His biography was titled ‘The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw’, while his life was every bit as incredible and as tragically short-lived as his talent.
Robin Friday may not be a name that rings a bell for many, except those lucky enough to witness his four-year professional stint between 1974 and 1978 with Reading and Cardiff. For the fortunate few who saw him play, Friday’s skills and talents earned him much acclaim. But his antics off the pitch merited as much space on front pages of newspapers as his sporting exploits did on the back, in a whirlwind of womanising, booze and substance abuse.
A tall, speedy, skilful forward, his 53 goals in 135 matches led him to finish as top scorer in consecutive seasons for the Royals, aiding their promotion to the Fourth Division in 1976. Sadly, Friday played in an era before extensive television coverage, so little footage of his playing days exists. However, he was renowned for his spectacular goals.
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Crowned Reading’s ‘Player of the millennium’ at the turn of the century, Friday’s talent was such that some even drew parallels with Manchester United’s wing wizard George Best. Yet as you may have guessed, the comparisons weren’t solely based on what Friday achieved on the pitch, but also his off-field escapades. In fact, Best’s behaviour might seem mild compared to some of Friday’s behaviour.
Born in Acton, West London, and brought up alongside his twin brother Tony in a working-class household, Friday’s career kicked off at amateur level, playing for teams such as Walthamstow Avenue, Hayes and Enfield.
His biography reveals that Friday was already dabbling in alcohol and drugs during his teenage years. He left school at 15 and took on work as a plasterer, van driver and window cleaner before his criminal behaviour – mainly stealing – led to a 14-month stretch in Feltham Borstal. His father Alf’s assessment: “He didn’t care.”
He featured for the youth squads of Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea, but none of these clubs were prepared to gamble on the young rebel.
Soon after his release from the young offenders institution, he and his girlfriend, Maxine Doughan, welcomed their baby daughter, Nicola.
Despite encountering hostility and even violence from friends and family because of their interracial relationship – Maxine was of mixed heritage – they refused to let this stop them from getting married, both at just 17-years-old, demonstrating early on his disregard for others’ opinions.
Over the following three years, Friday regularly excelled in the Isthmian League, turning out for semi-professional sides Walthamstow Avenue, Hayes and Enfield, while maintaining a full-time role as an asphalter.
By this stage, he had already built a reputation as a heavy drinker, but his first brush with death had nothing to do with alcohol or drugs.
In 1972, while trying to release a hoist rope on scaffolding, he tumbled and crashed onto a large spike, which pierced straight through his buttock. The spike also punctured his stomach, barely missing a lung.
He was back on the pitch within three months. Eventually, in 1973, Reading boss Charlie Hurley concluded that Friday was a risk worth taking and brought him in as an amateur, permitting him to carry on his job as an asphalter.
He was known for netting breathtaking goals while simultaneously grabbing opponents’ private parts or planting kisses on their lips. But such was his influence, the club were prepared to overlook his wild behaviour.
With extraordinary ability came significant issues. During training sessions, Friday’s eagerness frequently verged on the dangerous; he refused to wear shin pads and thought nothing of diving into tackles.
Reading historian David Downs recalled: “In his very first training session they were playing a six-a-side game and Robin went around trying to kick as many of the established Reading players as he could. He must have put two or three out of the game. Hurley had to call him off.”
With his love affair with Colt 45 malt liquor and unruly behaviour, bans from pubs and clubs were not uncommon, including being blacklisted from Reading’s posh Sindlesham Mill club for exposing himself during his risqué naked “elephant” dance, involving his trouser pockets. We’re sure you can imagine the rest.
Drugs also played a significant role in Friday’s life, with LSD and marijuana rumoured to be part of his regular intake. Hallucinogenic substances like acid aren’t renowned for their physical benefits.
Mate Syd Simmons disclosed that Friday dutifully adhered to manager Hurley’s regulation not to consume alcohol within 48 hours before kick-off. Rather, he’d consume LSD and spend the night absorbed in heavy metal tunes.
After one Reading fixture, during a brief halt of the team coach, Friday scaled a cemetery fence and pinched stone cherubs from a burial site, planning to position them beside the slumbering club chairman. Hurley warned him: “You must never ever desecrate a graveyard.”
One of the more outrageous tales involves Friday reportedly strolling into a hotel bar with a swan he’d nabbed from a nearby lake, before proceeding to enjoy his drinks with his new feathered friend tucked under his arm.
Friday’s fondness for women meant his relationship with Maxine wasn’t to be a ‘happily ever after’ tale, and he tied the knot for a second time in 1976, marrying Liza Deimel in what was reportedly a raucous affair.
Local TV crews were present to witness Friday sporting an open-necked tiger-skin-pattern shirt, brown velvet suit and snakeskin boots, while rolling a joint on the church steps. The two hundred or so attendees were reportedly drinking, brawling and taking drugs and even made off with some of the couple’s wedding presents.
Naturally, on the pitch he was equally attention-grabbing. During one goal celebration against Rochdale near the conclusion of the 1974-75 campaign, Friday planted a kiss on a pitchside policeman, later explaining “The policeman looked so cold and fed up standing there, so I decided to cheer him up a bit.”
With 20 goals for the season, Friday was named the club’s player of the year. The next campaign, he further won over fans by completing a full circuit of the pitch each time he found the net. And on March 31, 1976, against Tranmere, he netted his most spectacular goal ever, an acrobatic overhead kick into the top corner.
Celebrated referee Clive Thomas lauded Friday, declaring his 35-yard stunner was superior to the efforts of even Pele and Johan Cruyff. Friday responded: “Really? You should come down here more often, I do that every week.”
Reading were promoted to the Third Division. But he was soon on the move after disputes with Hurley, who had warned: “The squad needs you but I owe it to the club because I can’t have you using drugs. If I know you’re using drugs, it won’t take them [major clubs] long to find out. You have got to get your act together.”
In one of his last outings for Reading, Friday voiced his dissatisfaction with the team’s performance in a rather unconventional manner. During a match against Mansfield, he infiltrated the opposition’s changing room and defecated in the team bath.
Friday was poised to sign for Jimmy Andrews’ Cardiff for £28,000 in 1976, but before even putting pen to paper, was arrested at Cardiff Central train station for travelling without the correct ticket.
After finally joining the Welsh club, Friday went on to net twice in a match-winning debut against Fulham featuring England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore in their line up.
The night before, on New Year’s Day 1977, Friday stayed up boozing until 5am. Despite this, he still managed to net two goals and even subjected Moore to his trademark “squeeze” move.
As his lifestyle began taking its toll, memorable moments at Ninian Park became increasingly rare but characteristically remained on the extraordinary side.
One of the most iconic images of his career emerged during a fixture against Luton where he is photographed giving opposition keeper Milija Aleksic a V-sign after scoring following a clash between the two earlier in the game.
Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals would release a single in 1996 titled ‘The Man Don’t Give a F***’ featuring an image of Friday flicking two fingers at Aleksic on the cover. The artwork also featured a dedication to the memory of Friday “and his stand against ‘the Man’.
Friday’s stint at Cardiff was characterised by more disappointments than triumphs, as he grew increasingly withdrawn.
Former colleague Paul Went recalled: “He wouldn’t even bother to have a shower. He’d just get dressed, take his carrier-bag with his dry Martini and he’d go – no explanation.”
The player’s career was riddled with scandal, including one episode where chuckling at a ball striking him on the head sparked a violent reaction that left a team-mate wearing a neck brace for a fortnight.
His violence on the field was legendary, once stating: “On the pitch I hate all opponents. I don’t give a damn about anyone. People think I’m mad, a lunatic. I am a winner.”
One such infamous moment came after he received his marching orders against Brighton for kicking centre-back Mark Lawrenson in the face.
The Cardiff forward then entered the Seagulls dressing room, where he allegedly defecated into the future Liverpool legend and BBC Match of the Day pundit’s wash bag.
‘Lawro’ later addressed the scandal, stating: “Did he s*** in my shoes? No, never happened. I’ll tell you why.
“One, he wouldn’t have been able to get into the home changing room, and two, if he had, he’d have had no way of knowing whose shoes were whose.
“I remember he was sent off, but I can’t remember whether he kicked me in the face. He was a fantastic player though, I remember that, and that is a fabulous story, but it’s not true.”
Friday trained with Brentford during the 1978–79 pre-season, but after regaining his fitness suddenly changed his mind and stopped coming to training.
He married for a third time in 1980, but was divorced again within three years. Friday would hang up his boots at the age of merely 25 and carried on living a wild lifestyle.
After a short time living back with his parents in Acton, then moving into a housing association flat, he later served a jail sentence for impersonating a police officer and confiscating people’s drugs.
He tragically passing away aged just 38 in 1990, from a heart attack, the result of a suspected heroin overdose. But his legend lives on, told in the aforementioned biography written by former Oasis bass player Paul McGuigan and music journalist Paolo Hewitt.
For Reading and Cardiff supporters, Friday is the ultimate cult hero. His extraordinary existence can be captured in his reply to Reading manager Maurice Evans after being advised to “settle down” so he could “play for England”. Friday reportedly said: “I’m half your age and I’ve lived twice your life.”