Roy
Race soccer star first appeared in Amalgamated Press' new sports and
adventure comic, Tiger in September 1954. The first issue showed Roy playing for Milton Youth club in a cup tie. In true storybook fashion the score was 0-0 with only minutes to go, but Roy
tireless and still on his toes, pounced on a loose ball and pushed it
past a lunging defender and ripped a shot towards goal from the edge of
the six yard box, which flew past the visitors' goalkeeper.
Watching the match was Alf Leeds, Chief Scout for the famous Melchester Rovers. Spotting a potentially great talent Alf invited Roy to join the First Division side's Youth Team and so began a marriage made in alliterative heaven.
Frank Pepper creator of Roy of the Rovers had previously written 'Danny of the Dazzlers' for the Champion comic. He was asked to produce a more realistic football strip for Amalgamated's latest title. His
brief was to show an ordinary lad with talent, joining a top class club
of long tradition, as a very humble junior who gradually makes his way
up the ladder to become a star. The editor was looking for a character
the young reader could identify with and ultimately aspire to. Frank
Pepper quit after only four issues (returning in the 1960's). Frank's
work schedule had become over loaded with various stories including the
space faring comic strip adventures of Captain Condor. Roy of the Rovers artist Joe Colquhoun scripted the story for four and a half years. This included work in the excellent first Roy of the Rovers Annual in 1958. A year that also saw Roy become captain of Melchester Rovers.
In February 1960, the front page of the Tiger weekly comic blazed with the news that real life Manchester United and England soccer hero Bobby Charlton was writing Roy's
adventures. Unknown to the readers it was in fact Derek Birnage, the
comic's editor. Under Bobby Charlton's (Birnage's) direction, Roy led Melchester Rovers to FA Cup glory in 1961.
Tom Tully was the last and longest running writer for Roy of the Rovers. Tom was responsible for giving Roy a life outside football. Roy
married his secretary Penny (nee Laine!) in 1976; had twins Roy (later
to be known as 'Rocky') and Melinda and later another daughter named Diana. He briefly managed England
in 1978 and in 1981 crazed TV actor Elton Blake shot him "JR Ewing
style". This was also the year that Melchester Rovers were relegated
from the old Division One (Premier League). Roy
recovered from the shooting, quit the Rovers and joined Walford Rovers
in 1983, only to return and rebuild his team after a terrorist bomb tore
through the tour bus killing many of Roy's
long standing team mates. An earthquake ripped through the pitch at Mel
Park in 1988, forcing Rovers to move to Wembley stadium long before
Arsenal had the idea!
Circulation figures for the comic plummeted in the early 1990's and on 20th March 1993, Roy Race had a tragic helicopter accident ending with the loss of his left foot and the closure of the Roy
of the Rovers comic. The last regular annual was produced in 1994 and
the story temporarily survived for a further turbulent 19 issues in the Roy of the Rovers monthly. Roy
came back to the fore in May 1997 as part of the launch of the Match of
the Day magazine. Sadly his wife Penny remained absent, killed in a car
accident while in Italy.
The story flourished in the Match of the Day magazine with Roy returning to Melchester Rovers as manager, following a stint as boss of Italian side AC Monza. Roy's daughter Melinda became Managing Director and Roy's
former Rovers team mate Geoff Giles became his Assistant Manager. The
club was then owned by the untrustworthy Vinter brothers and they
eventually bought Mel Park, leaving Roy as sole owner of the club. Roy and Melinda orchestrated relocation to a purpose built new stadium.
Roy's
son 'Rocky' who was now the star player for the Rovers signed a new
contract, including shares in the club making him part owner and
securing a fruitful future for the club. Sadly the future of the Roy
of the Rovers story was less rosy and it ended again in May 2001, with
the closure of the Match of the day magazine, coinciding with the BBC's
loss of televised football to ITV.
Roy still lives on though with his own official website at www.royoftherovers.com. There is information, nostalgic and new and lots of topical football comment.
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