Posted in News on Aug 28, 2007.
Derrick returned to his hometown of Ishowe outside of Durban in Kwa- Zulu Natal a week ago to be with his family. As a result of the passing away of his brother, he made himself unavailable for selection when Chiefs hosted Cosmos in Durban on Saturday.
Spencer made an emotional return to training on Tuesday and acknowledged that it was the support of his teammates that has carried him through this tough period in his life.
Grateful
Spencer has been grateful for the support shown to him by his teammates, as coming to grips with the loss of his brother, almost thirteen years his senior, has been difficult for him. “I just want to thank all of my team mates and every one at Chiefs for helping me get through the passing away of my brother, only once you are in a tough spot then do you realize how important it is to have team mates and not just team mates but friends like I do with me at Chiefs” said Spencer.
Furthermore the player known for his ability to be a tough tackler also thanked Amakhosi coach for allowing him the time off last week to be with his family, as he added “the coach was really understanding of my plight and he immediately gave me permission to take off and attend to the various funeral arrangements that had to be made”.
Tribute match
Spencer and his late brother who had been ill for a number of months, shared a close special bond and his elder brother always supported him through out his playing career, and Spencer would like to honour him with a memorable display against Wits in Rustenburg on Friday. He explained by saying “Joseph used to always call me on match days and wished me the best of luck for the game, the best way for me to pay tribute to him is to help Chiefs win on Friday and this will be my small way of honoring a man who played a big part in shaping who I am”.
