Robin Friday - Walpole Park, Ealing, London, UK - Dedicated Trees on Waymarking.com

The tree and plaque are close to the southern, Lammas Park Gardens, entrance to Walpole Park.

Wikipedia has an article about Robin Friday that tells us:

Robin Friday (27 July 1952 – 22 December 1990) was an English footballer who played professionally as a forward for Reading and Cardiff City during a career that lasted four years in the mid-1970s. His on-field performances were regarded as excellent, and he won Reading's player of the year award in both of his full seasons there, as well as being the leading goal scorer. However, his habit of unsettling opponents through physical intimidation contributed to a heavily tarnished disciplinary record, and his personal life was one of heavy smoking, drinking, womanising and drug abuse. Despite his short career, he remains prominent in the memory of Reading and Cardiff supporters, both as a player and a personality. He has been voted Reading's best ever player three times.

Born and raised in Acton, west London, Friday was scouted, but not retained, by four professional clubs during his teenage years. He appeared for local semi-professional sides in the Isthmian League until he joined Charlie Hurley's Fourth Division Reading team in 1974—quickly becoming a key player, he helped Reading to win promotion to the Third Division during the 1975–76 season. As his drug habit intensified, Friday's form began to dip in the first half of the 1976–77 season, leading Reading to sell him to Second Division side Cardiff City around the New Year. Friday travelled to join his new team by train without a valid ticket and had to be bailed by the Cardiff manager Jimmy Andrews before he signed for the club. He performed strongly on his debut, but afterwards his form declined and his personal life caused him to repeatedly miss matches altogether. Following a number of incidents, on and off the field—including kicking Mark Lawrenson in the face mid-game. Friday retired from football in December 1977, aged 25. He died in Acton in 1990, aged 38, after suffering a heart attack.

The strongest aspects of Friday's game were his ball skills, footballing intelligence and physical and mental strength. Andrews labelled Friday "the complete centre-forward", and, along with numerous contemporaries, retrospectively rated Friday as good enough for the England national team. In a 2004 BBC poll, Friday was voted the top "all-time cult hero" for both Reading and Cardiff City. The Cardiff-based band Super Furry Animals dedicated their 1996 single "The Man Don't Give a F**k" to his memory.

The BBC News website has an article about the proposed film about Robin Friday:

Hollywood star Sam Claflin to play Cardiff City hero Robin Friday in new film.

Cardiff City cult hero Robin Friday is to be portrayed in a new film of his life by Pirates of the Caribbean and Hunger Games star Sam Claflin.

Friday played just 21 league games for City in 1976-77, but his notoriety off the pitch and his ability on it made him one of the game's great characters.

The biopic, which begins filming in September, is to be directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Henry Alex Rubin.

It is based on a book by Paolo Hewitt and ex-Oasis bass player Paul McGuigan.

Friday, who also played for Reading, died at just 38 in 1990 after years of drug and alcohol abuse.

After Friday's brief spell at Cardiff he prematurely retired from the game, but he is still revered and frequently compared to George Best for his flamboyant lifestyle and playing style.

He is especially remembered for famously flicking a V-sign at Luton goalkeeper Milija Aleksic after scoring for the Bluebirds.

Welsh band Super Furry Animals used a photograph of the incident on the sleeve of one of their songs.

Describing one of Friday's wonder goals in a game he was officiating, former referee Clive Thomas said: "Even up against the likes of Pele and Cruyff, that rates as the best goal I have ever seen."

But it was also the way Friday lived his life off the field that captured the imagination.

Among several stories of his outrageous behaviour is the tale of him turning up to training drunk while carrying a swan.

When he travelled to Cardiff to join his new team by train he was arrested for not having a ticket and had to be bailed by Bluebirds manager Jimmy Andrews before even signing for the club.

The new as-yet-untitled film is backed by Fortitude International - a production company based in Los Angeles.

Former NME journalist and author Paolo Hewitt, who co-wrote The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw: The Robin Friday Story, said: "It's incredible to think Robin played only 21 league games for Cardiff and was still voted their cult player of all time.

"He's up there with the greats; a pure maverick and a man who lived every minute of his life to the full."