Wakefield Trinity • David Barends
No, I've never heard of him either, although some of our older members (such as 1315trinity) will have. 
He is a South African former RL player that we signed in 1970 and there is an interview with him in today's League Express where he recounts how he came to play for Wakefield and what happened when he first met the then Trinity Chairman and Secretary...
"They didn't think I could speak English.....they came to meet me at Heathrow and we got on a train to Wakefield. They were talking to each other and assuming I couldn't understand them. I just kept quiet. The Chairman said to the Secretary that he hoped I didn't want a meal because they didn't have much money on them. When the kitchen staff came around, I pointed to the best steak and I could hear them cursing. So I just sat there eating a lovely fillet steak while they could only afford to have a sandwich each ! When we got to Wakefield, someone came up to me and we had a chat. Suddenly the Chairman and Secretary said "Why didn't you tell us you could speak English ?"
I said "You didn't ask !"
Priceless
He eventually went on to play twice for the GB Lions against Australia
He is a South African former RL player that we signed in 1970 and there is an interview with him in today's League Express where he recounts how he came to play for Wakefield and what happened when he first met the then Trinity Chairman and Secretary...
"They didn't think I could speak English.....they came to meet me at Heathrow and we got on a train to Wakefield. They were talking to each other and assuming I couldn't understand them. I just kept quiet. The Chairman said to the Secretary that he hoped I didn't want a meal because they didn't have much money on them. When the kitchen staff came around, I pointed to the best steak and I could hear them cursing. So I just sat there eating a lovely fillet steak while they could only afford to have a sandwich each ! When we got to Wakefield, someone came up to me and we had a chat. Suddenly the Chairman and Secretary said "Why didn't you tell us you could speak English ?"
I said "You didn't ask !"
Priceless
He eventually went on to play twice for the GB Lions against Australia
Statistics: Posted by FIL — Mon Feb 15, 2021 3:37 pm — Replies 16 — Views 811