Robin Friday, ex Reading and Cardiff

Spudgun

Spudgun

Well-Known Member
Anyone remember him as a player?

Was listening to band called The Deckchairs and came across a song called “When Robin Friday went to Cardiff” so decided to google him as I’d never heard of him.

Quite an interesting character, fascinating, if somewhat short career and life.
 
Spudgun said:
Anyone remember him as a player?

Was listening to band called The Deckchairs and came across a song called “When Robin Friday went to Cardiff” so decided to google him as I’d never heard of him.

Quite an interesting character, fascinating, if somewhat short career and life.
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The Super Furry Animals also had a song called "The Man Don't Give A Fk" which was either about him or dedicated to him (I forget which).

Some player by the sounds of things.
 
UlsterScotGer said:
On the cover of the Super Furry Animals ‘The Man Don’t give a F*#k’
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I was just about to post that. From memory it’s was a set closer that turned into a 10 minute plus techno frenzy :D
I read the book Paolo Hewitt wrote about him and I thought it was terrible despite people falling over themselves to say how cool it was.
It was written in a reportage type style, I just thought it was really lazy to be honest.
 
73eecf0b29cfe654c20b3bc70799b96d.jpg

All joking aside, he was a troubled man.
 
Blue Lew said:
I was just about to post that. From memory it’s was a set closer that turned into a 10 minute plus techno frenzy :D
I read the book Paolo Hewitt wrote about him and I thought it was terrible despite people falling over themselves to say how cool it was.
It was written in a reportage type style, I just thought it was really lazy to be honest.
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I didn’t think it was awful but I agree it was overpraised. Co-written with the guy from Oasis was it not?
 
Dr Steve Brule said:
The Super Furry Animals also had a song called "The Man Don't Give A Fk" which was either about him or dedicated to him (I forget which).

Some player by the sounds of things.
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Always the last song of their gigs . Sure they uaed the front cover with the man himself as thr stage backdrop as well.

You know he don't give a %^*& about anybody else.

Never knew who he was until recently. Bit troubled, but a talent it sounds like.
 
Read the book and tried to find some YouTube clips, but there isn’t many. However for his size he looked genuinely gifted and balanced as a player.

However he was definitely imbalanced mentally.
 
ranger nation said:
I have a book about him 'the greatest footballer you never saw' haven't got round to reading it yet.
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Paolo Hewitt’s book iirc written with Guiggs from oasis - it’s a cracker. Quite a sad story

oh and ‘man don’t give a %^*&’ by the super furries is about him. Great song too
 
nithbear said:
Everything I`ve ever heard/read about the guy suggested he was a huge talent; but a troubled man as you say.
Wonder if the poster @Taffyblue ever saw him play?
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Yes mate, most of his games for Cardiff.

Hell of a talent, ran rings around Bobby Moore at Ninian Park for instance, but a loose cannon.

That photo is from the game against Luton. They’d kicked lumps out of him so when he rounded the keeper and scored, he flicked the v’s at the keeper, brilliant.

In another game there’s a mass brawl - and he boots Mark Lawrenson full in the face as he’s on the floor! One of a few red cards he had for us. On the way to his early bath, he stops off in the Brighton dressing room and takes a dump in Lawrensons kit bag.

So many stories about him, no wonder there’s a book :)

Many regard him as one of Cardiff’s greatest players because he was such a maverick. Not for me, wasn’t there anywhere near long enough for a start - plus there’s been dozens better than him anyway.

Talented, no doubt. Cult figure, again no doubt. But there were certainly flaws along with that genius.
 
Taffyblue said:
Yes mate, most of his games for Cardiff.

Hell of a talent, ran rings around Bobby Moore at Ninian Park for instance, but a loose cannon.

That photo is from the game against Luton. They’d kicked lumps out of him so when he rounded the keeper and scored, he flicked the v’s at the keeper, brilliant.

In another game there’s a mass brawl - and he boots Mark Lawrenson full in the face as he’s on the floor! One of a few red cards he had for us. On the way to his early bath, he stops off in the Brighton dressing room and takes a dump in Lawrensons kit bag.

So many stories about him, no wonder there’s a book :)

Many regard him as one of Cardiff’s greatest players because he was such a maverick. Not for me, wasn’t there anywhere near long enough for a start - plus there’s been dozens better than him anyway.

Talented, no doubt. Cult figure, again no doubt. But there were certainly flaws along with that genius.
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Did Cardiff not have to bail him out from the nick to sign him? I'm sure I read he skipped the train fare from London to Cardiff on his way to sign and got lifted.
 
Fingers1872 said:
Did Cardiff not have to bail him out from the nick to sign him? I'm sure I read he skipped the train fare from London to Cardiff on his way to sign and got lifted.
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Yes, again that’s true.

Then manager Jimmy Andrews had a call from British Transport Police to say they’d arrested his new signing - he kept dodging the guard by hiding in the toilets and pretending to sleep. Andrews had to go & bail him out.

When he’d be travelling back from a game on the team bus, I’ve been told by ex-players they used to just drop him off on the hard shoulder of the M4 in random locations & he’d be seen making his way across the fields.

When they played away at Brighton they stayed the night before in a hotel. It was a nice hotel and his room mate was a 16/17yo David Giles - who went on to become a Welsh international. Friday decided to party all night and was off his tits on cocaine. Giles, tried to make small talk & bring him down was saying how nice the room was etc. Friday nicked the tv from the room for him!

A number of years ago now, went up to QPR/Brentford and stopped off in some local boozer in Slough. Couple of locals clocked that we were Cardiff and said you need to speak with this guy - turns out to be Fridays brother, Tony. Had a beer or two with him, nice bloke - seemed to be quite normal :)
 
Can't remember him as a player, but read his book.

The guy was a nutter, but some great stories in the book.
 
I read the 'GPYNS' book years ago & really enjoyed it
But iirc there was no real indication of what may have caused his erratic / eccentric behaviour

A Welsh guy I used to work with had RF very much in the cult hero category
His best guess on what was behind his unusual behaviour was a love for the 'alternative' lifestyle - he claimed he had many gypsy friends, liked his drugs & could never pass up an opportunity to party - & had also spent time in pokey

Basically all the things that would add to the working class hero cult figure persona

Oh & btw - my Welsh mate said that RF on his day was as good as George Best (he was probably biased)
 
gersandproud said:
I read the 'GPYNS' book years ago & really enjoyed it
But iirc there was no real indication of what may have caused his erratic / eccentric behaviour

A Welsh guy I used to work with had RF very much in the cult hero category
His best guess on what was behind his unusual behaviour was a love for the 'alternative' lifestyle - he claimed he had many gypsy friends, liked his drugs & could never pass up an opportunity to party - & had also spent time in pokey

Basically all the things that would add to the working class hero cult figure persona

Oh & btw - my Welsh mate said that RF on his day was as good as George Best (he was probably biased)
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Didn’t turn up for pre-season training because he was in prison and never played again. Died of a heart attack through drug abuse. Very sad & waste of a great talent.

Wouldn’t have made it at the top level imo. Nothing to do with ability, putting it mildly he was crazy.
 
As per posts Taffyblue,i would have seen most of his games for Cardiff.He was a talented player,but as wild as they come.Clearly had drug/drink issues ,which weren't recognised or dealt with in those days.The posts regarding arrests etc are all true,missed a large part of a season due to being in Exeter prison i believe,no one knows why.There is another book just been published about him,its called man friday,the first half,i bought it but havent got around to reading it yet.
 
Taffyblue said:
Didn’t turn up for pre-season training because he was in prison and never played again. Died of a heart attack through drug abuse. Very sad & waste of a great talent.

Wouldn’t have made it at the top level imo. Nothing to do with ability, putting it mildly he was crazy.
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Some of his antics were unbelievable, a real loose cannon.
 
Rangerista said:
Is there any video of him playing for Reading or Cardiff?
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Very little - hence the book “The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw”

A film has been mooted and I remember the director saying it would be easy to cast the lead character as, unlike any other football film, most people have absolutely no idea what he looked like.
 
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