Roy of the Rovers

The quintessential comic strip football hero started out as the lead strip in Tiger in 1953, got his own comic in September 1976, and also starred in his own newspaper strip.

Roy of The Rovers was published weekly between 1976 and 1993, absorbing Hot Shot in 1989. The comic was relaunched as a monthly publication in 1993 but was finally cancelled in 1995.

Developments in the ‘Roy of the Rovers’ strip over the years saw the Melchester Rovers relegated in 1981, and Roy being shot in 1982 (in a storyline lifted from Dallas). He transferred to Walford Rovers in 1983 but returned to Melchester within the year.

In other dramatic storylines, eight members of the team were killed in a coach crash in the Middle East in 1986, and Roy lost a foot in a helicopter crash in 1993, which forced him to retire from playing.

Other strips in Roy of the Rovers included:

• The Apprentices
• Billy’s Boots – formerly in Scorcher, Tiger, Valiant and Eagle
• The Boy Who Hated Football
• The Chocolate Bar Kid
• City
• Cup Final
• Dan Harker’s War – a tale of hooliganism
• Dexter’s Dozen
• Durrell’s Palace
• Family Fortune – imported from Hot Shot
• The Football
• Football Family Robinson
• The Footballer Who Wouldn’t Stay Dead
• Goalkeeper
• The Hard Man
• Hot Shot Hamish
• Jimmy
• Johnny Cougar – a wrestling strip formerly in Tiger
• Kevin’s Chance
• The Kid from Argentina
• The Marks Brothers
• Mighty Mouse
• Mike’s Mini Men
• Millionaire Villa
• Nipper – formerly in Scorcher
• Racey’s Rocket – stock-car racing shenanigans
• The Safest Hands in Soccer
• Simon’s Secret
• Smith and Son
• The Son of Racey
• Tipped for the Top
• Tommy’s Troubles
• Waynes Wolves
• The Wheelchair Wonder
• You are the Star