The heroes of The Emirates FA Cup Third Round have been immortalised in a limited-edition Roy of the Rovers comic book released today.
The commemorative cartoon depicts action from an exhilarating Emirates FA Cup Third Round weekend which saw Barnet, Gillingham, Oldham Athletic and Newport County all overcome the odds to record famous upsets.
Following Oldham Athletic’s and Newport County’s stunning victories against Premier League opposition, the managers of both sides described their achievements as “Roy of the Rovers stuff” and the new comic, published in partnership with official Roy of the Rovers publishers Rebellion, features a cup themed storyline and artwork by Roy of the Rovers artist Ben Willsher.
It includes Oldham keeper Daniel Iversen’s penalty stop against Fulham at Craven Cottage, Padraig Amond’s 85th minute winner for League Two Newport County against Leicester City, Gillingham’s Elliott List’s winner against Cardiff City and Barnet’s victory at Sheffield United.
A limited number of the free of charge comic books were released today by each of the teams with fans queueing to own a piece of history. They were joined by players and managers who signed copies and looked ahead to the Fourth Round ties taking place this weekend.
Fans can also download the comic online here or from www.TheFA.com.
Oldham caretaker boss Pete Wild said “I described our win as “Roy of the Rovers stuff” and I wasn’t lying. When I heard that The FA were actually creating a Roy of the Rovers comic book I was over the moon. To put this club and the players who worked so hard to secure the win in the spotlight is really special. I’m sure the fans are going to love it.”
Newport County’s Third Round winning goal scorer Padraig Amond added “Growing up I used to read Roy of the Rovers comics, so seeing myself in comic book form is crazy. The Emirates FA Cup has given us a chance to prove ourselves and I’m delighted that our fans can now keep a bit of that history with this comic. It’s brilliant, I’ll certainly be keeping my copy in a special place.”
Andy Ambler, The FA’s Director of Professional Game Relations, said “Anything is possible in The Emirates FA Cup as results in the Third Round showed. The competition is for all and a chance for players and teams across the football pyramid to write their names into folklore. We are delighted to create this commemorative comic book featuring the stars of Barnet, Gillingham, Newport County and Oldham Athletic and hope the fans across the country enjoy looking back on these memorable moments in cartoon form. Good luck to all the clubs in the Fourth Round.”
The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round kicks off on Friday 25 January. Following the doubling of The FA’s prize fund this season, winning clubs will receive £180,000 in prize money and a place in the Fifth Round Proper.
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