Season Review 1999/2000

Roy Race started the season hoping that the F.A. Cup win of 1999 could inspire Melchester Rovers onto greater things. Per Enqvist and long term target David Gates were signed to strengthen a thin squad that would have to fight in Europe as well as at home this campaign.

League Champions, Western Villa were defeated at Wembley in the Charity Shield, but early season form was patchy. Rovers made hard work despatching French opponents in the UEFA Cup, needing a Declan McKaffree away goal to progress.

Dec wasn't getting as many first-team chances as he would like, mainly thanks to the goalscoring form of Rocky Race. But just as things were looking up for Rovers and a title challenge emerging, Rocky's bad luck struck again. Away at Gatesfield, Rocky suffered serious ligament damage turning for the ball. It was a bad one.

Of course poor form followed, with just one point gained from the four matches without Rocky. More injuries hindered Roy's tactical changes, Keith Durham and Anton Gronvold both ruled out for long periods. But Roy inspired his young side, Per Enqvist and David Gates coming into the team and playing superbly.

However, it wouldn't be enough to prevent defeat in Europe. It was Karl Bruckner's UEFA Cup holders Rassburg turn to benefit from the away goals rule and put Rovers out.

But Premier League form was solid and the gap to Western Villa at the top was slowly eroded. In typical Roy of the Rovers fashion, Rocky would return from injury to fire the winner against Castlemere to keep Rovers in the title race. Not even Dion Templeton's injury gained scoring the winner at Melborough was enough to derail the Rovers train.

It would all go down to the last match against Champions and leaders Western Villa. Back in the starting line up, Rocky, of course grabbed the winner and his first league title!

1999/2000 Melchester Rovers line-up, players

Line-up:

1999/2000 Melchester Rovers line-up, players

Squad:
G - Cooper, Marshall
D - Marcello, Wootten, Nash, Kerrigan, Lawrence, Gates
M - Gronvold, Bracken, Durham, Evans, Enqvist, Argent
F - Race, Templeton, McKaffree, Bishop

Notes:
There's a lot of assumptions made in compiling the team elevens as so few images are given for the matches. However, Roy gives lots of hints about key players and injuries, so with the small squad it can be pieced together. Roy also names his entire squad in the 2000 Annual which is a great help.

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2 Comments

  1. Hi
    I have always thought that it would be a good idea for David Beckham to play Roy Race in a movie.
    Roy Race was the famous fictional comic book football player who played for top English side Melchester Rovers.
    David Beckham is a world famous football player who is always keen to expand his talents.
    My idea would be Beckham could play Roy Race, as Roy Race has progressed into football management for Melchester Rovers.
    The film could look at the pressures of looking after his son who has become a football player, or the career as a football manager playing top European teams.
    The film could be live action or cartoon.
    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


    Rory Fyfe Smith

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