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Milestones

Roy's playing career spanned five decades, culminating in his horrific injury of 1993 and the closure of the Roy of the Rovers comic. Thanks to the BBC Match of the Day Magazine, his Comic strip story was revived in May 1997 and continued until May 2001. The following "Milestones" have been identified as significant to his career and his adventures in the various publications he has appeared in. (Taken from the old official website - written by Mark Towers)


1954-1955
Roy appears on the front cover of the first issue of Tiger 'The Sport and Adventure Picture Story Weekly' on 11th September 1954. He is subsequently signed on for Melchester Rovers by talent scout Alf Leeds.

Roy Race and his school pal, Blackie Gray, make their debuts for Melchester reserves.


1955-1956
Roy and Blackie make their first team debuts, in 3-3 draw, against Elbury Wanderers (Roy scores twice).


1956-1957

Rovers finish fourth in the League their highest post war finish.


1957-1958

League Champions


1958-1959

Roy is appointed captain of Melchester Rovers.

FA Cup Winners, 3-2 against Langton United (Roy 2).


1959-1960

Bobby Charlton starts to write the Roy of the Rovers story on 13th February 1960.

League Champions


1960-1961

FA Cup Winners, 2-1 against Corstone City (Roy 2).


1961-1962

Italian club Stadia Baton offer £85,000 for Roy.

Rovers play first competitive game in Europe against Schonved of Hungary and lose 2-1.


1962-1963

Roy makes his England debut against South American side Caragua. England win 3-1 (Roy 2).

League Champions


1963-1964

European Cup Winners, 3-2 against Neifruno of Italy (Roy 1).


1964-1965

World Club Cup Winners, 2-1 against Bagota of South America (Roy 2).


1965-1966

Rovers knocked out of European Cup by part-timers Trondheim from Norway and out of League Cup by Fourth Division side Midbury Town.

FA Cup Winners, 2-1 against Eastoke United (Roy 1).


1966-1967

European Cup Winners 2-1 against Alcero of Portugal (Roy 2).

Rovers win last League game of the season, 7-0 against Melboro, to avoid relegation.


1967-1968

Roy scores his 300th goal for Rovers and breaks a 30-year-old club scoring record.

League Champions


1968-1969


European Cup Winners, 3-1 against Santova Rapid of Portugal. Roy scores Rovers' second goal.

Ken Millar and Terry West grab the others and a dazed Blackie Gray scores one for the opposition!


1969-1970  

World Club Cup Winners, 2-1 against Sao Madro Nacional of South America (Roy 2).

Roy selected for England in the 1970 World Cup, Mexico.

FA Cup Winners 4-1 against Seaford Athletic (Roy 1).


1970-1971


European Cup-Winners' Cup Winners, 2-1 against Standard Wasserdam of Belgium (Roy 1).


1971-1972

League Champions

FA Cup Winners, 3-2 against Cranville United.


1972-1973

European Cup Winners 2-0 against Corados of Portugal (Roy 1).

Roy and Blackie play for England in 2-1 win against Italy (Roy 1).


1973-1974

League Cup Winners, 1-0 against Highwood (Roy 1)

FA Cup Winners, 2-0 against Burndean (Roy 2).


1974-1975

Roy appointed player-manager.

European Cup-Winners Cup Winners, 2-0 against Niarkos of Greece (Roy 2).


1975-1976


Roy scores hat-trick for England in 3-0 win against France in the European Nations Cup.

Roy marries Ben Galloway's secretary Penny Laine. (Only after a football match earlier in the day of course!)


1978-1977

Rovers equal league record of 29 games unbeaten.

League Champions

Roy becomes father of twins Roy jnr. and Melinda.


1977-1978


Roy takes over as caretaker-manager of England and after defeating Holland 5-1 turns down the full-time job.

Rovers beaten 3-2 by Alkhoven of Holland in the European Cup Final (Roy 1).


1978-1979

Roy offered £1 million to become National Coach of Basran in the Middle East.

Roy equals record for the fastest ever goal, scoring in just four seconds against Kelburn in the FA Cup.

UEFA Cup Winners 3-1 on aggregate against Rassburg of West Germany (Roy 2).


1979-1980  

League Champions


1980-1981

Rovers relegated to Division Two.


1981-1982

Roy is shot!

Rovers set a new league goal-scoring record 14-0 against Keysborough.

Rovers set new league record 34 games undefeated.

Roy writes a weekly page in the Reading FC programme.

Second Division Champions


1982-1983

Roy's daughter Diana is born.

Mel Park becomes Britain's first all-seater stadium.

Roy resigns and joins Walford Rovers as player-manager.


1983-1984

Blackie Gray is appointed player-manager of Melchester Rovers.

Roy is reinstated as player-manager at Melchester

FA Cup Winners, 2-1 against Walford Rovers (Roy 1).


1984-1985

Roy captains England against France in 1-1 draw (Roy 1).

Roy sponsors Pompey striker Alan Biley.

Roy writes for the Manchester City Magazine Junior Blues.

European Cup-Winners' Cup Winners, 2-2 against Real Santana of Spain (Roy) Rovers win 5-3 on penalties (Roy 1).


1985-1986

Bobby Robson names Roy in his England squad for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Rovers set new league record of 12 consecutive games without conceding a goal.

Milk Cup Winners, 3-0 against Tynecaster Roy (1).


1986-1987

A terrorist bomb in Basran kills eight team members. They are: Noel Baxter, Vic Guthrie, Steve Naylor, Carl Hunt, Neville Jones, Kenny Logan, Jimmy Slade and Trevor Cassidy.

Littlewoods Cup Winners, 2-1 against Stambridge City (Roy 2).

Roy scores both goals in England's 2-0 victory over Turkey in the European Championships.


1987-1988

As part of the club's drive against hooliganism, Rovers' new family enclosure is opened.

League Champions


1988-1989

Mel Park suffers an earthquake and subsides. Rovers play their 'home' games at Wembley Stadium.

Rovers beat Melboro 3-1 in the last game of the season to avoid relegation (Roy 2).


1989-1990

FA Cup Winners, 2-1 against Weston Villa (Roy 1).


1990-1991

Roy jnr. signs pro forms with Rovers.

Roy rejects offer of $8 million five-year contract to become manager of the 1994 USA World Cup team.


1991-1992

League Champions, Roy sets new league goal-scoring record, notching up his 436th goal.

Roy appointed player-manager of England 'B' team and wins a four-nation tournament v USA, France and Segovia.


1992-1993


Roy resigns as manager live on Sky TV.

Roy is reinstated as player-manager.

Roy crashes his helicopter and is critically injured and in a coma.

The last edition of the Roy of the Rovers comic is published on 23rd March 1993


1993-1994

Roy of the Rovers Monthly is published in September 1993 and runs for 19 issues.

Out of the coma, Roy learns that his left foot has been amputated. Roy recovers and leaves hospital to become manager of Italian side AC Monza. His son 'Rocky', continues his father's tradition as 'Roy of the Rovers', scoring on his Melchester debut. The last issue of the Roy of the Rovers Monthly is produced in
March 1995. A late winner from Rocky ensures premiership survival for the Rovers.

However, soon after that match a Melchester Director is found guilty of attempting to bribe the opposition to throw the game.


1994-1995

Roy of the Rovers - The Playing Years is published, charting the playing career of Roy Race from 1954 to 1993. The book is launched in conjunction with an exhibition.



Left - the 'Bible' of Roy of the Rovers publications - "The Playing Years".
A further tragedy shatters the Race family as Roy's wife Penny is killed in a car crash. The true circumstances of the crash remain a mystery to this day. Roy quit Monza and football and Rocky quits Rovers to join fierce local rivals Melborough.

1995-1996

More top players leave the Rovers as the bribery scandal shames the club. Rovers were relegated at the end of the season into Division One.


1996-1997

Roy returns to manage the club and arrives in time to save the Rovers from relegation again. This time it would have been into Division Two.


1997-1998

The Roy of the Rovers story makes its long awaited comeback in the launch issue of the BBC Match of the Day Magazine (May/June 1997). Roy brings in his graduate daughter Melinda to help generate funds and keep Roy's financial backers the Vinter brothers off his back. Melchester Rovers finish the season fourth in
Division One but win the Wembley play off final to gain promotion to the Premiership.


1998-1999

Melchester Rovers managed by Roy Race win the FA Cup in extra time.


1999-2000

The first Roy of the Rovers Annual is produced since 1994 to mark the Millennium. Roy of the Rovers from cover to cover.

The launch of Roy of the Rovers.com; the 'Official' web site to celebrate the
existence of one of the heroes of the footballing world.


2000-2001

Another chapter in the Roy of the Rovers story closes as the Match of the Day Magazine cease publication in May 2001

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