Who Is Reading FC’s Biggest Cult Hero?

Let’s begin with Robin Friday, the obvious choice and the one I predict will win this race. Even though Robin only

played for the football team for a little more than two years in the middle of the 1970s, his cult following has only

gotten bigger with time. The attacker, who came from non-league with Reading in the basement division, scored 53

goals in 135 games, won Player of the Season twice, and helped us advance to Division Three in 1975–76.

It has been remarked that he possesses the most natural ability of any player to walk into the football club, and his

strike against Tranmere is frequently recognised as the best goal ever scored at Elm Park.

His name has been passed down through the generations of Reading supporters, however, thanks to his off-field

antics. Even on matchdays, fans would regularly see Friday in the Spread Eagle close to Elm Park, where he smoked,

drank, and joked his way into their hearts! His antics with Mark Lawrenson’s kitbag are worthy of the overused

epithet “legendary,” as he was the complete reverse of the modern football player.

Unfortunately, like so many others who led such a crazy life, his life and football career were to end far too soon.

Since then, a book has been written on him, and a feature film is also in development.

My issue with Friday is that, in a time when TV coverage was scant and Reading was at the bottom of the rankings,

how good was he? More importantly, in 2016, should we hold a man in high regard whose off-field behaviours aren’t

exactly something you’d want to instill in your children? Or does he become even more of a cult hero as a result of

those two points?