Never mind Superman, Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk. The greatest comic strip character in the world, of all time, is without doubt Roy of the Rovers. The power of x-ray vision or superstrength is nothing compared to the magic of a powerful left foot.
Fictional footballer Roy Race first appeared on 11th September 1954 in the Tiger comic and he later signed for the fictional team Melchester Rovers.
In the 1960s, he captained England to World Cup triumph in South America over the fictional nation of Bagota.
And, as a footballer from a bygone age, he'll be unrecognisable to many of today's overpaid prima donnas. He never swore, never spat, always played fair, never got caught coming out of a brothel, never had an affair with a fellow player's girlfriend and was extremely loyal to his team.
In 1981 he was shot, and he once turned down the chance to become manager of the USA team.
And he scored great goals - usually the winning goal in the last minute of a major cup final.
In the 1970s, he started to appear in his own comic book, until it went out of publication in 1993. Since then he made appearances in annuals and other publications before hanging up his boots in 2001.
But now he is making a temporary comeback in a one-off World Cup souvenir edition which goes on sale today.
Cometh the hour ... Roy of the Rovers leaps off the bench in England's hour of need
By Paul Harris
16th June 2010
Daily Mail
Enlarge
Starring role: The World Cup edition Roy of the Rovers promising 'Goals, Games And Glory' which is out today
He hung his boots up years ago.
But today, Roy of the Rovers is poised to come to England's aid in its hour of footballing need.
The legendary comic book hero is making a return to the pitch to celebrate a career that started more than half a century ago - and to cheer for his country in the World Cup.
A special edition of his comic strip adventures is to go on sale from this week.
It will rekindle fond memories for those who grew up with the greatest footballer who never lived - and will introduce a new generation of fans to a golden age when soccer stars actually set a good example to youngsters.
Roy Race never swore, didn't spit, and always played fair.
He would never be seen in a brothel, didn't steal anyone's girlfriend, and displayed uncommon loyalty to his beloved Melchester Rovers in the face of a string of lucrative offers.
When 'Racey' put on the England shirt, a nation stood proud.
And above all, he scored great goals. Usually it was a cup-winning shot in the final minute of the game. (Well it was fiction, after all).
But it is the spirit of a bygone era, not just winning, which will resurface with the Rovers' return. Roy will appear in a re-run of classic strips, and alongside depictions of real football luminaries such as Trevor Francis and Malcolm 'Supermac' Macdonald.
Enlarge
Meet the team, mullets and all, while exchanges between Roy and his rivals never feature coarse language
Even for Roy there is no hiding from the pressure and expectations of the fans
Fans who idolised him in their youth - many of whom now have grandchildren - will be able to relive three of the fair-haired forward's most memorable matches.
The one-off World Cup souvenir edition goes on sale today and, it is hoped, there will still be plenty of games, goals and glory for Roy to oversee.
English commentators still talk about players pulling off 'real Roy of the Rovers stuff' - a phrase that has entered the language now to describe a spectacular goal that turns around the fortunes of a match
Enlarge
Displaying silky skills that even Rooney would envy the England team led by Roy are a force to be reckoned with
Roy of the Rovers scored his first goal in 1954, and enjoyed a career spanning five decades. He is in his late 70s now and gosh, he hardly seems to have aged.
Yet commentators still talk about players pulling off 'Real Roy of the Rovers stuff' - a phrase that has entered the language now to describe a spectacular goal that turns around the fortunes of a match.
When he first appeared in print it was in long shorts and clumpy boots.
'Cripes!' or 'Stone me!' would be the closest he would get to swearing or blaspheming, and he might easily congratulate a team mate on a 'wizard dribble'.
In those days, no-one knew anything about a footballer's private life, and seldom even cared.
But Roy's role as an ordinary lad who earned his place as a star demanded a little background.
Thus, we learned something about what 'Racey' did off the pitch as well, albeit in keeping with the standards of the day.
But the storylines soon struggled against the real-life exploits of footballers such as George Best, who mirrored Roy's genius on the field but failed to match his personal values.
A new survey has shown that the British either watch, play, read or talk about football more than any other nation in the world.
Hence, Roy began to sport a dodgy haircut in the early Keegan mould, and to feature in plots that focused on his personal life as well as his game.
But he never made sleazy Sunday paper headlines.
In 1993, tragedy struck when his celebrated left foot - the power behind all those 'Racey's Rockets' that thumped unfailingly into the back of the net - had to be amputated after a helicopter crash.
So might Roy's return inspire a last-minute goal to in the coming weeks to secure England's fortunes?
Somehow, Rooney of the Rovers just doesn't have the same ring.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROY OF THE ROVERS
Sept 11, 1954: Roy appears on the front cover of the Tiger comic and is later signed for Melchester Rovers. He captains the team to a series of spectacular triumphs.
1960s: Scores twice to secure victory in his England debut against South American side Caragua. Hits both goals against Bagota to win the World Cup for England; and twice in a later World Cup victory over Sao Madro Nacional.
Scores 300th goal for Rovers and breaks 30-year club record.
1970s: Roy of the Rovers becomes a comic in its own right. Melchester win just about every cup going, thanks to 'Racey's Rockets'.
He becomes Britain's first player-manager (even before Kenny Dalglish) and signs a foreign player. Marries club secretary Penny Laine; goes on to father three children.
Brief spell as England manager.
1980s: Roy is shot in 1981 by a crazed actor (the same year that JR was shot in Dallas). Turns down a staggering £1million to coach in the Middle East, Don Revie-style. Adopts a succession of period hairstyles, including a quiff, a mullet, and one that makes him look like a Muppet. Bobby Robson names Roy in his England squad for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. A terrorist bomb later kills eight long-standing team mates.
Penny leaves Roy, whose popularity is now so strong that the storyline makes (the real) national TV news.
1990s: Rejects $8million contract to manage USA World Cup team (thank goodness). Survives helicopter crash but loses left foot. Final issue of Roy of the Rovers Monthly in March 1993 has black cover to mark his passing.
He makes sporadic appearances in annuals and other publications.
2001: The last chapter is closed when Match of the Day magazine, which revived the storylines, ceases publication.
dailymail.co.uk
Fictional footballer Roy Race first appeared on 11th September 1954 in the Tiger comic and he later signed for the fictional team Melchester Rovers.
In the 1960s, he captained England to World Cup triumph in South America over the fictional nation of Bagota.
And, as a footballer from a bygone age, he'll be unrecognisable to many of today's overpaid prima donnas. He never swore, never spat, always played fair, never got caught coming out of a brothel, never had an affair with a fellow player's girlfriend and was extremely loyal to his team.
In 1981 he was shot, and he once turned down the chance to become manager of the USA team.
And he scored great goals - usually the winning goal in the last minute of a major cup final.
In the 1970s, he started to appear in his own comic book, until it went out of publication in 1993. Since then he made appearances in annuals and other publications before hanging up his boots in 2001.
But now he is making a temporary comeback in a one-off World Cup souvenir edition which goes on sale today.
Cometh the hour ... Roy of the Rovers leaps off the bench in England's hour of need
By Paul Harris
16th June 2010
Daily Mail
Enlarge
Starring role: The World Cup edition Roy of the Rovers promising 'Goals, Games And Glory' which is out today
He hung his boots up years ago.
But today, Roy of the Rovers is poised to come to England's aid in its hour of footballing need.
The legendary comic book hero is making a return to the pitch to celebrate a career that started more than half a century ago - and to cheer for his country in the World Cup.
A special edition of his comic strip adventures is to go on sale from this week.
It will rekindle fond memories for those who grew up with the greatest footballer who never lived - and will introduce a new generation of fans to a golden age when soccer stars actually set a good example to youngsters.
Roy Race never swore, didn't spit, and always played fair.
He would never be seen in a brothel, didn't steal anyone's girlfriend, and displayed uncommon loyalty to his beloved Melchester Rovers in the face of a string of lucrative offers.
When 'Racey' put on the England shirt, a nation stood proud.
And above all, he scored great goals. Usually it was a cup-winning shot in the final minute of the game. (Well it was fiction, after all).
But it is the spirit of a bygone era, not just winning, which will resurface with the Rovers' return. Roy will appear in a re-run of classic strips, and alongside depictions of real football luminaries such as Trevor Francis and Malcolm 'Supermac' Macdonald.
Enlarge
Meet the team, mullets and all, while exchanges between Roy and his rivals never feature coarse language
Even for Roy there is no hiding from the pressure and expectations of the fans
Fans who idolised him in their youth - many of whom now have grandchildren - will be able to relive three of the fair-haired forward's most memorable matches.
The one-off World Cup souvenir edition goes on sale today and, it is hoped, there will still be plenty of games, goals and glory for Roy to oversee.
English commentators still talk about players pulling off 'real Roy of the Rovers stuff' - a phrase that has entered the language now to describe a spectacular goal that turns around the fortunes of a match
Enlarge
Displaying silky skills that even Rooney would envy the England team led by Roy are a force to be reckoned with
Roy of the Rovers scored his first goal in 1954, and enjoyed a career spanning five decades. He is in his late 70s now and gosh, he hardly seems to have aged.
Yet commentators still talk about players pulling off 'Real Roy of the Rovers stuff' - a phrase that has entered the language now to describe a spectacular goal that turns around the fortunes of a match.
When he first appeared in print it was in long shorts and clumpy boots.
'Cripes!' or 'Stone me!' would be the closest he would get to swearing or blaspheming, and he might easily congratulate a team mate on a 'wizard dribble'.
In those days, no-one knew anything about a footballer's private life, and seldom even cared.
But Roy's role as an ordinary lad who earned his place as a star demanded a little background.
Thus, we learned something about what 'Racey' did off the pitch as well, albeit in keeping with the standards of the day.
But the storylines soon struggled against the real-life exploits of footballers such as George Best, who mirrored Roy's genius on the field but failed to match his personal values.
A new survey has shown that the British either watch, play, read or talk about football more than any other nation in the world.
Hence, Roy began to sport a dodgy haircut in the early Keegan mould, and to feature in plots that focused on his personal life as well as his game.
But he never made sleazy Sunday paper headlines.
In 1993, tragedy struck when his celebrated left foot - the power behind all those 'Racey's Rockets' that thumped unfailingly into the back of the net - had to be amputated after a helicopter crash.
So might Roy's return inspire a last-minute goal to in the coming weeks to secure England's fortunes?
Somehow, Rooney of the Rovers just doesn't have the same ring.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROY OF THE ROVERS
Sept 11, 1954: Roy appears on the front cover of the Tiger comic and is later signed for Melchester Rovers. He captains the team to a series of spectacular triumphs.
1960s: Scores twice to secure victory in his England debut against South American side Caragua. Hits both goals against Bagota to win the World Cup for England; and twice in a later World Cup victory over Sao Madro Nacional.
Scores 300th goal for Rovers and breaks 30-year club record.
1970s: Roy of the Rovers becomes a comic in its own right. Melchester win just about every cup going, thanks to 'Racey's Rockets'.
He becomes Britain's first player-manager (even before Kenny Dalglish) and signs a foreign player. Marries club secretary Penny Laine; goes on to father three children.
Brief spell as England manager.
1980s: Roy is shot in 1981 by a crazed actor (the same year that JR was shot in Dallas). Turns down a staggering £1million to coach in the Middle East, Don Revie-style. Adopts a succession of period hairstyles, including a quiff, a mullet, and one that makes him look like a Muppet. Bobby Robson names Roy in his England squad for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. A terrorist bomb later kills eight long-standing team mates.
Penny leaves Roy, whose popularity is now so strong that the storyline makes (the real) national TV news.
1990s: Rejects $8million contract to manage USA World Cup team (thank goodness). Survives helicopter crash but loses left foot. Final issue of Roy of the Rovers Monthly in March 1993 has black cover to mark his passing.
He makes sporadic appearances in annuals and other publications.
2001: The last chapter is closed when Match of the Day magazine, which revived the storylines, ceases publication.
dailymail.co.uk
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