Thetownend.com

Just reading 'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw' by Paolo Hewitt and Paul McGuigan.

I'm sure some of you have probably read it - it's book about the former Reading and Cardiff City forward Robin Friday done through interviews with those who knew him and match reports from back-in-the-day.

I recommend it as it's a pretty decent book.

Did any of you older TEF'ers see him play or remember any of the buzz surrounding him? Looking at his career he only played at the County Ground once (4-0 win for Town in the FA Cup in '74)

[url width=360 height=268]http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icwales2/oct2007/3/2/B3B4D14A-AF1B-6EE4-C33B412E3F7E1A9F.jpg[/url]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Friday

Will buy it.....like the bit about Mark Laurenson....died at 38,must confess i have heard of him but didnt realise he was such a nutter.

used to play for my local side Hayes - a legend in his own lunchtime

I saw him play a few times, the big plastic gypo! He was quiet good, but the title...... The Don was way better, and he would come into that category for most other teams fans.  I also remember a guy i used to work with, used to drink with him, he apparently made George Best look like a bit of an occasional drinker!

aye Rich, great book that one.  One of the better football books...

I remember seeing him play against us,when Reading spanked us 4 - 1 back in 76 at Elm Park.
The descriptions already given about him,sum him up perfectly.

I know there's plenty of journalistic licence in Wikipedia,but the entry's about him,are interesting.
The pic that Rich has shown in his original post,with the link to the Super Furry Animals single and the
sending off,when he hit Mark Lawrenson and what he then did to Lawrenson's kit bag, made me laugh.

One things for certain,he certainly made an impression at club level with fans,players and management.
Dying young has also contributed to the "cult status".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Friday

Two very good books were written by our ex winger Garry Nelson.They were in diary form,telling
the life of a pro footballer.

'Left foot forward' and 'Left foot in the grave', both critically acclaimed and good reads imho.

I've read Left Foot in the Grave which I really enjoyed.

I went to Uni with his daughter nicola, she was a fucking nut job too.

Left foot in the grave wasn't as good as left foot foward IMO. But very good.

Best football books IMO

1. damned United
2. Miracle of Castel di Sangro (one of my favourite books I've ever read)
3. A season with Verona
4. A brilliant Orange
5. Once in a lifetime, the story of new York Cosmos

Robin Friday's good, and Gary Mabbutt's autobiography, randomly, is decent. He had diabetes, amazing story how he kept playing.

working class football heros by gary imlach is pretty good.

I like provided you dont kiss me. I havent read that many football books though in all honesty. Or books full stop

1. Fever Pitch.
2.  Miracle of Castel Di Sangro
3.  Forza Italia (Paddy Agnew)
4.  Left Foot in the Grave
5. Left Foot Forward
6.  Addicted - Tony Adams
7- The book that Steve Claridge did - can't remember the name
8 - Stan Ternant - as above

I've read hundreds of books about football but those are the ones that stand out.  I did get the autobiographies of Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney out of the library but got about 30 pages into each and then put them down.  All basically read: "my life was tough but I'm really good at football and you should be really impressed - being a footballer is hard you know".

Fever Pitch for me. It captures the obsession that is football. It also mentions Town, and the Wiltshire folk.

For some reason I hate Fever Pitch. And Nick Hornby, although that only kicked in after I read the one about being music. I realise this makes me wrong, but there it is

high fidelity? i like that one, in fact quite like fever pitch. about a boy is one of the only books i have read where i reckon the film is better.

Fever Pitch is decent. Also the Glory Game by Hunter Davies.

All the autobiogs of current players are drivel. Most of them have achieved fuck all, they have nothing in common with the man in the street = bilge.

I watched a 'where are they now' feature about ex Chelsea and Reading player Paul Canonville and he sounded like he had a hellish time of it. His autobiography sounds like a harrowing but interesting read.

From Amazon

Paul Canovilles story is one of extreme racist bigotry, shattering career-ending injury, a decline into drug abuse, battles against cancer, family tragedy and a determination to beat the odds. Canoville was Chelseas first black first-team player, making his debut in 1982. But as he warmed up on the touchline, his own supporters began chanting 'We dont want the ******!' The racist bile continued whenever he played, but within a year he had won over the terraces with his explosive pace and skill. Canoville fell out with the Chelsea board and moved to Reading in 1986, where injury suddenly ended his career at the age of 24. This started a downward spiral including the death of his baby in his arms, two bouts of life-threatening lymph cancer, drug abuse and homelessness. But Canoville fought back. In this explosive and shocking story, Paul finally explains why, despite everything, he is more positive than ever and has remained a fervent Chelsea fan all his life. This is a story of hope - eventually - overcoming adversity

anyone else read football against the enemy? i'm reading it atm, quite enjoying it - very dated now though

that by simon kuiper (sp) is it?

kuper, yeah.

Tony Cascarino's Small Talk is very good. Interesting career he had in the end, although strangely didn't go into detail about the Playoff Final at Selhurst :)