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Colin Gunney presents the Reading
FC Player of the Year award for 1976
to Robin Friday
a service station so the players could
have a bite to eat.
We arrived at the service station
behind two coachloads of what
appeared to be WI ladies and
they entered the restaurant in
front of us.
Charlie Hurley was at the front of the
queue of players, just behind the WI
ladies, ready to settle any bill. I was
right at the back, behind Robin.
As we waited to get served I heard
two of the Reading players goad Robin. ‘Drop your
trousers and shows the ladies your arse,’ they said.
Robin, who was easily led, did exactly that... just as
Hurley looked back.
and bought a cheap set of bats and a sleeve of balls.
The game had barely started when a bored Robin
walked into the room. When a loose shot went near
him, instead of returning it, he squashed the ball
underfoot. A few minutes later two dejected players
trooped out of the room having seen a grinning
Robin squash all the balls they had bought in double
quick time. Robin had found his own entertainment.
Robin was berated by the manager and sent out of
the building like a scalded child while apologies
were made to the ladies.
On another occasion I was again allowed to travel
with the team, on a trip down the M4 to play a
midweek evening match against Swansea.
That evening, near midnight, I was sitting in the bar
having an drink and a chat with Charlie Hurley and
the Reading physio when the fire alarm sounded,
leading to anxious hotel residents rushing down to
reception in their nightwear.
It wasn’t long before Robin said he needed the
toilet. However, having just passed one service
station, there was not another one for miles. Robin
managed to purloin a Tupperware box from one of
the players who had brought it along containing
sandwiches made by his wife. After relieving himself
in the plastic box Robin had to get rid of the
contents. The coach however, was one of those
without side windows, the only exit from the coach,
apart from the front door, next to which sat Charlie
Hurley, was a couple of roof windows. Needless to
say Robin attempted the impossible, forcing his
team-mates and myself to dive for cover! n
As soon as the alarm sounded, Charlie looked at me
and without hesitation uttered one word , ‘Robin’.
He was spot on ... Robin HAD set the alarm off.
The following day we travelled up to Workington for
an evening game. Reading were abysmal and lost
2-1. An irate Charlie Hurley would not let the players
stay for a drink and made everyone board the team
coach which then set off for Reading.
A few miles down the motorway the coach stopped at
award to him on the pitch before the final
home game of the season on both occasions.
tarnished disciplinary record.
Robin won the fans’ Reading Player of the
Year award – sponsored by the Reading
Chronicle – in both of his two full seasons at
Elm Park. And as the Reading FC
correspondent for the Chronicle I had the
honour of presenting the Player of the Season
Before the 1976-77 season started Robin
handed in a transfer request after the directors
offered the players wha Ёѡ