Robin Friday

[Rich@Eaststand]

Lambert had some natty skills , fairly wild hair and poss a bit of a naughty boy and early hopes dashed as he faded from view.Thats about where the comparison stops.On pure raw talent and abilty to dominant a game of football singlehandedly neither Lambert or indeed anyone has ever come near RF.
Another mention from the book was in his early days as a youngster Robin played 5 a side at his local sports center and these matches were attended by a large number who came soley to watch this mecurial talent perform. One is left to wonder if the right person had managed to take the young Robin under their wing at that early stage and gently mentored him what may have been.
One things for sure unlike Beckham there would will be no Robin Friday perfume on the market this Christmas.

Surely the comparison is that they both had undoubted talent, could of played at a higher level but both pissed it away.

[Gordons Cumming]

Lambert had some natty skills , fairly wild hair and poss a bit of a naughty boy and early hopes dashed as he faded from view.Thats about where the comparison stops.On pure raw talent and abilty to dominant a game of football singlehandedly neither Lambert or indeed anyone has ever come near RF.
Another mention from the book was in his early days as a youngster Robin played 5 a side at his local sports center and these matches were attended by a large number who came soley to watch this mecurial talent perform. One is left to wonder if the right person had managed to take the young Robin under their wing at that early stage and gently mentored him what may have been.
One things for sure unlike Beckham there would will be no Robin Friday perfume on the market this Christmas.

Surely the comparison is that they both had undoubted talent, could of played at a higher level but both pissed it away.

Yes, but there is still a MASSSIVE gap.

[Rich@Eaststand]

Lambert had some natty skills , fairly wild hair and poss a bit of a naughty boy and early hopes dashed as he faded from view.Thats about where the comparison stops.On pure raw talent and abilty to dominant a game of football singlehandedly neither Lambert or indeed anyone has ever come near RF.
Another mention from the book was in his early days as a youngster Robin played 5 a side at his local sports center and these matches were attended by a large number who came soley to watch this mecurial talent perform. One is left to wonder if the right person had managed to take the young Robin under their wing at that early stage and gently mentored him what may have been.
One things for sure unlike Beckham there would will be no Robin Friday perfume on the market this Christmas.

Surely the comparison is that they both had undoubted talent, could of played at a higher level but both pissed it away.

Yes, but there is still a MASSSIVE gap.

I don't think anyone is saying there isn't a massive differance between the players. Lambert was brought up as another, more recent, wasted talent.

[Man Friday]

Well said, Strap.

Say what you like about him, one thing is undeniable: he had time for the fans. I remember waiting for him after a match and he stopped, exchanged a few words, thumped the wall in response to my "bad luck Robin" comment (we lost), signed my programme and walked off in his bandy-legged way in his cowboy boots and afghan coat.

What a memory! When he left, watching Reading was never the same again - although the last few years haven't been bad!!!

[strap]

You write as though you knew him very well! If that is the case, you've missed out the bits of how he would stand around for hours talking to the fans, signing autographs and generally being an all round top bloke supporters could very easily relate to.

I believe Liverpulians would have called him a "scallywag", if that makes him a low-life p*ss-head t*sser in your eyes, then so be it. However, I think Charlie Hurley's assessment of him is a damn sight more accurate and objective than your blinkered rant. I would imagine that when you have cheated death by an inch or two, literally, you would probably live every day pretty much as though it was your last. Seeing as the only person he ever screwed up was himself, I would tend to side on the "each to their own" motto.

Take off those rtgs mate. He was barred from most pubs in Reading for a damned good reason. Hence the family dislike as he was barred from at least one of our pubs. He was an arrogant, nasty piece of work.

A scallywag?? Is that how we class all the p*ssed-up, rude scummers nowadays?

Signing autographs for the kids and the fans. I'll tip my hat to him for hat as it's more than most of the primadonnas will do nowadays

Which pubs did your family run? It was a standing joke that he was barred from The Boars Head, oh, I think about 5 times? Funny how he was always allowed back then. Was it because he was a good customer?

Also strange that he was never barred from the one's I worked in. Perhaps the management in "my" pubs weren't stuck up pricks. Who knows.

[Royal Rother]

Maybe the pubs you worked in were frequented and staffed by similarly low-moralled individuals who were more lenient on his shortcomings.

Who knows.

[strap]

Maybe the pubs you worked in were frequented and staffed by similarly low-moralled individuals who were more lenient on his shortcomings.

Who knows.

Fortunately I can confirm that they were neither frequented nor staffed by same. (Although to be fair RF only frequented said establishments infrequently in the autumn of '76, and wasn't seen once he'd gone to Cardiff, but from my personal, first hand, experience, he wasn't a problem).

[Royal Rother]

That's ok then.

[BallRoyal]

I am pleased to say I witnessed him play for Reading. You can't compare him with the modern day player. He caused so much excitement when on the ball, you just did't know what he was going to do next, he probably didn't know what he was going to himself. Great entertainment value, in my opinion stands out above all the rest.

[Royal Rother]

Lambert had some natty skills , fairly wild hair and poss a bit of a naughty boy and early hopes dashed as he faded from view.Thats about where the comparison stops.On pure raw talent and abilty to dominant a game of football singlehandedly neither Lambert or indeed anyone has ever come near RF.

Lambert was a mere slip of a lad and hardly likely to dominate games when he burst on the scene whereas Friday was a hard man already when he joined us.

Lambert had a hell of a lot more than a few natty skills - when he moved inside (he should never have been played as a winder IMHO) he had vision that was far in advance of the players he was playing with.

Even Arsene Wenger thought enough of him (before he even made his debut with us) to take him on trial to Monaco IIRC.

[The whole year inn]

Anyone that kicks Mark Lawrenson in the face then curls one out into his kitbag is a legend IMO.

[Cripple Creek]

I thought the reason Royal Rother made the Lambert/Friday link was pretty self-explanatory. They were both astonishing talents who underachieved. That's all.

As for whether Friday would have made the current team, the answer is, if he was managed properly by Coppell (who I think would have been a great manager for him to have) definitely yes. His talent was unnatural. In fact, I would say if his talent had been properly harnessed he would probably walk into most premiership teams even now (OK he wouldn't oust Henry, Rooney or, currently, Drogba but there are few others who would have been ahead of him).

Eammon Dunphy who is now known more as a journalist and rock biographer than a former footballer said that his only true friend in football was Robin Friday when he played with him at Reading. He says that Friday was, in his words, 'the nicest man I ever met in football' in spite of his personal problems. In addition to his talent he was famous for his generosity.

RIP I say and I consider myself very, very lucky to have been a spectator when he was around.

[Whistle]

In the book More than a Job there's an interesting chapter on Robin Friday.

Dunphy in his1976 newspaper column says Friday could have played First Division but years later he told the author ' we got the most anyone could out of Friday that season. He was not a natural athlete, he had asthma, bow-legs and no pace.'

Plus the usual stuff about as brave as a lion, generous as Santa, hard as diamond.

But plus the drink problem, the drugs problem and the court appearances.

Bow-legs - yes. Asthma - yes - 0-4 away at Swindon in the Cup anyone? No pace - not sure; he looked neither slow or quick to me.

[igoe agogo]

was just mentioned on Talksport as well, neither Alan noe Beeky had ever heard of him.

[papereyes]

was just mentioned on Talksport as well, neither Alan noe Beeky had ever heard of him.

Unsurprising.

Most people I know who know about football haven't heard of him or have only heard of him through the SFA song.

He is, in the grand scheme of things, a bit of a nobody. But he's our talented, mercurial nobody. And that's what counts.

Of the BBC cult heroes, only Clive Mendonca and Friday were heroes for two clubs. Friday barely played 5 years of pro football and is still remembered by fans of two clubs.

I reckon either a film, or a TV series, on his life could be a classic.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Lambert had some natty skills , fairly wild hair and poss a bit of a naughty boy and early hopes dashed as he faded from view.Thats about where the comparison stops.On pure raw talent and abilty to dominant a game of football singlehandedly neither Lambert or indeed anyone has ever come near RF.

Lambert was a mere slip of a lad and hardly likely to dominate games when he burst on the scene whereas Friday was a hard man already when he joined us.

Lambert had a hell of a lot more than a few natty skills - when he moved inside (he should never have been played as a winder IMHO) he had vision that was far in advance of the players he was playing with.

Even Arsene Wenger thought enough of him (before he even made his debut with us) to take him on trial to Monaco IIRC.

This old chesnut! I have visions that he was nothing more than a tea boy.

[Royal Rother]

A few weeks after he made his debut for Reading, The Daily/Sunday Telegraph did a series of 6 articles on young starlets (or whatever) destined to make a huge impact in the game.

The first of the series was none other than James Lambert, and the article made it pretty clear that he had not been the tea-boy when in Monaco.

[anR]

Anyone that kicks Mark Lawrenson in the face then curls one out into his kitbag is a legend IMO.

Is there anything to elaborate on this?

[readingbedding]

A few weeks after he made his debut for Reading, The Daily/Sunday Telegraph did a series of 6 articles on young starlets (or whatever) destined to make a huge impact in the game.

The first of the series was none other than James Lambert, and the article made it pretty clear that he had not been the tea-boy when in Monaco.

Who were the other 5?

Just because young players are touted for success hardly any of them fulfil it.

[Y25]

Haven't read the whole thread so apologies if someone posted this earlier

TalkSport did a thing on 5 worst bad boys in sport this am.

The usual names got metioned Collymore, Gazza, Ferguson, Keano etc.

Someone mentioned Robin Friday and neither of the 2 presenters (1 an ex professional) had ever heard of him.

Shame there was no video footage of 'that goal'.