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, Nicola, born in 1969, and a widow Maxine (née Doughan) from Acton, who is now a criminal law solicitor.
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. He made his debut versus Bromley on 27th March 1971 setting up an equalizer after coming on as a sub. He scored his debut Isthmian league goal on the 17th April 1971 with a header when he came on late in the game at Green Pond Rd against Tooting & Mitcham. His next goal came at Leytonstone on 20th April when the 18 year old again came on as a sub with Avenue 2-0 down, setting up a goal and then equalizing himself with a few minutes left. In season 71/2 he scored 4 goals in the first 5 games and added another 4 before the end of November. Those lucky enough to see Robin Friday play in these early days of his career were well aware they were witnessing a rare talent.
He 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 pitch[citation needed]. 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.[citation needed] He even won the "Player of the Millennium" award, a considerable achievement when many of the voters could never have seen him play.[1] 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 [2].
His goal against Tranmere Rovers in March 1976 has been described as one of the greatest ever goals - sadly this was a time when most lower division matches were never recorded for television. Friday was waiting just outside the left hand corner of the box when the ball came across to 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 net, stunning the Tranmere defenders, 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!
Ends career at Cardiff
In 1976 Friday moved to Cardiff City for the knock-down price of £30,000. The Cardiff City 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 railway station with just a platform ticket.[2] 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 31 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.[3] 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[4]. 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 feck" featured a famous photograph of Friday scoring a goal for Cardiff, by taking the ball around Luton Town goalkeeper Milija Aleksic then "flicking a V" at the stranded goalkeeper.[5]
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.
The Burst Radio show Balls Boys had a regular feature entitled The Robin Friday "Raise A Glass Award" in which Friday raised a glass (purported to be a pint of Sainsbury's Basics Vodka), from beyond the grave, to a different football bad boy each week.
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, Nicola, born in 1969, and a widow Maxine (née Doughan) from Acton, who is now a criminal law solicitor.
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. He made his debut versus Bromley on 27th March 1971 setting up an equalizer after coming on as a sub. He scored his debut Isthmian league goal on the 17th April 1971 with a header when he came on late in the game at Green Pond Rd against Tooting & Mitcham. His next goal came at Leytonstone on 20th April when the 18 year old again came on as a sub with Avenue 2-0 down, setting up a goal and then equalizing himself with a few minutes left. In season 71/2 he scored 4 goals in the first 5 games and added another 4 before the end of November. Those lucky enough to see Robin Friday play in these early days of his career were well aware they were witnessing a rare talent.
He 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 pitch[citation needed]. 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.[citation needed] He even won the "Player of the Millennium" award, a considerable achievement when many of the voters could never have seen him play.[1] 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 [2].
His goal against Tranmere Rovers in March 1976 has been described as one of the greatest ever goals - sadly this was a time when most lower division matches were never recorded for television. Friday was waiting just outside the left hand corner of the box when the ball came across to 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 net, stunning the Tranmere defenders, 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!
Ends career at Cardiff
In 1976 Friday moved to Cardiff City for the knock-down price of £30,000. The Cardiff City 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 railway station with just a platform ticket.[2] 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 31 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.[3] 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[4]. 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 feck" featured a famous photograph of Friday scoring a goal for Cardiff, by taking the ball around Luton Town goalkeeper Milija Aleksic then "flicking a V" at the stranded goalkeeper.[5]
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.
The Burst Radio show Balls Boys had a regular feature entitled The Robin Friday "Raise A Glass Award" in which Friday raised a glass (purported to be a pint of Sainsbury's Basics Vodka), from beyond the grave, to a different football bad boy each week.
