GOT TO FALKIRK
Footballer David Hagen has become the latest victim of ALS. Hagen played briefly early on for Rangers, before an even brief stay at Hearts. However, it was Falkirk he became best know for, with a six season and 139 league game stay which led to silverware with Hagen scoring the only goal in the 1997 Challenge Cup final. In 2017 he announced his battle with motor neurone disease, from which 99% of you first heard of him, and in late 2019 it was announced he was in hospice care. Hagen’s final run as a player was for Peterhead back when they kept beating the mighty Jags like it was a PC World Sale, so he becomes the rather dubious distinction of being the first person this co-host has written about on the front page that they had actually met in real life. In fact, Hagen made a habit of beating Thistle during his career.
He was picked by 15 teams, including former winners Drunkasaskunk and David Quantick’s Showbiz Pals. Banana moves into the top 5 ominously*, whilst Bleaching the Bottom of the Barrel picks up needed points. But one team lacking in Scottish footballers was A Day in the Death, which means Joey’s lead lasted only one week. The new leaders are DDP Co-hosts Reptile and The Love Boat. Hmm, do I need to start practicing my Father Ted Bingo anecdotes here? The Derby Dead Pool leaderboard is remarkably close as we enter the second half of the year, and only a fool could call it at this point.
*Or that could be another B-team. Bananas are known for looking identical to each other…
David Hagen
5 May 1973 – 24 July 2020
15 teams