Tiger 19th April 1975

Several stories are off to a fresh start, and in particular I look forward to seeing where Tallon Of The Track will go next. Johnny Cougar also has a new adventure awaiting, and this week is laying down the groundwork for that. All in all, a transition week for many of the stories, while a couple of others are reaching their climax. A good mix, and with a couple of firm favourites chugging along nicely, this week should be an interesting read.

Tiger

19th April 1975

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton

A new adventure for Johnny Cougar this week and I look forward to seeing what situation our hero will be thrown into this time. 

The set-up is brief and to the point. Mister Mitchell is a P.E. teacher in the Midlands who seems to suffer mysterious accidents in the gymnasium. We learn this from three of his pupils, who discuss this after seeing the legs of the pommel horse collapse under him, seemingly sawn through.

Coincidently, Johnny Cougar is wrestling a Chinaman that very night in the town (Also, Dude, "Chinaman" is not the preferred nomenclature). The three boys, Tom Dailey, Danny Barlow, and Bobby Jackson approach Johnny Cougar after the fight and ask him for help. 

A basic set-up, and with the story still in embryonic form it is the artwork that carries the day. The faces of the three boys tell a story, and every time all three of them are in a panel the story leaps forward. Not a lot of Johnny Cougar in the story yet, although we did see him briefly wrestling a Chinese opponent. That fight is kept simple, with a headbutt and a sidestep, and with little fanfare it is just a chance to see Johnny do something in the ring. Splash is off at a swimming event, and didn't appear on the page with Johnny this week. Instead, we saw him making a phone call to tell Johnny how it was going. What this means for the future, I'm not sure, but potentially he may not be appearing in this story. That's understandable, with the three boys already to draw Johnny into the mystery, having Splash on the scene would clutter up the panels with extra bodies. We should learn more about the story to come next week, but for now, this has been a firm beginning. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Johnny Cougar! He's wrestling in our local town hall tonight! He'll know what to do...he always does, the Tiger and Scorcher!"  

Tallon Of The Track

The Ospreys are back in Britain, and Jo is angry at Basil Oldfield, the club chairman, yes - all is once again right in the world. 

The cause of Jo's anger is the possibility that the stadium will be closed down. Sir Basil only leases the stadium for the local property company, and it has now been sold to a new owner who wants to build a factory on the site. 

Jo is determined that this won't be happening under her watch, and learning that the new owner is a wealthy American millionaire called Miles Guthrie, she sets off to confront him. 

Miles Guthrie lives at Barnaby Grange, a country estate befitting a man of his wealth. Jo arrives with Dave and comments that it looks like he has built a private runway in the grounds, no doubt for his private jet. 

This assumption is dispelled in the next few panels as we see a drag racing bike howling down the asphalt towards them. Jo and Dave and forced to dive aside as the bike roars past them and after admiring the speed of the machine they are soon talking to the rider who is, unsurprisingly, Miles Guthrie.  

Miles confirms that yes, he does want to build a factory where the stadium now stands, a factory to build new dragster engines. This riles up Jo, who puts her case forward. The end result is Miles Guthrie challenges Jo to a series of different speed events and should she win he'll let them keep the stadium. We finish with the first look at what the first event will be with a pair of sleek aerodynamic bikes shown in the garage. 

Much better than the Russian storylines, we are back to the Tallon Of The Track that I know and love. This series of speed events holds great potential, and as much as I wanted to see speedway action, this is just as good. The bikes lined up for next week looked fantastic on the page, and the artist has imbued them with a sense of speed, even sitting still in the garage as they are. Miles Guthrie is shaping up to be a good character and a worthy opponent to Jo. Again, the panels with him on his bike were full of speed and energy and I could feel the pace at which they were moving just looking at the page. Next week can't come fast enough, and I look forward to seeing this story speed forward. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Sweetie-pie, this is a private pad...and I'm the kinda guy who does what he likes on his own property!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny take the easy route, across a bridge, after seeing another car sink in the river on the novelty race course. 

After this soft start, we see the Mini take on a steep muddy slope before making their way back onto the surfaced track. Shortly after they are back at the starting point and speaking to a track marshal in the pits. He offers them some advice - get into the lead as soon as you can and stay there, Most of the crashes in the race will be caused by cars behind banging into the cars getting in trouble ahead of them. 

It is sound advice, advice that Martin and Tiny readily take on board. As the race begins Martin steps on it, and as they reach the first obstacle, the pipe tunnel, they are in third place. Martin is going too fast, and they find the car driving towards the roof of the pipe as they round the bend, leaving them no option but to drive faster and hope they go right over and down the other side. 

A slow start after seeing the river jump at the end of last week, I was sure we would begin with seeing the Mini taking on the ramp. Driving over the bridge was the correct option, and although it didn't thrill me it was still correct for the characters. Now that the race has started I am far more engaged, and this drama of the pipe and driving on the roof of it, not only looks spectacular but has me dying to see what happens next. The race is filled with obstacles such as this, and if we have such drama at each one we shall be in for a long and exciting run. The motor racing panels are the best in this strip this week, and there are plenty of them for me to admire. It would be hard to select a favourite, and the quantity of them is thrilling in itself. Each one is a burst of joy, and next week we should be in for more of the same with the Mini taking on this fascinating track. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Too fast! I warned you...we're on the roof!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Rovers are amid their quarter-final against Dynamo Zarnov, and not only facing a hostile crowd but also intimated officials. 

The referee has left the field after being hit by a shot from Roy, and another linesman has taken over. Awarding a free-kick to Rovers he is facing a barrage of abuse, especially as he paces out the distance from the ball the Zarnov players must retreat to. Telling them that he will give them all yellow cards if they don't do as instructed, the new referee earns the respect of the Rovers players. It's Roy who points out that is Hans Kutz, a German referee who once handled a World Cup final. 

Buoyed by 'the Iron Ref" taking charge, Lofty takes his place in his opponent's wall, holding his ground as they gouge, kick, and elbow. As Roy runs in for the kick, Lofty breaks from the wall, leaving space for Roy to shoot home the equalizing goal. 

Determined to strike back, the Dynamo Zarnov players hammer Rovers, scoring at the other end shortly after. However, this goal is waved off as at least three Melchester players were being fouled when the goal was scored. 

From the resulting free-kick, the ball is quickly kicked downfield, and after some fast interplay Roy scores with a diving header to clinch the quarter-finals on aggregate 3-2

Speeding to the airport the players ask about the advice given by the mysterious expert and his note in the bottle. They also question his deliberate kick of the ball at the referee. Roy explains that kicking the ball at the referee was indeed an accident, and the advice in the note was to try a banana shot at the opposition keeper. Roy laughs that he bent it too much, and it clobbered the referee. 

With this game behind them, Roy looks towards the next game, and we see him in the final panel thinking that it is time he stood on his own two feet, and he needs to discover the identity of the mysterious note writer. 

The on-field action was all I could ever want, and l was delighted to see Lofty mixing it up in the opposition wall. It was always going to be Roy scoring from the free kick, so I didn't feel a thrill when that went in. However, his second goal with a diving header was spectacular and I was far more excited to see that. It felt like a proper exciting, air-punching, football moment. The mysterious note writer was kept lowkey for this issue, and the story flowed much better when it was restricted to on-field action., This gave a chance for the artwork to shine, and we had several memorable panels. A steadily improving story, with Roy's final thoughts it looks like the mysterious note writer may be revealed in the next few weeks. I certainly hope so. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Gouge, kick and elbow all you like, chummies! I'm not budging an inch..!"

Billy's Boots 

Billy has a cold, which is unfortunate as this is the week of the final for the Schools Cup. 

Billy tries to go to school during the week but is restricted to bed rest on the orders of his Gran. His pal Jimmy visits, asking if he'll be right for cup day, and telling him that they practised with Granger in his place but Granger was rubbish. 

Billy turns to the pages of Dead-Shot Keen's biography to see what the future might hold for him. Dead-Shot faced the same situation, coming back from a cold to appear in a cup final. For most of that game, he achieved very little, until two minutes from time when he scored a spectacular solo goal to win the match. 

Billy is heartened by this, although he has concerns about being out of form come the match today. He is feeling better and tells his Gran that he is ready to return to school. Good old Gran errs on the side of caution and tells Billy he must stay in bed another day. Billy is desperate to get some practice in before the big game, and to that end, he begins to kick a ball around in his bedroom. The inevitable happens, and Billy sends the ball smashing through a window. This seals the deal in his Gran's eyes, and Billy is soon back to school. 

At school, Billy and the team are told that the bus leaves at eleven-thirty on Saturday to London, and to make sure that they aren't late. Furthermore, they have new shirts for the final. Billy is impressed with the new shirts, and excitement is high within the team. 

The final stepping stone before the final and we see Billy overcoming one last hurdle. His cold has come and gone, he's got a clean bill of health from his Gran, and the bus to London beckons.  Already a couple of different scenarios are playing out in my mind, but we'll have to wait until next week to see what comes to fruition. This wasn't the most exciting issue. A cold isn't the most thrilling thing to happen in a sports comic, and neither is seeing Billy reading his book. However, it is all part of building the story which will climax next week in London. We have marinated in this cup competition long enough, next week it is time for the payoff with a worthy game and a fitting climax to the story. Well, that's what I hope, anyway! 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "So did that football, didn't it? All right...you go to school tomorrow, young man - before you break anything else!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

It's a big day for Hamish Balfour. Not only has he been picked for Scotland, but Mister McWhacker also has an offer of four hundred thousand pounds for his transfer.

This is all dealt with in the following panel as Hamish tells them that he'll never leave Princes Park. The management team is overjoyed, as is Hamish's Daddie who is currently reading the news that Hamish has made the Scottish team. 

Two days later Hamish is awakened by a noise out on the street. It is his father, with both his bagpipes and Hamish's pet sheep, McMutton, who has come to watch him play for his country. Hamish explains to his Daddie that the game is still a month away, and he's too early.

This conversation is interrupted by Hamish's landlady who has arrived to kick Hamish's father out. She'll not have extra people lodging under her roof. Hamish's Daddie is cast out, and although he assures Hamish that he can survive in the big town, Hamish is unconvinced. 

In the following days, nothing more is heard from Hamish's Daddie. Hamish just isn't himself as he is consumed with worry and his form drops off sharply. Watching him put in a feeble effort against Duneaton, Mister McWhacker resorts to desperate measures, disguising himself as Hamish's Daddie in the hope that it will lift Hamish's game. 

I loved the look of Mister McWhacker dressed as Hamish's Daddie, and for everything that came before, this is the final image I will walk away with. A solid story this week and although the drama of the previous week was rapidly undone in the first panels, it was all worthwhile for Hamish's speech declaring his loyalty to Princes Park. Couple with the panel of Mister McWhacker dressed up, this was all I needed from the story and everything else was superfluous. Not quite the top shelf for Hot Shot Hamish, but still a stonking story and anytime Hamish's Daddie arrives we know we are in for chaos and drama.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "But the international match is no' being played until next month, Daddie. Ye're too early" 

Skid Solo

The story of Tommy Carter joining Skid and Sandy continues this week, with all three preparing for a big race. Skid reminds Tommy that Sparrow Smith got his start as working as a mechanic for Skid like Tommy is now.

Watching Sparrow on the track, they see that he is being crowded by another driver, and by the end of the page Sparrow has been run off the track. Skid and his crew run to his aid, Skid being the first there and asking if he's alright. He is, but he is angry that Gino Renga has driven him off the track and not bothered to see if he is all right. 

Gino Renga was the number one driver for Martine cars before Sparrow took over, and the two have some history in this respect. 

Later that afternoon, Skid takes to the track for a fast run. He starts quick enough, but out on the track one of his wheels comes loose and the next moment it's off and so is Skid. Luckily Skid is unharmed, although poor Sandy is facing an all-night job to repair the car.

With the aid of Tommy Carter, Sandy has the car ready for action at 9.30am the following day. Skid is most impressed and asks Sandy if Tommy was much help to him. Sandy assures Skid that Tommy was a great help and worked himself to a standstill. In fact, at that moment Tommy is sleeping at the back of the workshop and not even some teasing from Skid and Sandy can wake him from his slumbers.

We end the story with Sandy telling Skid that he's sure Tommy will be awake for his first Grand Prix as he's just beginning to realise what it's all about. It's a warm moment and a nice way to wrap up this week's episode.

With Renga tangling with Sparrow, there was little room for Skid to become involved in the build-up to the next race. The wheel coming loose and falling off felt shoehorned in and was merely a device to give Skid some danger on the track and prove Tommy's worth in the workshop. This it achieved admirably and the story felt relatively seamless. The stage is now set for the story to heat up next week with Skid, Sparrow, and Renga all taking to the track for some tough racing, and this will be where Tommy really learns what it is all about. It should tick plenty of the boxes for what I look for in a Skid Solo comic, and I can't wait. That doesn't detract from this week's story, and everything here was necessary for what comes next. It was delicately arranged, and we squeezed a lot in, but now we are ready for future episodes and some proper racing drama. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The wee lad's worked himself to a standstill, Skid. In fact, I dinna think I'd have the car ready if it hadna been for his help. He's back there the noo...sleeping!" 

Nipper 

Nipper is roughing it up with an amateur team at the park, while his future at Blackport remains cloudy. At first Nipper struggles, but gritting his teeth he shows his mettle and standing up to the stronger opponents he wins the ball before his class shines through as he drifts through the defence to score. 

A well-dressed man yells encouragement from the sideline and Nipper initially wonders who this new fan could be. He finds out soon enough as the stranger approaches at halftime. It's Harry Roper, the manager of Gatesfield. He lets Nipper know that he's interested in signing him, but Nipper confirms his loyalty to Blackport, before reminding Mr. Roper that he's not allowed to make an approach to Nipper without the manager's permission,.

Mister Roper then drops a bombshell, informing Nipper that his manager has indeed given him permission to make an approach, and made it in writing. 

Nipper feels betrayed by his manager, and as the game resumes his thoughts towards Blackport darken. The Gatesfield offer is appealing, and even more so when Nipper asks how much he'll be paid (yelling from the field, no less) and gets the response that it will be more than what he is currently getting.

It's beginning to look a lot like Nipper will be leaving Blackport. I like the trail of breadcrumbs that has got us to this point, and Gatesfield's approach seems inevitable. With Nipper's girlfriend on hand confirming that it looks like Nipper may be leaving, it's all delicately placed for next week. This week's issue had a fine blend of on-field action and sideline drama, and I appreciated that all this was achieved in two pages. The first page of football was a mix of Nipper's toughness, followed by some finesse, and showed that he is a player for all seasons. Over the page, the transfer drama ramped up, and by the bottom of the page, I was thirsting for more. A great end to this week's issue, and hopefully the Nipper story will appear early in next week's comic so I can find out what happens next. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Think it over, lad! I'll run you up to Gatesfield right after this game, if you like! Let you see our set-up!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Tallon Of The Track

Best Line: "There's no' enough money in the world to make me leave Princes, Sir. I'm a Scotsman...an' I play fer a Scottish club! Princes is my club...and I'll no' leave 'em...never!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 12th April 1975

This is the issue that I have been waiting for - Tallon Of The Track is finally leaving Russia and heading home. Considering that it is one of my favourite stories, I have had a miserable run with it recently, I look forward to more positive storylines with a return to Great Britain. Finally, we learn the secret of the balalaika and can leave Russia with peace of mind. I'm sure the other stories will be great this week, but for now, all I care about is Tallon Of The Track getting back on the straight and narrow and giving me the pleasure of Jo racing her bike at high speed.   

Tiger

12th April 1975

Skid Solo

Both a snake and a horse appear in this week's cover for Skid Solo. The horse raring up in front of Skid's car, the snake in Sandy's exclamation of "Great snakes!"  - an expression that immediately puts me in mind of my late father.

Young Tommy Carter is behind the wheel of the car and in the midst of a driving lesson from Skid when the horse has bolted onto the track, and a crash looks inevitable as Skid desperately grabs the wheel from Tommy, while still having time to explain the wheels have locked with his braking, and he should take his foot off the brake immediately. 

Poor Tommy is frozen in fear, and all Skid can do to save the situation is to wrench the wheel in Tommy's hand and send them crashing to a stop in the barrier. 

Both are shaken, but all are unharmed - including the horse. While Sandy escorts the horse back to its paddock, Skid steers Tommy towards a sports car to continue driving. Tommy is reluctant to do so and clearly shaken up by the experience and it's only at Skid's strong insistence that he climbs behind the wheel again and takes to the track. 

Skid urges him to drive faster and faster, and after a quick run, they return to the pits. There Skid jumps into his Grand Prix car and zooms onto the track as Sandy explains to Tommy that Skid too was shaken by the accident and will be giving himself a highspeed workout to clear his mind. 

While Skid is on the track, Sparrow Smith approaches Tommy and Sandy and offers a friendly hello. Sandy tells Tommy that Sparrow is the current World Champion and that he used to be Skid's teammate. Sparrow takes his own car out onto the track and soon is duelling with Skid. 

Tommy watches on, falling in love with racing as the two racers speed around the track. Later as he puts Skid's car away he puts himself in the driver's seat and imagines himself racing. In his imagination, he is crashing through a barrier, and all he can think about is the way he froze. Negative thoughts enter his head, and he decides that he'll never make a racing driver. 

Sandy and Skid are quietly watching on, and Sandy comments that Tommy obviously hasn't fully recovered from the crash. Skid agrees, but tells Sandy that he'll get over it and in a few years he'll be out on the track challenging Skid for the World Championship. 

They do say that if you fall off a horse, the first thing you should do is climb back on it, so it was a nice twist here to see that old adage used in regard to a car accident caused by a horse. Plenty of signposts to the future with Tommy behind the wheel fantasizing about being a race car driver, while Skids comments late in the story also dwell on the same thought. It's clear now that one day Tommy Carter will be behind the wheel of a race car, and all this is just planting the seeds for that future. As for the here and now, I wasn't so fussed about the horse story. While I appreciated the message that was being put across, I never felt the drama of the moment. The handling of the fallout in the wake of the accident was much more to my taste, and I thought it was handled supremely well. It helps that the artwork is so easy on the eye, but throughout it was the writing that kept me steadily reading. The aftermath of the accident was highly relatable, and put across in a way that most people could simply understand. Once again, this Skid Solo story was understated, yet retained a readability that helped start this week's comic in good style.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "That's the best thing the lad could have done...go out again! A mon could lose his nerve completely after a crash like they just had."

Roy Of The Rovers

Playing against not only the eleven Zarnov players but also the weak officials, Rovers are struggling in their away leg of the Cup Winner's Cup. Obvious fouls against Rovers go unpunished before a blatant off-side is ignored to gift Zarnov a second goal. 

As halftime is blown, Roy and his players endure a barrage of abuse and missiles as they make their way off the field. Despite the danger of the situation, Roy spots a bottle that has a note inside it and commands Blackie to quickly grab it as they make their way to the changing room. 

In the dressing room, Roy finds it is another note from the mystery man. Once again it offers advice, advice that Roy will follow, although he doesn't think it will work, and refuses to tell the team exactly what the advice was. 

Back on the field play resumes, and it isn't long before Roy accidentally kicks the ball into the back of the referee's head. The referee is injured and cannot continue, and the Zarnov captain is quick to point to one of the linesmen as a replacement. However, it is the other linesman who steps forward to take the whistle, and the game soon continues. 

Zarnov is still playing rough, and the new referee blows the whistle in Rover's favour. Rovers may have won the free-kick, but with Zarnov putting their wall just a few years in front of the spot it seems that nothing has changed concerning bending the rules.

A solid outing for Roy Of The Rovers. It wasn't spectacular, but did just enough to hold my interest without being a challenging or demanding read. The mystery notes continue to frustrate me, especially in this case as Roy spots the note in a bottle thrown at them. One minute they are fleeing the hurled missiles, yet it is not desperate enough that Roy doesn't have time to look at what is actually thrown at them. Still, it did help move the story forward and I await with interest to see how this scheme with the new referee will work out. A good enough issue, it will be next week when we take a giant step forward with this story and the game. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Excuse me, but I am the senior linesman. I must insist that I take over as referee!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin and Tiny's winning cheque of 250 pounds is rapidly disappearing in a pig's mouth. Despite Martin's heroic efforts, in this case taking a frightful blow from behind from a charging pig, there is nothing they can do and the money is gone. Tiny's idea to go back is to ask the race organisers to write them another cheque is the correct one, although too late to save Martin from taking a dive into the mud.

While collecting their new cheque they notice a poster for a novelty race with a prize of one thousand pounds. It's a wild-sounding race using the army testing ground. It doesn't take long for Tiny and Martin to decide that they'll enter, and soon they're off to see what they've got themselves into. 

Following another competitor around the muddy track, they are surprised to find themselves taking a bend in a giant pipe. Coming out of the pipe they are rapidly shaken on a cobbled road. Slowing down, they soon find themselves facing another corner with a sign telling them to increase speed now. They prudently pull off the track to find out what lies ahead and are just in time to see the other car speeding towards a ramp jump across a river. The other car is going nowhere never fast enough, and as the lads watch on it crashes into the water.

Tiny and Martin are shocked, and as the strip ends they are left wondering how much worse could the track be.

A tidy story with enough action to keep the reader turning the page. However, this is merely the entree and we are only getting a taster of what is to come once the race properly starts. I was pleased to see the pigs eating the cheque quickly wrapped up and this new race introduced. The race holds plenty of thrills and spills and should propel us forward for the next few weeks. We have seen races such as this before on the pages of Martin's Marvellous Mini, and I always find them enjoyable, despite the constant feeling of Deja Vu. This race has a few different twists, and based on what we have seen this week, it should prove to be a most enjoyable issue.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Stone me...where's he going?"

Johnny Cougar with Splash Gordon

Finally, it is the showdown we have been waiting for, man versus robot as Johnny squares off against Grarg in the ring. Johnny is brave, but he is facing overwhelming odds as is amply demonstrated in the first panels as Grarg tears out one of the ring posts and hurls it at Johnny. 

Johnny knows he has little chance in a straight fight against Grarg, and in the following panel he collapses in the ring. As he lies there, he whispers his plan to Splash and Grarg's two human minders. 

With instructions issued, Johnny regains his feet and all four men step into the ring. It looks as though all four will be fighting the robot, but instead, the four men begin to fight among themselves. The crowd is confused, for as the men strike each other, the man doing the hitting cries out in pain. Things become more confusing, as the men striking blows fall to the floor, while those taking the punch remain standing. With two falling, there is only Johnny and Grarg's manager left standing. Grarg's manager strikes Johnny with the broken ring post, and once again the unexpected happens as the manager falls to the floor while Johnny stands strong. 

Jonnhy faces Grarg and tells him that he wants him to hit him hard on the chin and that Johnny Cougar wants to lose the match. This is all too much for the robot, and he begins to blow fuses before collapsing into a smoking heap on the floor. Johnny has worked out that the robot has been programmed for a variety of situations, but faced with a situation where everything is opposite to what is expected his circuits couldn't cope with it eventually overloading the computer brain and blowing his fuses. 

Grarg's manager and the scientist who built him are apologetic, and Johnny Cougar tells them that he forgives them as they are not criminals and that they have learnt their lesson. Thus we end with Johnny telling us that he needs to get back to wrestling, and this time facing some human opponents. 

Grarg was a great opponent, and although I expected Johnny Cougar to win using his brains, I was still disappointed in the weak way he was eventually defeated. I thought this final showdown may have stretched across several issues, and was surprised to see it finish in a single issue, The fight didn't even last the entire issue and we still had panels to spare to give us an introduction and a resolution. Seeing Grarg fall with smoke coming from his ears wasn't the thrill I expected, and although I enjoyed many aspects of this story, I felt cheated in this final issue. Still, everything looked good and it is hard to dislike anything in the story, although this was weaker than some of the other stories we have seen previously in Johnny Cougar.

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I...I don't get it. The guys who did the hitting collapsed!"  

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish is no longer being transferred, and Princes Park has just won a hectic Scottish Cup game. The only dark cloud is the injury to Donald McGregor, and that's where we start this week, with the team assembled around the table where he is stretched out. It is not as bad as it looks, and the doctor tells us that there's nothing to worry about, he has merely fainted with all the excitement. 

Using the funds raised by the fans, Princes Park began to rebuild their stand. They only have half the money required, but Mr McWhacker is sure they'll get the rest of the money needed by winning the Scottish Cup. 

Princes Park certainly looks a lot better than they did, and on the field, in their next league game, they play outstandingly well. Hamish leads the way with a hat-trick, while from the director's box, Mr McWhacker watches on. The gentleman next to Mr McWhacker enquires about Hamish's transfer and Mr McWhacker tells him that Hamish is no longer on the transfer list. The man expresses disappointment, telling him that he is interested in buying Hamish for four hundred thousand pounds. He thinks it's well worth it for a first-class international like Hamish. Mr McWhacker tells him that Hamish isn't an international player, but the gentleman corrects him, telling him that Hamish has been selected to play for Scotland. This leaves McWhacker with something to think about, and with four hundred thousand pounds he could pay for the new stand and two top-class replacements for Hamish. 

This new development is interesting and it looks as though once again Hamish may be on his way out. We had some great faces throughout the strip, and the images of the gentleman's face, as he negotiated for Hamish, looked fantastic. His face oozed wealth, and it was excellent work by the artist to express this in a single panel. I had to smile at the record offer of four hundred thousand pounds, it was another reminder of how much football has changed from the 1970s. Nowadays it would be an offer of one hundred million pounds to lure Hamish away. Still, this is part of the reason I read these comics, a warm nostalgia for simpler times. This week put us on firm ground for what comes next, and I read on with interest to see what the outcome of this will be.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Och, you've not heard? Well, Hamish has been chosen to play for his country! Quite rightly, too...just look at him..."

Nipper

Nipper was outstanding in the reserves game and is now facing the fallout of this performance as director Clive Norton confronts him. The Blackport first team has lost by a solitary goal at home, and Norton lays the blame at the feet of Nipper, blaming him for the lack of crowd support as all the fans went to watch him rather than the first team. 

Nipper reacts angrily, and as Norton yells he is suspended until further notice, Nipper retorts that suits him fine. Seeking refuge at Kerry's, Nipper tells her brother Stan that he is going on strike until Andy Stewart is back in charge. Stan sees an opportunity and asks Nipper that since he isn't playing for Blackport, could he please play for his amateur team on the weekend. It's an offer Nipper can't refuse, and he readily agrees. 

Arriving at the field, Nipper and Stan change under the trees. There is a group of the amateur team's supporters there, and they tell Nipper they won't be going easy on him just because he's a star. Nipper tells them he's more than ready for them and the game begins.

Nipper soon learns that the supporters are correct, and a burly opposition player barges him over early in the match. Nipper is still wondering what hit him when a shiny luxury car pulls up. We can't see who is in it, but we do hear that they have arrived intending to sign Nipper for Gatesfield. 

The problem for Nipper is that Clive Norton is just as stubborn and quick to anger as he is. Both characters are similar in this respect, and that is the root cause of their current conflict. I like that about the story, and I'm enjoying seeing the two butting heads. Part of me is hoping that Nipper does make the move to Gatefield, but we'll have to wait and see. Nipper's storylines always move fairly quickly and this was no exception, with quite a bit happening across two pages. My heart lifted when we saw Kerry, and this time we saw a little more of her home life with Nipper talking with her brother Stan. It filled out Nipper's world a little more and added a touch more realism to his storyline. No football, but plenty of drama, this was a big step forward in Nipper's battle with Clive Norton, and it should all come to a head in the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to see if Nipper continues on as a Blackport player, or if he will make a move.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Why not? It's a game of footer, isn't it? And if old Norton finds out, he can't suspend me, because he's done that already! Ya-haaaaa!"

Billy's Boots

At the end of last week, Billy was concerned that he might not be named in the first team again now that Granger is returning from injury. He needn't have worried for Jimmy tells him that Mister Renton, the sports master, has put up the team for the next game and Billy is in. 

The next game is against Candale School, who currently sit at the top of the league. Gossiping with his friends, Billy learns that Candale's pitch is terrible and that it has a slope on it.

Billy is still thinking about this when he gets home, and as bad weather closes in on Friday evening, he heads home to read Dead-shot Keen's book to see if he ever faced anything similar. He had, although in his case he was playing on a water-logged pitch that was almost unplayable, even for a player of his high skill. Dead-shot survived the game, but the following week was in bed with a severe chill, a fact that set alarm bells ringing in Billy's mind. 

Game day arrives with bad weather and heavy rain. The Candale School pitch is covered in water, and after some debate, it is decided that the game can be played. On the pitch both teams struggle, especially Billy who has a terrible afternoon and spends most of the game falling into the water.    

With a minute left, Candale scores the winning goal. However Billy is too wet to care, and as expected is already beginning to show symptoms of a cold. And so it comes to pass, and when his Gran goes to raise him from his bed on Monday Billy is sick with a nasty cold. However, Billy denies it and is soon off to school despite his illness, hoping that he can still make the team for the Saturday cup game. 

 A predictable story and it ended as we all knew it would. On the way there we didn't get some exciting panels, and some nice artwork as Billy throughs himself into the game, and the water. I enjoyed the spectacle of it, and considering it is a story about a boy catching a cold, it was surprisingly thrilling. We also managed to get plenty of Billy's Gran into the story, something that always warms the pages and adds some depth to Billy's character. Here she was in top form, berating him for getting sick, while earlier she silently complained about Billy reading at the table. She is a treasure, and Billy is lucky to have her in his life. In fact, we are all lucky to have her, and I'm rating the story highly, based purely on her strong role.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "You out to stay in bed, young man. You were coughing all night. You've caught a nasty cold!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

This week the mystery of the balalaika is finally solved. As Sven and Jo speak to the old Russian man in his hospital bed it seems like he is about to tell all, but they are interrupted just as he mentions the words 'stolen' and 'jewels'

Back at their hotel, Sven notices that the balalaika has a rattle to it, and pully it apart he finds a diamond necklace hidden in the instrument. Jo puts it all together quickly, explaining that the jewels must be stolen, and this is the perfect way of smuggling them out of the country. 

Deciding the best thing they can do is take them home, and hope they can catch the men behind it when they attempt to snatch the jewels, they board their plane and fly back to Heathrow, Sure enough, just after they pass through customs, a mystery man grabs the balalaika and makes a dash for it. He is fast, but Jo is faster, and pushing a luggage trolly at him, she knocks him over and retrieves the jewels. 

And that's all there is. No explanation of who the man is, or why he chose Jo and her team. Neither do find out the source of the stolen jewels, and the story ends on an unsatisfactory note. I would have liked just a line or two more to fill out the story, but it never came. We don't even know where the old man fits in the story. As I said last week, I have never taken to this storyline, and it is with some relief that I read the final line "A great new Jo Tallon story starts next week." I for one can't wait, and I'm immensely pleased that this overstretched Russian storyline has finally finished.   

Rating: 4/10

Best line: "And before he's deported, he can pay for this little lot! He's broken two strings on my guitar!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Billy's Boots

Best Line: "The times I've told that boy about reading at the table! It's like talking to a brick wall..."

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 5th April 1975

It's been a busy weekend, and it took me three attempts to read this week's comic. Strange to think that when I was a child I thought that grown-ups could do whatever they want, whenever they want. Reality is a hard teacher, and I now know there is barely a moment of the day that belongs to me, especially Monday to Friday. Even so, nibbling at this week's comic has proven to be just the tonic for an otherwise busy life, and we had some brilliant moments in this week's comic. Nipper ended this week's issue on a high, but there is plenty to enjoy before that, with seven other stories all delivering a variety of drama and humour, some better than others of course, but that's all subjective and completely at my discretion.  

Tiger

5th April 1975

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy and his Rovers are facing a hostile reception from the Zarnov home fans as they prepare for their second leg of the European cup-winners cup quarter-final. 

The team has spent the night at the stadium and, unknown to the mob outside, is currently running a training session. This doesn't last long, and as a Zarnov fan pops his head over the fence, Roy and his men are sighted and soon running for cover as cans and bricks are thrown at them.

Tearse words are exchanged with the Zarnov players as they prepare for the match, and five minutes after kickoff the trouble starts. A heavy tackle by a Zarnov player goes unpunished and it is clear that the referee is scared stiff to blow his whistle. 

Despite the tense atmosphere, Roy plays well and it looks as though he is about to create a chance for Blackie when he is struck in the head by a can thrown from the crowd. 

Again the referee remains silent, and it is all too much for Lofty Peak who loses his temper. As the opposing player dribbles away with the ball at his feet, Lofty luges at him from behind, bringing him down just outside of the penalty area. 

The referee blows for a free kick, but with the crowd at full throat, he confers with an equally nervous linesman, before deciding that it is actually inside the box and worthy of a penalty.

There is nothing Roy can do but watch on helplessly as the penalty is converted and think that as things stand they have very little chance of getting back into the game. 

This story is reaching its apex, and all the hard work put into the earlier issues is coming to fruition as Roy battles the Zarnov team, and the intimidated officials. We have a good mix of on-field and off-field drama, and both combine to give us a well-balanced and interesting storyline. It's all supported by a strong sense of storytelling in the artwork, and the strips are both visually and mentally stimulating. Roy is giving us a solid football story, rooted in the realities of the time, and I am enjoying every moment of it. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Hey, ref - lost your whistle?"

Skid Solo 

Skid is back on track and testing his new Grand Prix car. As is the way with these things, he encounters the unpredictable as a horse and rider are on the track, forcing him into evasive action. 

It's a close thing, and it is only through his driving skill that Skid avoids disaster. Back at the pits, Skid is speaking with Sandy when the horseman comes over to apologise. The horse had bolted and he had no control of him.

Skid takes this moment to give their new apprentice mechanic, Tommy Carter, a life lesson, and he reminds him that a good driver should be prepared for anything. Tommy takes it onboard and tells Skid that he will be sure to remember that when he starts to drive. 
Skid is surprised to learn that he doesn't drive yet, and immediately takes him out in a small, sedate, vehicle for a lesson. 

Tommy is delighted and proves to be a quick learner. Pleased with his ability, Skid takes him for a second lesson. However, this time things don't go so well, and in the final panels, Tommy too faces a horse running onto the track. Braking as hard as he can, he finds the car isn't stopping in time, and we are faced with a possible crash going into next week's issue. 

I say possible crash because I suspect that Tommy will find a way to avoid it, based on Skid's earlier lesson to be prepared for anything. The clean lines of the artwork helped move this simple story along smoothly and my eye moved swiftly across the page. Nice to see Tommy already behind the wheel, and based on what we see here I predict a bright future for him. The joy on his face brightened the whole comic, and as I mentioned last week, he is the most relatable character of this story for any young boy reading. I'm not so sure that a runaway horse on the track is believable, but I am happy to forgo believability for the sake of Tommy to advance his driving. Lowkey drama with characters I'd like to be around makes this a steady entry for the annuals of Skid Solo. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I watched ye go round...the lad'll make a bonny driver! He's got his wits about him!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

First run of their hill climb and Tiny and Martin have already managed to cover a television crew in a shower of mud. 

The commentator is far from impressed and lets those watching at home exactly what has happened, only to receive another spray of mud as the boys drive off. 

They are second after their first run, and watching their competitors they find the time to beat is four minutes and one second. Giving their all, they manage to beat this time in their final attempt and emerge victorious with a cheque for two hundred and fifty pounds.

It seems that for now, their troubles are over, but as they speed away from the event Tiny accidentally loses the cheque out the window. Quickly stopped in they see it has blown into a field, but as they arrive on the scene they find that a pig has got to it and is eating it. 

A very amusing end to the strip, and one I did not expect as we watched the boys compete in the hill climb. The look on the faces of Tiny and Martin says it all, and given the size of the pigs in the final panel, I don't think they will be retrieving the cheque anytime soon. The hill climb also started amusingly, with just a shade of drama and conflict between the camera crew and the two pals. It was a gentle conflict, and easily resolved by the end of the race with no further damage. Such is the gentle nature of this story and the characters. I admire it for this and find the world the characters live in to be soothing compared to the world we currently live in. It is a beautiful escapism and a lovely way to spend five minutes. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "So the hill climb is won by Martin Baker and Tiny Hill in their mini...after that performance, I'll just have to forgive them for all that mud-slinging!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

Ugh, the balalaika is back. After it was mysteriously stolen, Sven has now found it returned in the changing room. Jo tells Sven to lock the stupid thing away and to forget about it, and reading here at home I agree with every word. 

Out on the track, Dave is taking part in heat seven, and with a demonstration of great riding leads the team home for a one-two finish and maximum points. This lifts the team, and the rest of the meeting is theirs, eventually emerging winners by forty-two points to thirty-six.

With talk of flying home to Britain, it seems our Soviet adventure is over, but there's one final matter to attend to. Sven wants to thank the old man who gave him the balalaika, and the next day Jo and Sven make their way across Moscow to the hospital where the old man is. Sven immediately asks the obvious question - what is the balalaika mystery all about, to which the man replies, in the final words of the strip, that he must examine the balalaika very carefully. 

I look forward to the return to Britain and hope I never have to type the word "balalaika" ever again. I am curious to see how this ends, although at no point in this story was I ever excited about it. The racing looked great on the page, but was ultimately boring, while the reappearance of the balalaika was put to one side for the majority of the strip, only to resurface as a plot point in the final two panels. Next week will give us some closure, and I for one cannot wait until we are back in Britain and back to some proper speedway action.

Rating: 5/10

Best line: "Calm down, Sven, you're practically dragging my arm off!"

Johnny Cougar with Spash Gorton 

Grarg the robot is causing destruction in a small Yorkshire village and now has his eyes firmly on the wrestling contest taking place in the local hall. With a sword in hand, nothing can stop him, and he smashes his way into the hall to confront the wrestlers in the ring. 

For a brief moment, the wrestlers eye him up, planning to throw him from the ring, but Grarg is too strong, and quickly grabs both men by the throat and tosses them off the apron, knocking them both out. 

At that moment, Johnny arrives outside of the hall, and seeing the damage assumes that Grarg must be within. Johnny climbs into the ring to face Grarg, and Grarg announces his intentions by lashing out at Johnny with a fearsome blow that destroys the ring post. Thus the scene is set for a battle between the two, a battle we shall have to come back next week to witness. 

We have already seen one battle between Grag and Johnny, and one would assume that this fight will end the same, with Johnny defeated at the hands of the robot. However, now Johnny knows what he is up against I expect he shall use his brains rather than his brawn to beat Grag, and this is the hook that makes me want to return next week. This week didn't greatly progress the story, it was more about moving the pieces into place for this final confrontation. Grarg bashed his way into the ring, and now Johnny has arrived next to him. It took a couple of pages for this to happen, although we had plenty along the way to demonstrate the enormity of the task ahead of Johnny, Next week will bring it all together, and the match should be a battle for the ages. I'll be here, you should too. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Ticket please! You can't g-get in free, just because you're w-waving a sword!" 

Hot Shot Hamish 

It's the day of the vital cup tie against Westboro' and Princes Park has arrived in the back of a lorry after a bus crash the night before. With three injured players, Donald McGregor, the boot boy, has been drafted into the side, and he looks pretty nervous as they take to the field. 

Hamish promises to look after him, and as the game begins it is Westboro' who takes the initiative, constantly attacking Princes Park's goal for the first twenty minutes. 

Princes Park weathers this storm, and their defenders gradually take control. The ball falls to young Donald, and he pokes it through a gap where Hamish unleashes the hot-shot. It cannons off the crossbar, falling fortuitously at the feet of Donald who easily enough chips it in. 

Donald is overjoyed, but his work is far from finished. With a one-nil lead, Princes Park is forced to defend for the second half, and Donald proves his worth, clearing the ball off the line when it seems an equaliser is about to be scored. With time almost up on the clock, he is forced into one final defensive action, and as he goes to clear the ball upfield he is heavily tackled by two Westboro' players. 

The whistle is blown for full-time, and the Princes' players celebrate their hard-fought victory and progression to the semi-final Coming off the field for a well-earned hot bath they fail to notice that Donald isn't with them. It is Hamish who realises that he has collapsed out on the field, and the big man goes back to collect him. Walking off with the boy in his arms, Hamish informs Mister McWhacker he needs a doctor, and fast.

Gripping stuff, and although we have seen similar stories before, I still felt myself caught up in the drama of the game. Like Skid Solo and Tommy Carter, Donald McGregor was a relatable character for any young boy reading, and seeing his delight in scoring a goal is a dream come true. Even fifty-year-old me would love to score a goal for Princes Park in front of the crowd. The humour was low-key this week, but with drama ratcheted up to ten, I barely noticed, so caught up as I was in the game. A poignant moment at the end of the game as Hamish carried Donald off the pitch, I felt a tug at my heart and an urgent need to pick up the next issue to see what happens. Once again, Hot Shot Hamish gets the balance right throughout the story and is one of the stronger strips in the comic. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Kick it anywhere! Over the stand will do!"     

Billy's Boots

Billy Dane and Jimmy Dawson are excited by the prospect of the final of the schools' cup which is being played at a first-division club's ground in London. First, there is the small matter of the semi-final. Thoughts of the semi-final dominate their thoughts throughout the week leading up to the game, and Billy can barely concentrate on his class lessons. The teacher becomes aware of this distraction, and Billy is forced to write five hundred lines as punishment. 

The football team rallies around to help, each writing lines for him and emulating his handwriting style. After handing in his lines, Billy is allowed on the team coach. He thinks they have got away with it, but in the classroom the teacher can see immediately the handwriting styles are all different. He tells the sports master that he can see at least half the football team's effort there, but no punishment is meted out as they decide that it shows good team spirit. 

At the game, the Groundswood team is nervous, and so is their opposition, Calderwell. It is Calderwell who makes the most mistakes early on, and Groundwood is on the attack with the winger launching a cross for Billy to latch onto. Billy jumps for the header and nods it back to Jimmy just like they practiced. Jimmy makes no mistake with his shot, and the ball hits the back of the net for the first goal of the game.

One goal becomes three as Billy scores before Jimmy gets his second. Three-nil is how the game ends and Groundwood are through to the final in London. In the dressing room, Billy is excited but is soon brought back to earth by the comment that Granger will be fit for the final and Billy might not be picked for the team.

Such is the world of Billy Dane, sometimes you are up and sometimes you are down. The game was good this week, and Billy played well, which is all we can ask. The real joy of the comic though was the scenes of Billy sitting distractedly in class and being punished. Instantly relatable, I remember feeling well, and reading this I was taken right back to when I was a lad. Seeing the team come to Billy's aid was a warm moment, although it was eclipsed by the even better scene immediately after when the two teachers could see what was going on but elected not to punish the boys. Wonderful to read on the page and far better than the game could ever hope to be. Billy is back on the downward spiral for next week's issue, we shall see just how bad things get for him, but I have a feeling that everything will turn out just right. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I should imagine that at least half the football team worked on Dane's lines for him. Well, it shows a good team spirit...this time I'll let him get away with it!" 

Nipper

Nipper's game for the reserve team is going extremely well, and in front of Nipper's adoring fans, they soon have a four-nil lead, with Nipper bagging an early hat-trick. It's a massacre, and the visiting managers decide they have seen enough, deciding to leave the game early.

Meanwhile, at Blackport stadium, the fans that have turned up for Blackport's game start chanting they want Nipper, much to the chagrin of Blackport's director, Norton.  Angrily waving his players forward, the inevitable happens and they concede a goal when Redstone counter-attacks. 

At the end of the game, the Blackport team trudge off to the boos of their own fans. Back in the dressing room, the results of the other matches roll in and they are shocked to hear that the reserve team has won by an incredible nine goals to two, with Nipper scoring seven of those goals. 

The team talk of Nipper's success, while a fuming Clive Norton listens in from the corridor. Storming back to his office, Norton takes a call from the manager of Gateshead, who is keen to sign up Nipper. We don't know the outcome of the call, but the final panel of the story shows Norton looking out his office window at the cheering fans as the reserves arrive back from their game, and thinking to himself that it is time he had a final showdown with Nipper.

Seven goals was stretching it a bit, but it made the story's outcome inevitable and left no doubt that this was the only possible path for Norton. Aside from the seven goals, the rest of the storyline was tight and we had a great contrast between the two teams as Blackport looked woeful in Nipper's absence. The drama of the strip was highlighted by the excellent artwork this week, and we had several marvellous panels where the expressions captured what was happening beautifully. The pick of them was the moment Norton took the call in his office. His face looks devious and crafty, while the face of the watching secretary looks aghast at what is about to unfold. A superb panel, it is a story unto itself and worth savouring. Artwork like this is why I hold Tiger comic in such esteem, and it looks even better blown up large on my computer screen.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "My turn now! I may be small, but I can bloomin' well jump!"

 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story: Roy Of The Rovers

Best Line: "Anyway, lock that stupid thing away and forget about it! We have the rest of the speedway meeting to worry about!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: