Tiger 26th October 1974

 It's my favourite day of the year - the first day of the football season. I have to wait until the last game of the round to see my team play, I can only cross my fingers and hope we get the football action I crave. Back on the pages of Tiger, there is plenty of football action to indulge in, with four of the eight stories being football-centric. Not all of it is Premier League level, but the entertainment level is much higher -you don't get many nil-all draws in Tiger. In the real world it's only two hours until kick-off, let's jump in quickly and see what's happening in Tiger back in 1974.

26th October 1974

Skid Solo

We are at the champions race and it's the usual situation with Skid leading and Sparrow sitting second. Things don't stay this way for long as one of Skid's tyres shreds itself and Skid is forced to pit. It's a quick change and twenty seconds later Skid is back on the track, now behind Sparrow.

As the on-track racing continues, Sandy receives a phone call from London. It's the Sports Star of the Year award, and the caller enlists Sandy's help to get the winner to the prize-giving dinner. There's just one catch. It's a secret, even to the winner, and Sandy is going to have to be canny to get the winner there without raising suspicion.

Back at the race and Skid is making a final surge to catch up with Sparrow. He almost succeeds on the final lap, and in a photo finish, they end in a dead heat. 

As the drivers congratulate one another, Sandy pulls Skid aside and tells him that Sparrow has won the Sports Star of the Year award. Skid is immediately on the same wavelength as Sandy, and when Sandy slyly asks Sparrow if he would like to go out for dinner that night Skid does his best to encourage him.

Sandy tells Sparrow he must dress up for the occasion, and Skid pushes him along, telling him he has ten minutes to get ready. The surprise is sprung soon after as they enter the awards dinner. Sparrow is surprised, but the ever-crafty Sandy tells them it might be fun, they may even know the winner. 

He is right, and after a preamble from the MC the winner is announced - Skid Solo! Sandy and Sparrow have both been in on it, and it is Skid who has been tricked into attending.

Not the racing story we expect from Skid Solo, but the perfect twist that I have come to enjoy so much in these off-season stories. The cover was misleading, yet a nice hook to draw us in, with Skid's car shredding its tire midrace. The race itself was good. It was not compelling but offered just enough for Skid Solo fans to see their hero in action. The crux of the story was in the final few panels, and this was the most enjoyable part of the story for me. Once again we got to see Skid dressed to the nines (the last time was just a couple of weeks ago when he went to Buckingham Palace) and both he and Sandy scrub up very nicely. An excellent final twist almost lifted this to the same level as a Skid Solo Grand Prix race issue, and I found it charming and enjoyable. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You--you twisters! You knew! Both of you..." 

Nipper

The captions to the first two panels of this week's story tell us everything we need to know about Nipper. Sixteen years old, idol of Blackport, five feet four inches of fiery-tempered aggression. Ah yes, that's the Nipper I know and love.

We also learn that Nipper is on his way to breaking the club record of fifty-four goals in a season and already has nine under his belt. Make that ten, as he slots home another with his favourite shot - the horizontal bicycle kick. 

Adored by the fans, not everyone watching is enamoured by his exploits. In the press box sports reporter Brian Crawford watches on, just waiting for Nipper to crack under the pressure. 

Yelling at the crowd, Nipper misses the pass coming his way, surrendering possession and almost a goal. He is only saved by his goalie, Don Wilson, who bravely dives at the feet of the attacking player. 

As halftime is whistled, Nipper walks off the field towards the stormy-faced manager Andy Steward. It looks like he might be in for a rough talk at halftime. 

Last week I said I would like to meet more of Nipper's surrounding cast and I get that this week as we meet a couple more of his teammates, his fans, Brian Crawford, and most critically, Andy Steward. All will play their various parts in the coming years, and this is a great issue for settling them all out and giving us an idea of what they are made of. Andy Stewart is an instant favourite, and if a picture is worth a thousand words then the final panel is worth a thousand angry ones. Nothing groundbreaking here, just a lot of information to digest. We are building nicely to the next issue, and I can't wait to see the talking to Nipper is going to get. It's going to make Alex Ferguson's hairdryer treatment seem like a quiet fireside chat.

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "I can't help it, Skipper! Everyone is on at me about that perishing record these days...!" 

Tallon Of The Track

Everyone loves a good crash in Tallon of the Track, and the opening image of two bikes spilling into each immediately gets my pulse racing. 

It is Sven Jansson and Jim Foster of the Ospreys and it's only the sheer skill of the opposing riders that saves them from serious injury. Even so, their injuries are serious enough and Jim Foster is taken from the track in an ambulance. 

The heat is called off, and the race restarts. Sven Jansson is shaken, but courageously rides on, and manages the unthinkable; holding the two Marsden riders at bay and winning the points for the Ospreys.

He is happy with his victory and boldly tells Jo that there is still a chance to win the meeting, Jo is far from convinced and reminds them that now with three reserve riders riding, it's just not possible to keep up the pace. 

Tallon of the Track only has a page and a half, not a lot of room to spin a story. There is enough here to advance the story, although a lot of was dealing with the crash. Everything takes time and panels, and by the time we had cleared the track and prepared for the restart, we were already over to the second page. It made it hard to truly lose myself in the story. Just as I thought something was about to happen we were down and I'm forced to wait until next week. I hope in future issues this story will get more time on the page to breathe, although at this stage it doesn't seem likely. A fine story, frustratingly all too short. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Another couple of seconds and his nerve will break! It's got to!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

With a minibus skidding toward them through the driving rain at Melchester Airport, Roy and his Rovers must think quickly. It is Roy who reacts fastest, throwing a large kit hamper in front of the minibus, which not only breaks its speed but also makes the bus skid away from them.

It's a breathless start, but the story slows after this action. The driver of the bus comes face to face with Tony Storme and it is his old nemesis Archie Miller, manager of Carford City. Terse words are exchanged and later while Roy talks to Jimmy Slade he hints at some history between Archie Miller and Tony Storme, going back to their playing days. Roy promises to tell more, but only if Jimmy has a good game on Saturday.

This seems to inspire Jimmy, and he plays a blinder. And while on the field Rovers go two-nil up, in the back office Ben Galloway waits for the draw of the next round of the European Cup to be made. Phone pressed to his ear, he has a shocked expression as he tells Tony Storme he won't believe who they've drawn. 

I think we all have a pretty good idea of who that might be, with plenty of foreshadowing on the first page of the comic. It's not rocket science, but it is highly enjoyable, and I'm just as curious as Jimmy Slade to learn about the back story between Tony Storme and Archie Miller. The drama of the minivan came and went all too fast, and it didn't feel like a real threat, although it was a  nice fish hook to get us here from the end of last week and introduce us to Archie. The rainy scenes were the best panels of the story, and after this, we were sadly reduced to a lot of talking heads, broken up by two panels of Jimmy Slade's on-field exploits. I don't expect to be surprised by next week's draw and the best I can hope for is some more lovely-looking art and the promise of future conflict. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Well, I'll be...Archie Miller! You alright old son?"

Hot Shot Hamish 

Poor old Hamish. He saved a goal but knocked himself out in the process. Laying prone on the ground, the coaching staff attend to him while down the sideline comes running one of the villagers that Hamish helped earlier in the day. The villager carries a large bottle and although he tells them he isn't a medic, he does have the medicine that will restore Hamish to full fitness.

Mr McWhacker is doubtful, yet before he can do anything Hamish has grabbed the bottle and consumed all of its horrible-tasting contents.  Seconds later Hamish is back on his feet and running into the field. Tackling one of his own men, he dribbles towards the goal and hits his famous hotshot.

The goalkeeper gets his hand to it, something he regrets as the shot crushes his hand against the goalpost before the ball rebounds back into action. Bouncing like a pinball, it wipes out half the Spanish side and we end the strip with Hamish surveying the bodies on the field and appealing to the ref that he's done nothing wrong. The ref agrees, but Hamish must still face the angry crowd who hurl rubbish and abuse at him. 

Excellent, Excellent, excellent. I think this may be the first time we have seen the hotshot since Hamish arrived on the pages of Tiger. It was worth the wait and provided a great demonstration of the power of his shot, and what the story is all about. Hamish is an innocent in possession of great power, and although it is a fearsome force he remains humble and apologetic throughout. I enjoyed seeing his body language and apology after hitting the hotshot, although just a page earlier I silently cheered as he struck it. We will be seeing plenty more of the hotshot in the next ten years, and every time will be just as thrilling as this. The man has finally lived up to his name, and I'm more than happy to see it., 

Rating: 8.5/10

Best line: "Och, awa'! Hamish has taken oot half the Spanish side..." 

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

Johnny Cougar is weird and getting weirder. Something I would normally applaud, but this week I'm not so sure...

Johnny is facing off against Robin Good, a man who has based his whole schtick on Robin Hood of long ago. Facing off against Johnny on a fallen tree across a stream, we have a direct copy of Robin Hood facing Little John, and just like in that ancient story, it is the bigger man, in this case Johnny Cougar, who wins the fight.

That's not the end of it, and although Robin Good has been dunked in the river, Johnny and Splash are still prisoners and Robin's men surround them. Armed with bows and arrows, the men offer no chance of escape for Johnny and Splash. 

Back at the outlaw's camp, Johnny and Spalsh are placed in a wooden cage, while Robin shows off the wrestling ring they have constructed to keep themselves fit. Robin invites Johnny to take him on in the ring and from here on next week's issue practically writes itself. 

I love Robin Hood. I love Johnny Cougar. I'm not sure I love the two of them together. Scratch that - I'm sure I don't like the two of them together. Sure, next week will be wrestling action. It will also be men running around in tights in the modern day. It might be fine for some people, but sadly it's not for me. One thing that is for me is the art. I said it last week and I'll say it again, the artwork is stunning throughout Johnny Cougar and every panel is brimming with intense detail. This was the strip where I paid the least attention to the storyline, but on the other hand, I paid the most attention to the art. Splendid throughout and my only wish is that it had a better story paired with it.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Cougar not wish to remember. Time to stop this foolishness!"  

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

Martin and Tiny had a smashing arrival at the reception for the rally drivers last week, crashing in the middle of the dining table. All eyes are looking accusingly as they climb out of the car, and it looks as though they may be thrown out for gate crashing.

Keen to prove their identity they jump in a nearby mini with the intention of showing the crowds they are who they say they are,. After a quick spin across the lawn, they find themselves driving up the entrance steps to the reception hall and through the lobby. A quick detour through the kitchen and they soon appear on the other side of the building, now speeding towards the pond. By chance, there is a pair of statues of leaping dolphins, and they use these as a ramp to jump the pond. 

Coming to a halt in front of the crowd, they receive a round of applause- the crowd is now convinced they are who they say they are. We end the comic on a high as a cheque is presented to the winner, sadly not Martin and Tiny, before the master of ceremonies reminds everyone that Mr Carltion had promised a five thousand pound prize to Martin and Tiny if they finished ahead of his Carlton Cars, which they have done. Presented with a five thousand pound cheque the boys are ecstatic with shouts that they had forgotten about that and now they are rich. 

Hmmm, they forgot but did the writers also forget? It is now several weeks since the race and this seems like a sudden call back after seeing the boys struggle for money. I'm pleased with the outcome, although the rest of the story never grabbed me. The car action was easy on the eye, yet it meant nothing in regard to the overall story. With money in hand, our two pals can now move on and hopefully once again embark on a wider journey. The London to Sydney Rally was great, but since we have finished the story has stagnated. Here's hoping for a reboot next week and a nice juicy storyline for Martin and Tiny. 

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "What on earth are those two dreadful men up to now?"

Billy's Boots

Billy is still playing in the charity match against the police team, and in the first panels of this week's strip, we see him win a penalty and convert the goal. 

The next morning at Billy's school the headmaster receives a call from local scout Harry Pope. Although the headmaster can't see Billy's name on any of the school's teams, Harry asks if he could see him play in his next school match.

Calling the sports master to his office, the headmaster tells him to play Billy in the next game and although the sports master tells him that Billy has been out of form recently he agrees to do so. 

The day arrives, and when the referee inspects the boys' boots before the game he tells Billy he needs to fix some of the nails in his old boots. There is barely enough time before kickoff, and Billy is handed a pair of normal boots and sent onto the field. 

With the scout watching on, Billy blazes his first shot well wide of the goal. He is feeling powerless without his special boots, and his confidence takes another blow when one of his teammates tells him there is a scout watching. 

Typical of Billy Dane and Billy's Boots in general. He has his moment in the sun and invariably something happens to his boots and he must play without them. It's the premise of this whole strip and something we will see time and time again. I'm happy with that, this is what I want to read and part of the fun is seeing how the writers can mix it up and make it interesting each variation. I don't feel any real drama or urgency to read the next issue, it will be what it will be. Enjoyable, but hardly taxing. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Dane? He doesn't seem to be in our school team...I've got a team-list here in my hand..." 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Hot Shot Hamish 

Best Line: "Please, Senor, in my village I am el medico...not a proper doctor, you understand...but I have the healing skills!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: