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 The Man in Black...

Latest Stiffs: 29th June 2015 by The Man in Black

Who will avenge Pat's death?

Steed is deed

British-American actor Patrick Macnee has died. Macnee will be forever known as the suave, almost indestructable John Steed from cult 1960s telefantasy series 'The Avengers', which ran from 1961 to 1969. Steed's character was softened and brought to the fore after Macnee was initially paired with the late Ian Hendry. When Honor Blackman and later Diana Rigg joined the show, the sexual chemistry and increasingly fanciful stories marked the series out and it became an international hit. Macnee played the definitive, bowler-hatted English gentleman although the man himself became an American citizen two years before the show started and often popped up in Hollywood and in US TV playing variations on the theme in such fare as Bond film 'A View to a Kill' and horror classic 'The Howling'. He died at his Californian home aged 93. Macnee is hit number 146 at the half way stage. We reached that number at the end of the last competiton my predecessor Octopus of Odstock ran in 2009. Blimey...

(19 teams) = 5pts (1 team) = 10pts

School's out forever for Woodhead*

Chris Woodhead was a controversial figure in British education. As Chief Inspector of Schools during the Major and Blair years, he attacked what he saw as a complacent attitude among teachers. This stance marked him out as an enemy amongst many in the teaching unions. In 2006, Woodhead was diagosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Woodhead died aged 68, surely even the most bitter teacher didn't even wish that on him?

(31 teams) = 8pts

Jean beyond death's door

Jean Doré became Mayor of Montreal in 1986, when the city was probably still paying off it's debt for hosting the Olympic Games 10 years earlier! Doré promoted open government during his time in office, although the old bugbear of excessive spending foiled his chances of a third term in 1994. Doré died of pancereatic cancer aged 70 at earlier this month and it looked for a while that a UK obit would not be forthcoming.
However this one counts, just about and is a hit for several big hitters.

(8 teams) = 7pts (2 teams) = 14pts

Super Mario bothered

Mario Biaggi had a top career as a policeman before entering the world of politics. For 19 years he was a congressman for New York before he was indicted for corruption in 1988 and was later jailed for eight years, serving two. He was 97 and a unique hit for the New York theme team The Empire State Strikes Back, the woise goiy...
Actor Dick Van Patten plied his trade in several US TV series, most notably in the comedy-drama 'Eight is Enough', which ran from 1977-1981. He later became an advocate for healthy pet food. He died of diabetes complications aged 86. Buried By HHH get a unique hit.
Colette Marchand was an Oscar-nominated dancer and actress, known in the American press as "Les Legs" and whom the legendary Orson Welles based his only ballet on in 1953. She was 90 and was a unique hit for Kentucky Fried Genocide's team of Oscar nominees.
*I'm taking a pun risk that Alice Cooper doesn't pop it but what the hell!

(Biaggi) + = 8pts

(Van Patten) + = 9pts

(Marchand) + = 8pts

Latest Stiffs: 22nd June 2015 by The Man in Black

Rollins in the deep

A quick update to take advantage of the relative lull in hits (largely because of obit-defeciency, see below under List of the Lost!)
Jack Rollins was a Hollywood producer, best associated with the prolific actor/director Woody Allen. He was intially Allen's manager, encouraging the comedy writer to try stand-up before moving onto making films. Rollins also managed Robin Williams, Mike Nichols and Elaine May amongst others and was the apparent inspiration for the titular hapless promoter played by Allen in 1985's 'Broadway Danny Rose'. He died at the grand old age of 100. Two teams benefit including yours truly. No wonder he was so keen to update this time, says 500 other teams...
The title of the World's Oldest Person seems to be passed around like a hot potato in 2015 after little change in 2014. Jeralean Talley, from Michigan, USA is the third pick this year to hold the title, only to inevitably pass away. Talley was 116 and a hit for 4 teams.
Another theme developing is the demise of Turkish presidents. Just a few weeks after the death of Kenan Evren comes the death of another former leader, Süleyman Demirel. Demirel was Prime Minister seven times and was deposed by Evren and the military in 1980 and forced out of politics. He was allowed back in 1987 and when the junta was deposed, Demirel eventually became president in 1993, serving for seven years. Demirel was 90 and is a unique pick for theme team One Death to Rule Them All, their first hit.
Kirk Kerkorian was the classic immigrant American come good story. Originally hailing from Armenia, Kerkorian pitched up in Las Vegas in the 1960s and was one of the driving forces in turning the strip into a highly profitable, postmodernist behemoth. He owned, sold and then re-bought MGM several times, dabbled in car manufacturing and was once worth an estimated $16bn, before the great recession of 2008 reduced his weatlh considerably. He was 98 and a unique hit for Zombie Dance Party. He should go to Vegas and celebrate...

(Rollins) (2 teams) = 4pts

(Talley) (4 teams) = 3pts

(Demirel) + = 8pts

(Kerkorian) + = 8pts

Latest Stiffs: 13th June 2015 by The Man in Black

He'll be buried in a wicker casket...

Fangs for the memories

British horror legend Sir Christopher Lee has passed away. Lee, along with the late Peter Cushing, was a doyen of British horror films from the 1950s onwards, starring as Frankenstein's monster and most notably as Dracula in a series of films for the Hammer film company. He lent his tall frame, dark looks and sonorous voice to other roles too, such as the suave Bond villian Scaramanga in 'The Man with the Golden Gun' and as Lord Summerisle in the cult classic 'The Wicker Man' in 1973. Lee enjoyed something of a late career revival with roles in the second 'Star Wars' trilogy and as Gandalf's nemesis Saruman in 'Lord of the Rings'. The great man was 93 and the 3rd person from the Drop Forty to bite the dust. But no doubt he'll be back!

(47 teams) = 5pts (2 teams) = 10pts

The Moody blue

Another top British actor to fall is Ron Moody. Moody won an Academy award in 1969 for the part of Fagin in the film version of Lionel Bart's musical 'Oliver!' and settled into a career of character parts, his biggest regret being turning down the part of Doctor Who the same year, the role going to his friend Jon Pertwee. He was seen only recently in a series of adverts as The Fast Show's Paul Whitehouse's wrinkled retainer. Moody died aged 91 with four teams picking the Grim Reaper's pocket and coming away with the points...

(4 teams) = 5pts

Marguerite's off the menu

Marguerite Patten is considered the first "celebrity" chef after making a series of appearances on the BBC's nascent television service after World War 2 following her well-recieved radio broadcasts on home economics during the conflict. She wrote well over 100 books on cookery and was still contributing to Radio 4's 'Woman's Hour' as recently as 2011. Patten was 99 and was a hit for two teams.

(5 teams) = 5pts

Jim Ed's brown bread

Country singer Jim Ed Brown was a regular on US radio's 'The Grand Ole Opry' with his two sisters (The Browns), before embarking on a solo career which included the hits 'Pop a Top' and 'I Don't Want to Have to Marry You' (with Helen Cornelius). He died of cancer aged 81. One of the trio of teams who picked him is The Living End, who is now part of a bunched up set of teams behind the leader Thomas Jefferson Survives.
Wrestler Dusty Rhodes was known as 'The American Dream' and was a huge star in American wrestling, his patriotism and girth bearing some comparison to Blighty's own "big" star of wrestling Big Daddy AKA Shirley Crabtree (at least to these World of Sport-addled eyes anyway). He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. Rhodes was 69 and a hit for fatties theme team Obese City.
Nek Chand Saini made sculptures in his spare time, a set of which, The Rock Garden, in the city of Chandigarh became a well-regarded tourist attraction, an example of "outsider" art (Chand was self taught). It was actually illegal to build it and it was only discovered by authorities in 1975, 18 years after he started work on it. Chand was later recognised for his idiosyncratic work and he was awarded with the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 1984. He died aged 90 and was a unique hit for theme team Who? although the Beeb obit proves otherwise...

(Brown) (3 teams) = 6pts

(Rhodes) + = 11pts

(Chand) + = 8pts

Vincent Bugliosi's dead

Vincent Bugliosi was a district attorney who starred as the prosecuting lawyer in the Tate-La Bianca murder case in 1969. He later wrote a book, 'Helter Skelter' on the case, which saw the notorious Charles Manson imprisoned. He was 81. DDP veteran Tomb It May Concern get a unique hit.
Carmen de Tommaso was better known as "Madame Carmen" was a veteran French fashion designer who specialised in clothes for petite women, rather than the tall clothes horses which was de rigueur at the time.
She died aged 105 and was a unique hit for theme team One Century Is Enough, Madam!
A theme team that's doing rather well is ...and Its Goodnight From Him, a team devoted to famous Rons and Ronnies of various description. The latest Ron to do one is folk singer Ronnie Gilbert who was a member of the folk quartet The Weavers, who included the late Peter Seeger. Gilbert follows in the last footsteps of another influential US folk artist Jean Ritchie, who died just five days earlier. Gilbert was 88 and she vaults ...and Its Goodnight From Him into the lead of the Theme Team League with a 5th hit.

(Bugliosi) > + = 9pts

(de Tommaso) + = 7pts

(Gilbert) + = 6pts

List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

Jamie Lee Jepson, Margaret Dunning, Magnus Härenstam, Zhanna Friske, Roberto Levingston

List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

Hermann Zapf, James Last, Ornette Coleman, Monica Lewis, Dorothy Custer, Micol Fontana, Noemi Wigdorowicz-Makowerowa, Blaze Starr

Player of the Month - May

Stardust - 24 points

Latest News

The last edition of TV show 'Top Gear' with Jeremy Clarkson is aired, following his sacking in March. Folk legend Joni Mitchell's health remains the subject of speculation after recent comments from her old friend David Crosby. Will she turn blue?
The Theme Team League is updated for June with ...and Its Goodnight From Him taking the lead.

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, The Grey Horde, Thomas Jefferson Survives, Bibliogryphon, David Quantick's Showbiz Pals, Dickie's Gone the Way of the Dinosaurs & The End Of The World As We Know It

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