Roy of the Rovers realistic level. By the time the strip ended in March 1995 Melchester were in dire straits, on the verge of bankruptcy, and their long-term future far from certain. When the strip returned in "Match of the Day" magazine in May 1997, much of the monthly comic's new continuity was ignored, although the basic thread of the club having struggled against relegation and being severely in debt was continued. It was revealed in the first strip that in the intervening years, while Rovers had managed to survive the threat of bankruptcy, a bribery scandal had caused a mass exodus of players
Roy of the Rovers (comic) the comic until 1990. The Stewarts were fairly strait-laced characters, a marked contrast to the maverick "Rapper" Hardisty of later goalkeeper-focused strip Goalmouth. Having previously been the lead strip in the short-lived "Hot Shot" comic, Playmaker went on to become one of the more popular strips of the latter years of "Roy of the Rovers" (1989–92). The story followed Andy Steel, a prodigious 15-year-old midfielder for Millside City in the First Division. Later strips would see him transfer to rich Second Division club Lands Park, and finally to big-name Spanish side Real Catania, along with his team-mate and fellow prodigy