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Rich Pullen
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« on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 12:35:12 » |
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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]
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leefer
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Posts: 12851
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« Reply #1 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 12:41:23 » |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_FridayWill 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.
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ron dodgers
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shaddap your face
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« Reply #2 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 14:12:13 » |
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used to play for my local side Hayes - a legend in his own lunchtime
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suttonred
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« Reply #3 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 14:52:32 » |
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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!
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juddie
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« Reply #4 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 15:12:53 » |
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aye Rich, great book that one. One of the better football books...
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alanmayes
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« Reply #5 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 15:14:15 » |
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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 |
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"It's not delusions of grandeur sir,it's intolerance of mediocrity and minimal performances."
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alanmayes
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« Reply #6 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 15:24:56 » |
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aye Rich, great book that one. One of the better football books...
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. |
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"It's not delusions of grandeur sir,it's intolerance of mediocrity and minimal performances."
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Rich Pullen
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« Reply #7 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 15:27:20 » |
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I've read Left Foot in the Grave which I really enjoyed.
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Mexicano Rojo
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Demasiado no es demasiado
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« Reply #8 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 19:08:03 » |
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I went to Uni with his daughter nicola, she was a fucking nut job too.
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juddie
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« Reply #9 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 21:44:00 » |
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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.
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Mexicano Rojo
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Demasiado no es demasiado
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« Reply #10 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 21:47:49 » |
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working class football heros by gary imlach is pretty good.
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Bogus Dave
Ate my own dick
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« Reply #11 on: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 23:55:17 » |
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I like provided you dont kiss me. I havent read that many football books though in all honesty. Or books full stop
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Things get better but they never get good
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Doore
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« Reply #12 on: Friday, April 24, 2009, 00:04:43 » |
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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".
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Batch
Not a Batch
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« Reply #13 on: Friday, April 24, 2009, 07:42:42 » |
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Fever Pitch for me. It captures the obsession that is football. It also mentions Town, and the Wiltshire folk.
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pauld
Aaron Aardvark
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Absolute Calamity!
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« Reply #14 on: Friday, April 24, 2009, 07:49:45 » |
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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
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