shirt. Back in 1930 on the 30th August, Keizer made his debut for Arsenal in the 4-1 victory over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road. Keizer was a Dutch goalkeeper who was highly successful in Holland and was one of the first foreign players to play in Great Britain football. He used to play for Arsenal and then travel to Holland at night to play for Ajax the next day, earning himself the nickname The Flying Dutchman.

Then-manager Herbert Chapman eventually got tired of the young Dutch keeper and dropped him from the first-team in October, never to pick him again for the first team. He moved to Charlton in July 1931 and continued to fly between his native country and England. He also imported football kits into Holland with him as Ajax could not afford them at the time, and in 1947 was caught by Dutch Customs trying to import British bank notes, which at the time was a crime. He was fined and sent to prison for 6 months, after which he started a greengrocer business and in 1955 became director of Ajax. Gerrit Keizer, remembered as the first foreign player to play for Arsenal, died on the 5th December 1980.