Roy Race as manager of Rovers just in time to save the Rovers from relegation to Division Two. The 1997-98 saw Race bring in his graduate daughter Melinda to help generate funds and keep Race'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 back to the Premiership. 1999 saw Rovers beat a Castlemere team managed by Johnny Dexter to win the FA Cup following extra time. In 2018, the Roy Race name was re-booted by Rebellion Publishing with the Roy of the Rovers
Roy of the Rovers anchormen making appearances was a later development. When Roy announced his resignation as Rovers manager in 1992, he did so live on Sky Sports in front of shocked presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray. Roy was created by the author Frank S. Pepper, who had created the similar strip, Danny of the Dazzlers, but he only wrote four instalments of Roy of the Rovers, because of his commitments to another of his characters, Captain Condor. His role was taken by the strip's first artist Joe Colquhoun, who used the pen-name "Stewart Colwyn". He was replaced after four-and-a-half years by Derek