Roy Race
| Roy Race | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Tiger |
| First appearance | 1954 |
| Created by | Frank S. Pepper |
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roy Race | ||
| Date of birth | 21 October 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Melchester, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Melchester Rovers | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1954 | Melchester Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1955–1983 | Melchester Rovers | 245 | (200) |
| 1983 | Walford Rovers | 21 | (45) |
| 1983–1993 | Melchester Rovers | 256 | (236) |
| 1986 | →Burnside Athletic (div4) | 3 | (3) |
| 1987 | →Ajax Alkmar | 1 | (2) |
| 1987 | →Kleindorf | 1 | (2) |
| 1987 | →Reims University | 1 | (2) |
| National team | |||
| 1963–1987 | England | 43 | (52) |
| 1979 | Basran | 3 | (6) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1975–1983 | Melchester Rovers | ||
| 1978 | England (Caretaker) | ||
| 1983 | Walford Rovers | ||
| 1983–1993 | Melchester Rovers | ||
| 1992 – present | England 'B' | ||
| 1994–1996 | AC Monza | ||
| 1996 – present | Melchester Rovers | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
Roy Race was a British comic strip character, a professional football player who appeared in the comic strip "Roy of the Rovers". The strip first appeared in the boys' comic Tiger in 1954 and continued for 22 years before giving its name to a new weekly (and later monthly) comic magazine, published by IPC and Fleetway from 1976 until 1995, in which it was the main feature.
The character is a fondly remembered childhood memory for several generations of British men.
Roy Race was brought up surrounded by football. His father's few footballing medals and trophies from a mediocre career in the 1930s twinkled like stars on the sideboard and Mel Park, the grand old stadium of his local team Melchester Rovers, as Roy recalled "Stood like heaven at the end of the street." Not that young Roy needed any encouragement; football was in his blood. A fine all-round athlete, he was a naturally gifted footballer, making up for his lack of muscle with the subtle touches that had been missing from his father's own career.
In 1954 he was playing for Melchester Area Schools under-14s, a year later he signed schoolboy forms for Melchester Rovers, the only club he had ever wanted to play for. At sixteen, Roy made his first appearance for Melchester Rovers. This was no ordinary debut. An injury to Rovers regular striker meant that the young apprentice was drafted into the side for the 1959 European Cup final. It was a dream, a fantasy, a fairy tale. Roy twisted and turned his big Spanish marker, leading the line like a man twice his age. With 10 minutes left, and the game goalless, he broke free on the edge of the area and let fly with the shot that made his name: "Racey's Rocket". It screamed into the net. Rovers were Champions of Europe and had a new hero.
Roy Race would go on to have the longest and most celebrated careers in world football. Within two seasons he was made captain, and together with his best friend and striking partner Blackie Gray won practically every trophy there is. Sadly injury always meant that Race was never able to appear in the World Cup finals or European Championships and hence he was always denied the chance to lead England to the highest footballing glory.
In 1976 Race married Rovers club Secretary Penny and a year later they gave birth to twins, Roy and Melinda, a further daughter was born in 1982 called Diana.
Roy Race became player manager of Melchester Rovers in 1978 leading Rovers to League Championship success in his first season, however an alarming drop in form and injuries resulted in Rovers getting relegated following the 1980-81 season. In a December issue of 1981 Roy was shot and seriously wounded by a lone gunman in his manager's office. A man by the name of Elton Blake was arrested for attempted murder and once Race had recovered from his coma he was able to lead Rovers to promotion back to the first division in their final games of that season.
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