The Derby Dead Pool

The online competition to guess which famous people won't make it to the end of the current year. If they're elderly, ill, or just live a high-risk lifestyle, stick 'em in your team, and for each one whose death you correctly predict, you'll score points. DDP was dreamt up in Derby, England (hence the name...) by Big-Iain back in 1996, then was run from 2003 to 2007 by Siegfried Baboon and Rude Kid. From 2008 to 2009, it was run by Octopus of Odstock, and from 2010 to 2014, The Man in Black. From 2015, who knows? It could be a team effort...

Latest Stiffs: 29th September 2014 by The Man in Black

A side parting for Balding man

A brief update as it's been a quiet time of it lately. Toby Balding was a successful horse trainer and uncle of BBC presenter Clare. He trained two Grand National winners, Highland Wedding (1969) and Little Polvier (1989) as well as Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Cool Ground in 1992. He died aged 78. Toast of the Turf get a third hit.
Deborah Cavendish, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire was the last of the famous Mitford sisters, the society girls who fascinated and often shocked the public in the 1930s. She had tea with Hitler, but was not impressed (unlike her sister Unity) and married Andrew Cavendish, later the Duke of Devonshire in 1941. In the 1950s she and the Duke moved to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and she managed the estate to become one of the most visited stately homes in Britain. She was 94 and a hit for 4 teams. Top hole, what!
Denny Miller was a muscular actor who lived down criticism as a blonde Tarzan to forge a decent career as a character actor largely on the small screen. He died died aged 80 and was a hit for theme team All Quiet on the Westerns Front. And that's yer lot. Like the old days...

(Balding) + = 10pts

(Devonshire) (4 teams) = 5pts

(Miller) + = 9pts

Latest Stiffs: 12th September 2014 by The Man in Black

Orange is the new black...

The Paisley underground

The Reverend Ian Paisley has finally surrendered. Dr. Paisley was the bete noire of the republican cause in Northern Ireland and a prominent supporter of the United Kingdom and the province's place in it. Emerging just as "the Troubles" were developing in the 1960s, Paisley was for many years an unplacable loyalist totem and often a pain the right royal arse for successive UK governments in their attempts to salvage peace during the dark years, as leader of both his own church and his own political party, the Democratic Unionist Party. But it was only in recent years that the big man started to compromise and he eventually formed an unlikely alliance with Sinn Fein's Martin Mcguinness and he thus ascended to the position of First Minister of Northern Ireland in 2007. Much feared, he was also much respected, despite flirtations with loyalist paramilitiaries and so on.
He was 88 and another curtain ring is swiped across for the Drop 40 as hit number 11.

(68 teams) = 6pts (1 team) = 12pts

The Cruel C does for Donald

Noted actor Sir Donald Sinden has passed away from prostate cancer. Sinden was a seven-decade veteran of stage, screen and film and was instantly recognisable with his expressive face and plummy voice. He was known to millions for his role in the long-running, antique-based sitcom (it was the 80s, aspiration and all that!) 'Never the Twain', opposite another booming voice, Windsor Davies. His film career included the first 'Doctor In The House' film opposite the late Dirk Bogarde. Sinden was 90 but at the end of the day someone famous has died...

(6 teams) = 5pts

Jaws: The Revenge...and some more!

The hulking Richard Kiel found instant fame in 1977 for his memorable role as "Jaws", the steel-toothed henchman who did battle with Sir Roger Moore's suave James Bond in 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. His strong, largely silent and vulnerable portrayal proved so popular that he had an unprecedented rematch in the following film 'Moonraker', when he fell in love and eventually helped 007 defeat the villainous Hugo Drax. Sadly, Kiel died aged 74 just a few days after appearing on Radio 4 with Moore reminiscing about his time on the franchise.
John Bardon was a character actor who was a familiar face on TV and stage without truly hitting the big time, until 1999, when appeared on EastEnders as the irrascible Jim Branning, formimg a union with Dot Cotton which provided some light relief among the normal, soap-based misery. In 2007, Bardon suffered a severe stroke from which he never really recovered. He died aged 75.
A regular accruer of points in the DDP seems to be opera stars and Magda Olivero is no exception. Olivero perfomed in Milan during the 30s, retiring for a decade after getting married before making a comeback which lasted until well into her 90s. She was 104 and was a unique hit Old As Dirt.
S. Truett Cathy was an Aemrican businessman who founded the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain in 1946 and went on to become a billionaire despite his chain never being oopen on Sundays. Well the chickens have come home to roost for Cathy at the age of 93 and is a unique joker hit for Larry King Dead, Only On CNN.

(Kiel) (4 teams) = 7pts

(Bardon) (14 teams) = 7pts

(Olivero) + = 7pts

(Cathy) + + = 16pts

List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

Joachim Fuchsberger, Jane Baker, Don Keefer, Al Suomi

List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

David Wynne, George Sluizer, Polly Bergen, Dorothy Tyler-Odam, Dannie Abse

Player of the Month - August

Black Penguins Of Doom - 16 points

Latest News

Actress Lynda Bellingham announces she has terminal cancer. One last beef casserole? Former Radio 1 disc jockey Dave Lee Travis is convicted of indecent assault but will not serve time, so no porridge for the hairy cornflake! North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is diagnosed with Osteosarcoma allegedly from eating too much Swiss cheese. No doubt the locals have been told that the moon is made from it and they have to believe it is...
Many thanks to those teams who have offered their services for next year's DDP. Seems The Man In Black may not be letting go just yet...
The Theme Team League is updated for September.

Message to all current competitors: There will be no more regular emails except in certain circumstances, such as rules and invitation to next year's competition.

Further Information

Derby Dead Pool is hosted by The Man In Black with contributions from Big-Iain, Rude Kid, Siegfried Baboon, Octopus of Odstock, WEP 2.0 - World's Eternity Prophet Reloaded and The Grey Horde

Archive

September