Following up on news on the new Roy of the Rovers creative team, publishers Rebellion have unveiled the brand new Melchester Rovers club crest – and a hint of dark times for the famous fictional football club.
Featuring a modern, sleek design and a nod to the history of Roy of the Rovers – which made its debut in Tiger back in 1954 – the publishers say the brand new Melchester Rovers crest represents a new era for the club after so many years out of the public eye.
The “nod” appears to be more of an acknowledgment of Roy of the Rovers first home, in Tiger, which sported the animal prominently in its logo, than the Melchester crest of the 1950s. I had a quick scour through the copies of Tiger I have for 1954 and 1955 and the crest, where it appears on the club shirts, is near impossible to make out – and disappears entirely in some issues.

Front cover of Tiger (13 April 1963 edition), featuring Roy of the Rovers drawn by Paul Trevillion
Titan’s Bumper Book of Roy of the Rovers features a reproduction of a 1950s ROTR team line-up and the crest on that is very traditional.
The new badge, revealed on the ROTR official site, will make its on-pitch debut in the 2018/19 season, in what is sure to be a tough year for the club as it takes on the challenges of League Two.
Yes – you read that right – League Two! A far cry from the halcyon days Melchester once enjoyed it seems, and you’ll have to wait to find out why the club’s fallen on such hard times – the new Roy of the Rovers kicks off in September.
(Needless to say, the news of Melchester’s relegation promoted dismay over on Twitter).
We’ve heard that despite this grim news, there are some talented young prospects looking to burst through the ranks into the senior team, and we’re certain that the future is looking very bright indeed for Melchester and the Rovers faithful…
• Roy of the Rovers official site: https://royoftheroversofficial.com
• Keep up to date with Roy of the Rovers and follow the project on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Roy of the Rovers © Rebellion Publishing Ltd.

A Melchester Rovers line up featuring Roy of the Rovers, featured in The Bumper Book of Roy of the Rovers
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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