Mo Gosfield
Well-known member
- Aug 11, 2010
- 6,364
Dalglish was the best I saw but surprised there's been no mention of Robin Friday - an incredible footballer. So much talent, so much waste
....the best footballer you never saw.
The archetypal model pro.....unkempt, long hair, drug addict, piss artist, womaniser, chancer, loose cannon...a man who prepared for home games by drinking with the fans in the Spread Eagle outside Elm Park. At 2.45pm Charlie Hurley, the manager, used to start the teamtalk, realise Friday wasn't there and send someone to the pub to fetch him. Clive Thomas, the doyen of referees, said that Friday scored the best goal he ever witnessed. An overhead volley from about 35 yards, that screamed into the net. Thomas admitted that he forgot to whistle and point to the centre spot as he was too busy applauding.
One of the great football pictures of all time shows Friday dribbling round a prostrate goalkeeper. Before tapping into the net, He paused, did the ' v ' sign to the grounded keeper and then carried on to score. He had a relatively short career, leaving Reading for Cardiff before begging Charlie Hurley to re-sign him at Reading. Hurley refused, saying it was more than his job was worth.
I saw him at the Goldstone and know Reading fans who watched him regularly. They all say that he did things on the pitch that they will never see replicated.