READING'S ULTIMATE LEGEND

[Archie's penalty]

Robin Friday the most naturally gifted player I have ever seen or am ever likely to for that matter. Quite remarkable.

Agreed.
Fans adored him. 'nuff said.

Fans in the 70's also adored the National Front, insulting black players and beating the shit out of each other. The fact they adored Robin isn't much of a recommendation to be honest.

Nail. The. Head. Hit. The. On.

[Archie's penalty]

I'd go for Parky as it happens. No skill whatsoever but always put in 100%.

[Ark Royal]

Robin Friday. In a sea of 70s dross, he was an outstanding talent, the likes of whom had never been seen by any Reading fan of any age.

[Isaac Hunt]

I'd go for Parky as it happens. No skill whatsoever but always put in 100%.

Perfect summary of too many Reading fans and their interpretation of the beautiful game

[melonhead]

honestly, oxf*rd the beautiful game
id rather die than watch that brendan rodgers version of tippy tappy dullery.
never seen any thing so dull in all my life.
a game where people pass it around at the back for an hour and twenty minutes, and score from one break is not beautiful to watch, or exciting.

[Isaac Hunt]

honestly, oxf*rd the beautiful game
id rather die than watch that brendan rodgers version of tippy tappy dullery.
never seen any thing so dull in all my life.
a game where people pass it around at the back for an hour and twenty minutes, and score from one break is not beautiful to watch, or exciting.

Firstly, who said anything about Rodgers?

Secondly, did you never see Mark McGhee's side play?

Thirdly, when we had a good team during Parky's time (see above) he couldn't get in the team....

How about players that had a bit of everything???? The majority of those who saw Parky, presumably also saw Mick Gooding, right? He was no less commited, but he was a decent footballer too.

Don't get me wrong, i admired Parky for his commitment. He was also a lovely man.... but a very limited footballer.

[Archie's penalty]

I didn't realise that Mick (314 games) played almost the same amount of games for us as Parky (360). I'd put him right up there. I loved run, run, run, run Gilkesy (393) as well.

Great that so many of the guys who played for us at that time played so many times for us.

This footie lark ain't what it used to be.

Which players of the last ten years could you say the same about. Ivar played 238 games for us. Not so bad.

[Isaac Hunt]

I didn't realise that Mick played almost the same amount of games for us as Parky. I'd put him right up there. I loved run, run, run, run Gilkesy as well.

He'd be on my list too.

[Archie's penalty]

List of players that I've found of players with 250 appearances for us in all competitions:
http://www.royalsrecord.co.uk/players/appear.html

Total appearances

1. Martin Hicks 603
2. Steve Death 537
3. Dick Spiers 505
4. Michael Gilkes 487
5. Stuart Beavon 481
6. Maurice Evans 459
7. Steve Richardson 457
8. Jimmy Wheeler 453
9. Phil Parkinson 426
10. Adrian Williams 398
11. Denis Allen 377
12. Mick Gooding 368
13. Trevor Senior 362
14. Jerry Williams 357
15. James Harper 351
16. Graeme Murty 341
17. Gordon Cumming 332
18. Mark White 320
19. Johnny Walker 318
20. Ray Reeves 317
21. Keith McPherson 317
22. Bert Eggo 312
23. Nicky Shorey 311
24. Lawrie Sanchez 305
25. Colin Meldrum 304
26. Marcus Hahnemann 303
27. Steve Hetzke 303
28. Alf Messer 295
29. Gary Peters 294
30. Pat Earles 284
31. Ívar Ingimarsson 283
32. Stuart Lovell 266
33. Steve Francis 259
34. Steve Wood 251

[Green]

Five Steves in that list.

[Mintymurray]

Paul Black

[mbb]

The man mountain that was Billy Whitehurst!

Hang on, I'll get my coat!!

[Gunny Fishcake]

Paul Black

+1 and a vote for his coat

[thirtyyarder]

Ivar ingimarrson.

Never heard a bad word about him, always performed to the best of his ability, very underrated footballer. Encompassed everything that defines us as a club.

P.s. didn't watch Friday play but am interested in starting to claim I did. How should I go about this?

[SCIAG]

People with connections with Oasis iirc.

If by "Oasis connections" you mean "being in Oasis", then yeah, McGuigan had Oasis connections.

[Man Friday]

There’s a lot of drivel being written on here (nothing new I admit) about “morality” and that we shouldn’t vote for Robin because he was not “moral” or because he played in the 1970’s when some people voted for the National Front (more vote for the BNP today than the NF in the 70s by the way).

Grow up. As if life was that simple. When I was a child I thought as a child, and when I became a man etc. I made simple distinctions as a child. I came to realise, however, that life isn’t quite as black and white as we’d like to believe. Robin Friday shits in footballers’ kit bags and goes off with other women while married. He’s immoral. Tony Blair never shat in anyone’s kit bag and has never been unfaithful to his wife. He’s moral. Ah, hang on a minute. Who lied to lead us to war because of a concern over oil prices? Must have been Robin Friday. Who gives a shit (excuse the pun) if Robin did those things anyway. On the football pitch he was a God and he had a relationship with the fans that no Reading player before or since has ever come close to.

The Reading fans who saw him play loved him. They loved him for a number of reasons but not least of which was because when he was on that pitch he gave 100% - every single match. If you didn’t love him that’s because you never saw him.

[Para Handy]

There’s a lot of drivel being written on here (nothing new I admit) about “morality” and that we shouldn’t vote for Robin because he was not “moral” or because he played in the 1970’s when some people voted for the National Front (more vote for the BNP today than the NF in the 70s by the way).

Grow up. As if life was that simple. When I was a child I thought as a child, and when I became a man etc. I made simple distinctions as a child. I came to realise, however, that life isn’t quite as black and white as we’d like to believe. Robin Friday shits in footballers’ kit bags and goes off with other women while married. He’s immoral. Tony Blair never shat in anyone’s kit bag and has never been unfaithful to his wife. He’s moral. Ah, hang on a minute. Who lied to lead us to war because of a concern over oil prices? Must have been Robin Friday. Who gives a shit (excuse the pun) if Robin did those things anyway. On the football pitch he was a God and he had a relationship with the fans that no Reading player before or since has ever come close to.

The Reading fans who saw him play loved him. They loved him for a number of reasons but not least of which was because when he was on that pitch he gave 100% - every single match. If you didn’t love him that’s because you never saw him.

Good, presumbably slightly drunken rant. Good use of the Corinthians too. I'm in total agreement with you. I've no problem with fans that didn't see Robin play. I didn't see Duncan Edwards play, or Stanley Matthews. I sort of accept that they were good though. And... that's what pisses me off about this thread. Wankers who never saw Robin play, knew nothing about him, but offering opinions that he was a waster etc. Hmm, you've no idea have you Soggy. Twats offering opinions about his character. LOL. Robin gave everything in all the matches I saw. He was a character, a waster, a bloody fantastic footballer but essentially a much nicer bloke than some of you fecking idiots think.

[jellytot]

Gilkes or Hicks maybe stevie richardson

I actually blubbed for 12.6 seconds when Gilkes left for wolves. Still feel betraed today!

[glass half full]

It's M U R T Y for me!

Any chance that he could come back and coach our defence?

[ManchesterRoyals]

Steve Death.

This