Robin Friday

Infobox Football biography
playername = Robin Friday


fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1952|7|27|df=y
cityofbirth = Acton, London
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1990|12|22|1952|7|27|df=yes
cityofdeath = London
countryofdeath = England
height =
nickname =
position = Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years =
1973–1976
1976–1977
clubs = Walthamstow Avenue
Hayes
Reading
Cardiff City
caps(goals) =
121 (46)
021 0(6)

Robin Friday (27 July 1952 – 22 December 1990) was an English footballer, generally regarded as Reading's finest ever player and voted into their team of the millennium. [http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10306~702820,00.html]

Personal life

Friday was the twin brother of Tony Friday, cousin to Michael Friday and second cousin to brothers Peter, Paul, Jamie and John Friday. His other family members are unknown. He left behind a daughter born in 1969 to Maxine ("née" Doughan) from Acton, who is now a solicitor in criminal law.

Friday was found dead in his London flat on 22 December 1990 at the age of 38, having died of a suspected heart attack.

Football career

Early career

Friday started his career for the now defunct Walthamstow Avenue football club, but soon moved to Hayes, who were willing to pay him more and were closer to his home in Acton. Hayes started one match with only ten players, as Friday was finishing a pint in the local pub. When he finally took the field after ten minutes he was obviously drunk and spent the game staggering around the pitchFact|date=January 2008. Naturally, the opposition ignored him, until he scored the only goal of the game.

Move to Reading

In 1973 he was transferred to Reading, where he signed professional forms for the first time. In the 135 games he played for The Biscuitmen he scored 55 goals and made many more. He became such a crowd favourite that his on- and off-field antics are still the subject of discussion three decades after he left the club.Fact|date=January 2008 He even won the "Player of the Millennium" award, a considerable achievement when many of the voters could never have seen him play. [ [http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1182761,00.html "Robin Friday honoured"] readingfc.co.uk Retrieved on 22 february, 2008] In a vote to compile the Royals' best-ever eleven, Friday was voted on the team as centre forward with 33.1% of the vote [http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10306~702820,00.html] .

His goal for Reading against Tranmere Rovers in March 1976 has been described as one of the greatest ever goals - sadly scored in the days before there were cameras at every match. Friday was waiting just outside the left hand corner of the box when the ball was sent towards him. He subsequently leaped high into the air, caught the ball on his chest with his back to goal, spun around 180 degrees, and proceeded to fire the ball into the top right-hand corner, to the great roar of the crowd. The referee that evening, Clive Thomas, held his hands in his face in disbelief and afterwards described it as one of the best goals he had ever witnessed. In response, Friday in typical fashion quipped that he should come more often as he does that sort of thing every week! (quote needed)Fact|date=January 2008

Ends career at Cardiff

In 1976 Friday moved to Cardiff City for the knock-down price of £30,000. The Cardiff manager commented that he felt he was taking advantage of Reading, but was simply told "you'll see". Robin didn't disappoint and was arrested at Cardiff railway station on the day he arrived, having travelled from Reading with just a platform ticket. [ [http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/sports/10+footballing+bad+boys/704247 "10 footballing bad boys"] Channel4.com Retrieved on 22 February, 2008] He started his playing career with Cardiff even more spectacularly, scoring twice against a defence directed by Bobby Moore. He lasted only twenty-five games with Cardiff before simply leaving football for good. Whilst playing against Mark Lawrenson for Cardiff against Brighton on the 31st October 1977, Friday became agitated by the future BBC pundit. He kicked Lawrenson in the face and received a red card before defecating in Lawrenson's kit bag. [ [http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/sports/10+footballing+bad+boys/704247 "10 footballing bad boys"] Channel4.com Retrieved on 22 February, 2008] Friday returned to non-league football and never played another professional game again - he claimed that he had had enough of people telling him what to do [cite book |last=Brown |first=Paul|title=Balls: Tales From Football's Nether Regions|year=2004|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|isbn=1-84018-930-4|pages=p45 |chapter=Drink and drugs] . Reading manager Maurice Evans once told Friday: "If you would just settle down for three or four years, you could play for England." Friday is said to have replied with the question "How old are you?" Evans told him and Friday duly responded "I'm half your age and I've lived twice your life."

Trivia

*The cover of the Super Furry Animals' single "The Man Don't Give a Fuck" featured a famous photograph of Friday scoring a goal for Cardiff, by taking the ball around a goalkeeper from Luton Town then "flicking a V" at the stranded goalkeeper. [ [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/videos-and-pics/2007/10/18/wales-sports-nostalgia-91466-19973365/ "Wales sport nostalgia"] icWales.co.uk Retrieved on 22 February, 2008]
*He was voted Cardiff's all time cult hero in a poll conducted by BBC Sport finishing ahead of Robert Earnshaw who came 2nd and John Toshack who finished 3rd.

Bibliography

*McGuigan, Paul and Hewitt, Paolo (1997) "The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw" (ISBN 1-85158-909-0)

References

Persondata
NAME=Friday, Robin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=27 July 1952
PLACE OF BIRTH=Acton, London, England
DATE OF DEATH=22 December 1990
PLACE OF DEATH=London, England