The Comic Connection – No. 14 – Scorcher and Score – 26th January 1974

I have featured Scorcher and Score before and this edition dates back to 26th January 1974. The R’s were featured on the front cover and for the uninitiated all readers had to do was solve some of the clues and.SPOT THE TEAM!

As for some of the contents inside, ‘The Boy in the Velvet Mask’ is first up – Alan Hemmings, son of an ex-England goalkeeper who had been paralysed after an accident on the field, had been forbidden by his father to have anything to do with football. But Bill Blake, manager of Third Division side Lynchester United, persuaded Alan to sign on and keep his identity secret by wearing a mask.

However, crooked sports reporter Joe Kelly was using United’s displaced ‘keeper – Dan Rearden – to help him reveal Alan’s identity, and the two men finally trapped the youngster when he went to a local tailor’s shop about a new suit

This is followed by the final episode of ‘Jack and Jimmy’ – Jack Chelsey and his brother Jimmy both played for famous First Division side, Castleburn City. In a replayed third round FA Cup tie at Hawksmoor, opponent Miles Hewitt was making such a good job of preventing them from scoring that Jack and Jimmy were convinced that he must have spied on them with a tape recorder while he was a guest in their house

‘Hot-Shot Hamish’ is next – Hamish Balfour was brought from a small Hebridean island to play for Princes Park FC, a struggling club in the Scottish Second Division. Hamish had a pet sheep called MacMutton who had become homesick, so, before a vital game in the Scottish Cup, Hamish set out to fly home and then found out that his plane was being hijacked

‘Billy’s Boots’ – Billy Dane found an ancient pair of football boots that used to belong to old-time soccer star, “Dead Shot” Keen. In some strange way the boots enable him to play in Dead-Shot’s style. But Bill was dropped from Groundwood’s school team when the boots were away being repaired. As soon as the boots came back, Billy played a crackerand a scout from a professional club, Coldstone City, offered him a trial for their junior side

Next up is ‘Nipper’ – Nipper Lawrence was a young orphan who lived in the docks town of Blackport, and he played for the local First Division club Blackport Rovers. In a rash moment, Nipper predicted that Blackport would win the FA Cup, and the supporters of Redstoke.Blackport’s third round opponentsdidn’t like it! After Nipper cheekily laid on a goal for Gary Jones, he couldn’t resist having a dig at the Redstoke players, and

‘Jimmy Jinks’ is followed by ‘Bobby of the Blues’ – Bobby Booth was captain of famous Everpool City, who were nicknamed “The Blues”. His mother was trying out a new car Bobby planned to buy her when she was involved in an accident caused by Hugo Grath, manager of the Blues’ great local rivals, Merseaport. Grath, furiously angry at first, soon had to admit he had been at fault

‘Lags Eleven’ – Willie Smith, known to his pals as “Brilliant Genius”, was serving a term in Easiways Prison where he organised the football team called Lags Eleven. Brilliant had steered his team through to win the final of the Convicts Cupand they now qualified for a round-the-world trip as first prize. But Brilliant had used five professional footballers in Lags Eleven’s Final side and their manager didn’t like it

‘Saturday’s Selection’ focuses on the 4th Round of the FA Cup which is followed by ‘Alf’s Albion’ – An unexpected inheritance made young Alf Littlegood a multi-millionaire and the boss of Second Division Allchurch Albion. He was determined to use his power and position to run the club according to his own ideas.

But after buying a Stately home and throwing a tremendous party for his pals, the team were in no fit state to play a league match against Bostwick City. By half-time they were six goals down, and then at the start of the second-half

And finally, ‘Club Colours’ adorns the back page and it features Brentford, Hull City and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Steve Russell