"Outlines - Ken RollinThe first round of a Yorkshire County Cup competition is a testing occasion indeed on which to make a senior début, but such was Ken Rollin's introduction to Trinity's first team, against Leeds at Headingley on 27 August 1955. The oppositionscrum-half was international Jeff Stevenson - but Ken's display was a most satisfactory one and there was a try for him too as some reward. He went on to make twenty-four appearances in that season and has been a regular member ever since, mostly at scrum-half. Ken is one of many players who began their career in the Wakefield Schools R.L. He was a member of the Technical School teams and Wakefield City Boys' team. He joined our own Trinity Juniors side from which he was signed, at seventeen, by Trinity in April 1955. Although he was named as a reserve for the 1957 World Cup party, and has several times been named as Yorkshire County reserve half-back, he still awaits his first representative match. He was named in Yorkshire's side, alongside Keith Holliday, in 1957, but illness prevented the appearance of this Trinity partnership. In recent times he has occupied the stand-off half berth and has proved himself to be equally at home in that position. His utility value is therefore a great one and, at still only twenty-two years of age, he has much promise for Trinity's fortunes in the future. He has, behind him, the experience of 151 games for Trinity, including appearances at Wembley, in the last N.R.L Final, and in the 1956 and 1958 Yorkshire County Cup Finals."
Outside Of Rugby League
Ken Rollin was a commentator for a United States television broadcaster for Leeds' 11-10 victory over Wakefield Trinity in the 1968 Challenge Cup "Watersplash" Final during the 1967–68 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1968, in front of a crowd of 87,100. He was left with Aphasia following a stroke in 1999 and could say only a few words. This was a cruel blow, as before his stroke, he had been a well-known public speaker in West Yorkshire, England. After working with and having speech therapy, Ken's communication skills went from near zero to 70 per cent, in 2002 Ken became Chairman of the new Wakefield Speakability Group, in June 2007 Ken met with the Cherie Blair to rally support for and raise awareness of Aphasia, and in December 2008 Ken was a guest speaker at the Conference 2008. He was employed in his youth in the mining department at Richard Sutcliffe Ltd near Wakefield and a member of the Association of Engineering and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen. Ken lives in Middlestown, Wakefield, and is member of the Wakefield Chantry Rotary Club.
