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. 2016 marks the Twentieth Anniversary!

Latest Stiffs: 4th February 2016 by The Man in Black

A floral tribute for Terry...

A Wake up for Wogan

Sir Terry Wogan, one of Britain's best-loved broadcasters has passed away after a short battle with cancer. Limerick-born Wogan was one of the first DJs at the launch of BBC Radio 1 in 1967 but he moved to Radio 2 and made his name with the breakfast show, earning a legion of fans thanks to his whimsical, laid back style. He broke into television in the late 1970s with 'Blankety Blank' and later hosted his own chatshow for a decade in the 1980s. But he's best known as the long-running presenter of the 'Children in Need' telethon and as the sardonic commentator on the Eurovision Song Contest for almost three decades. One of the big beasts of British broadcasting, Tel was 77 and a hit for 6 teams, with 2 teams shrewdly noting his ominous absence from last year's CIN programme gaining joker reward. Sir Terry's death has capped a stunning opening month in the anniversary year of the DDP...

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

A portentious end for Porthos.

Actor Frank Finlay broke late into theatre, making his West End debut at 31. But he soon gained attention with his dark looks and starred in Dennis Potter's controversial TV adaptation of 'Casanova' in 1971. He later starred in director Richard Lester's Musketeers trilogy and courted controversy again in ITV drama 'A Bouquet of Barbed Wire. Finlay died aged 89 and is a hit for two teams.

(2 teams) = 6pts

Farren falls

Mark Farren was an Irish footballer who became the record goalscorer for League of Ireland team Derry City, scoring 113 times in only 209 matches between 2003-12. Farren had suffered from a brain tumor and died aged just 33. Farren was a hit for half a dozen teams including debutant Cancel My Appointments, who continue their confident start by reducing champion David Quantick's Showbiz Pals lead to just one point. This could run and run...

(6 teams) = 10pts

Goody gum drops

Gordon Goody was one of the main men behind one of Britain's most infamous crimes, the Great Train Robbery of 1963. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was released in 1975 and later relocated to that recidivists den that was Spain. Goody was 85 and a hit for 2 teams. Now for a couple of customary Daily Mail obits. Gregory Hudgens was a firefighter and father of actress Victoria Hudgens. He had been suffering from cancer. Hudgens was 65 and a hit for 2 of the regular contenders for the DDP crown. Linda Horan was a New Hampshire activist who took on the courts over her personal use of marijuana as a pain-reliever for her terminal cancer. She died aged 64 The Love Boat get a unique hit and the German team finds itself a place below their companion theme team Shameless, both in the top 5! A rare very rare situation indeed...

(Goody) (2 teams) = 6pts

(Hudgens) (2 teams) = 8pts

(Horan) + = 11pts

Latest Stiffs: 28th January 2016 by The Man in Black

Craig Strickland: DOA?

Last week I announced amongst the rush of hits the death of Craig Strickland, the country singer who went missing on Oklahoma whilst duck-hunting on December 27th. His body was found on 4th January and on that basis I awarded 2 teams points. This has caused a bit of debate and consternation among other DDP teams who have insisted that he most likely died before the 31st December 2015. However, the Oklahoma Medical Center has yet to offically announce an estimated date of death and on that basis, for now, he is considered to have "died" on the day he was found, at least officially. I have consulted the two teams and even offered them the chance to replace this pick (in one team's case a joker one) but they have replied in kind that they will stick to their guns and understand that any official declaration of the death being before 01/01/2016 will mean the hit being withdrawn and no replacements being made. For the moment though, the points remain on the table...

Abe is third time unlucky

Moving on now to hits that are definitely 2016 vintage. Abe Vigoda was an American character actor whose heavy features made him an ideal choice for mob parts in TV and cinema. He appeared as Sal Tessio in the Francis Ford Coppola classic 'The Godfather' before appearing on the other side of the law as Sgt Fish in the popular US comedy 'Barney Miller'. Vigoda had in the past been declared dead on two occasions but we can safely say he expired aged 94, a healthy 27 teams picking him.
Cecil Parkinson served in Margaret Thatcher's first cabinet as Conservative Party chairman, masterminding their admittedly rather easy general election landslide of 1983. He was tipped for the very top in British politics until it was announced in October that year that had fathered a lovechild by his secretary Sarah Keays. His career never really recovered and by the time he was made the chairman of the party again in 1997, the Tories were out of office. Parkinson was 84 and had been ill for some time, though not of Parkinson's...

(Vigoda) (27 teams) = 5pts

(Parkinson) (5 teams) = 5pts

Sheila takes a final bow

Sheila Sim starred in the first theatrical staging of Agatha Christie's 'The Mousetrap' in London in 1952, alongside her husband Richard Attenborough. The play is still running today, over 20,000 performances later. Although her career was undoubtedly in the shadow of her husband, they remained married until the latters death in 2014. Sim was 93 and a hit for 7 teams. Yasutaro Koide became the World's oldest man in July 2015 following the death of Sakari Momoi. He held on to the title for 6 months until his passing aged 112, a hit for 6 teams. George Weidenfeld was that old chestnut of the fleeing refugee finding success in England. As if that could ever happen, eh? Weidenfeld formed a publishing house with Nigel Nicholson in 1949 and their roster of writers included Harold Wilson, Isiah Berlin and infamously, Vladimir Nabokov, whose controversial novel 'Lolita' was published in 1959. Wiedenfield was later made a peer. He was 96 and was a unique hit for Unusual Suspects.

(Sim) (7 teams) = 5pts

(Koide) (6 teams) = 8pts

(Weidenfeld) + = 8pts

Grim reality dawns for Monty

I'm going to be honest here and declare I haven't a clue who G. Monty Brinson is, so I'll keep it brief. Brinson was married to Kim Richards, of the Hilton clan (and 'Real Housewives' reality TV show) for a short time in the 1980s but they remained good friends. Which was a good thing as far as the teams who picked him are concerned as he remained in the spotlight enough to get an obit from the Daily Mail upon his death at 58. Some of the big guns of the DDP profit, with reigning champ David Quantick's Showbiz Pals increasing his uncharacteristically early lead in this this year's competition to 11 points and a 5th hit in the opening month. Pretty swift business and he's still awaiting another obit for another... An obit that has arrived (of sorts) is for French-African actor Michel Galabru, who died on January 4th aged 93. Galabru appeared in over 250 films including the international hit 'La Cage aux Folles' and its sequels. This mention is unconventional but does the trick for IMGONESOLONG who get a unique hit. Back across the Atlantic and another couple of hits. John Jay Hooker was a mecurial figure in Southern American politics, standing (and losing) in elections for Governor of Tennessee. But his most significant contribution was to persuade the billionaire H. Ross Perot to stand for the US Presidency as an independent in 1992, which subsequently split the vote, allowing Bill Clinton to triumph. Hooker was 85 and a hit for 2 teams, including the 2009 runner up. Finally we have Bill Johnson, who became the first American to win Olympic gold in alpine skiing, at the 1984 games in Sarajevo. Johnson died aged 55 and had been ill for some time, following a stroke in 2010. There's A Shiva In The Park grab the points...

(Brinson) (8 teams) = 9pts

(Galabru) + = 8pts

(Hooker) (2 teams) = 6pts

(Boulez) + = 12pts

Latest Stiffs: 19th January 2016 by The Man in Black

Glenn (second right) checks out of the Hotel California for good...

It's No Game (Part 2): Ashes to Ashes

Welcome to part 2 of our special opening salvo of Derby Dead Pool 2016. Today we reveal the Drop 40, the forty most popular picks for this year. Last year was a disappointment, with just 4 hits. This year sees Zsa Zsa Gabor retain her place as the most popular pick and by some distance. There are newcomers, such as Joey Feek and Howard Marks and a big mover in New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe. And we've already had a hit, but more on that later...

Also back again is the Theme Team League but with no defending champion Red-Flagged! However we might already have the champion for 2016, as the terminally ill team Shameless already have a massive lead. But its rather controversial subject matter has already had an impact, as one team was asked to be withdrawn in protest, so much to ponder on as we pile on with the opening hits and a new/old leader...

The Heat is definitely on for Frey

One week after a rock icon of the 1970s bit the dust, another successful artist of that era, albeit as part of a group, has followed suit. Glenn Frey was one of the main songwriters and guitarist for The Eagles, whose polished country rock sound paid massive dividends in the 1970s. Frey wrote the band's breakthrough hit 'Take it Easy' from 1972 and co-wrote with drummer Don Henley their definfing anthem, the reggae-tinged 'Hotel California' in 1976. Frey also enjoyed solo success in 1984 with 'The Heat is On' from the hit film 'Beverly Hills Cop'. Frey died aged 67 and was a rather shrewd early unique pick for I Couldn't Eat Another Bite.
Sticking with country rock, a rather tragic tale. Just after Christmas, Craig Strickland, singer with up-and-coming band Backroad Anthem, went missing while duck hunting with his friend in Oklahoma. He was found dead on January 4th aged only 29. Crazycarl get a joker hit, with Wall Street Massacre also scoring with both teams getting an unnatural bonus.

(Frey) + + = 11pts

(Strickland) + = 15pts (1 team) = 30pts

A Grizzly end for Dan

Now a couple of hits which puts a familar name back at the top... Dan Haggerty was a a stuntman and actor who played the title role in the much-repeated 1970s TV series 'The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams' opposite a grizzly bear named Ben. He died of cancer aged 74 and a hit for three teams, including DDP triple-champion David Quantick's Showbiz Pals. The day before there was another hit for the reigning champ. Canadian singer-turned manager Ren� Ang�lil discovered warbler Celine Dion in 1981, when she was just 12. She went on to become one of the biggest-selling solo singers of the 1990s and won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. Dion and Ang�lil maried in 1994 and remained together until his death from cancer aged 73. Ang�lil is the first from the Drop 40 to go and was a hit for 68 teams. DQSP regain the lead, somewhat earlier than he did last year, but it's again only a 2 point margin from newcomer Cancel My Appointments who have made an impressive start.

(Haggerty) (3 teams) = 7pts

(Ang�lil) = 7pts (68 teams) (6 teams) = 14pts

Johnny wont be coming Bach

Johnny Bach was a former basketball player and coach, whose biggest success came in the early 1990s when he was assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls, who won three straight NBA titles. He was 91 and a unique hit for TOETAG4U. The shadow of the Thin White Duke hangs over the DDP again thanks to his vital contribution to the career of drummer Dale Griffin and his band Mott the Hoople. Bowie famously wrote the glam rock anthem 'All the Young Dudes' to revive the career of the hard rock band, who then went on to enjoy some of their own written hits before disbanding in 1976. Griffin went on to produce records for the likes of The Cult and worked as a session producer for 'The John Peel Show' which showcased the likes of Pulp and Nirvana among many others. Griffin died aged 67 (1970s music is getting in the neck at the moment!) and was a hit for three teams. Robert Banks Stewart was successful TV writer and producer. He created the hit series 'Shoestring' and 'Bergerac' and is fondly remembered by 'Doctor Who' fans for his mid-70s contributions, most notably the shape-changing Zygon monsters. Banks Stewart was 84 and was a unique hit for Trojan Hearse.

(Bach) + = 8pts

(Griffin) (3 teams) = 8pts

(Banks Stewart) + = 9pts

13 is unlucky for some...

Next up we have a trio of hits from the 13th January, ensuring the bonus... Albert McQuarrie made his fortune in the building trade before turning his hand to politics. He was that rare beast, a Conservative Scottish MP, representing East Aberdeenshire from 1979-83, then Banff and Buchan before losing to Alex Salmond and the SNP in 1987. McQuarrie was 98 and a hit for two politics-based theme teams. Conrad Phillips became a star on British TV in the 1950s in 'The Adventures Of William Tell' as the titular hero. The series featured a young Michael Caine amongst others. He later guest-starred in 'Fawlty Towers' but was not in my theme team. Balls! Phillips was 90 and was a hit for two teams. This hit is the first to be affected by the rule changes regarding obits. Gordon Ross was the latest man to fight for the right to part- er to die but once again came up short against the Law Lords. He died aged 67. Last year he would have got his obit via the BBC, but as rule changes exclude pages from the isolated nations within the UK being used, it looked tough to get an obit. However The Times have come up with an obit, despite basically being the same sort of link. But I did not exclude the mainstream newspapers having this option, so it counts. Former champion Drunkasaskunk wipe their brow and collect a unique hit. There's always a work around! I mentioned the debutant Cancel My Appointments strong start and here was their other hit. Andrew Smith was a US college basketball player for Butler University before retiring prematurely in 2013. Smith died from cancer aged only 25. The last update we have (up to 18th January at least) is that of Monte Irvin who became one of the first black players to play in Major League Baseball, in 1949. He was inducted into the Major League Hall of Fame in 1973. Irvin was 96 and was a unique hit for Yolo.

(McQuarrie) + (2 teams) = 7pts

(Phillips) + (2 teams) = 5pts

(Ross) + + = 13pts

(Smith) (4 teams) = 12pts

(Irvin) + = 8pts

Latest Stiffs: 17th January 2016 by The Man in Black

Stewpot ensures it's a Crackerjack start to DDP 2016!

It's No Game (Part 1): We are the Dead

It's often said that January is the "boring" month. Not so, here at the DDP. Indeed it seems like an eternity since the last update, which wrapped up 2015, with so much going on. After a breathless end to last year, with David Quantick's Showbiz Pals snatching the title from The Living End in the final week, there's no rest for the wicked as the big two do battle straight away into 2016, with one or two dark horses making a decent start. There are 484 teams (again a bit down on the previous year) and two notable returnees: 2009 champion Tonight Matthew, I'm Going To Be Badly-Torn Boy and the main man himself, creator of the Derby Dead Pool, Big Iain, back in time for the 20th anniversary...

This is the first of a special two part update, taking in the hits from New Year's Day through to January 9th, with the second part following on the Monday to update you all with the rest of the hits of what's been a frenetic start to the year. So let's start with...

A H1d1ng t0 N0th1ng

Well I say there was a frenetic start, there was (so far, obits permitting) just one hit in the first three days, but one which may cause controversy, for some at least. This woman featured in the popular press for her brave fight to spend Xmas with her family one more time before the inevitable happened on New Year's Day aged 33. This cageyness on my part (right down to the Google-proof name masking) is in response to a rumpus your host had last year with one of the "inspirational" picks and her friends. Of course this prompted a theme team to be sent with an entire selection of such tabloid fodder. Perhaps the most controversial team since the death row-themed No Noose is Good Noose, Shameless get their first hit and joker to boot, to further fan the flames of controversy.
And while the iron was hot, Another member of the team passed away aged 40. These two hits make Shameless the early leader, so far...

(J0ne5) + + = 26pts

(M0rri5) + = 13pts

Aden for that/ Asif you would pick him...

Continuing the theme of somewhat "interesting" picks, the two big beasts of the DDP make a brisk start to thier campaigns. Aden Hailu was a young student who had been technically brain-dead since last May, when she never recovered conciousness after an operation. There was legal issues as to whether to switch off her life support. Ah, it's good to be back! As it trasnpired, she died of natural causes aged just 20. It was a unique hit for three-time champion The Living End, his 97th DDP hit in all. So as not to miss out, treble champion David Quantick's Showbiz Pals has also made a keen start to the year. Hassan Asif, a Pakistani student suffering from cancer, was in the headlines at the back end of the year after being refused a visa from the Australian authorities. With immigration becoming a hot topic, this story moved into the champion's crosshairs. He died aged 24 or 25 (I've gone with the latter). DQSP gain a joker hit along with another team, Cancel My Appointments, who get their first ever hit and there could be more to some from this team...

(Hailu) + = 15pts

(Asif) = 12pts (2 teams) = 24pts

Pat's straight off the bat

And the current champion didn't have to wait long from another hit, this one somewhat more old school. Pat Harrington Jr was a actor who normally played comedic roles and provided voices. He provided the Clouseau-like voice of 'The Inspector' cartoon, which regularly featured in 'The Pink Panther Show' in the 1960s. He was best known in the US as Dwayne Schnieder in the hit series 'One Day at a Time'. Harrington died aged 86 after complications following a fall in November. He's the most popular hit so far, with three teams getting a joker. Robert Stigwood was an Australian impressario who managed the rock giants Cream as well as having a famous association with the Bee Gees. He persuaded the Gibb brothers to provide music for a film that would capture the emerging Disco scene of the mid-1970s. That was 'Saturday Night Fever' in 1977, which became one of the biggest hits of the decade, both on film and vinyl. Stigwood also produced the 1978 mega-hit 'Grease', both films starring John Travolta. Stigwood died aged 81 and was a unique hit for Two Coins & A Punt. One the other end of the musical scale was the French composer/conductor Pierre Boulez. Boulez showcased the works of avant-garde composers such as the legendary Karl-Heinz Stockhausen but was also comfortable in mainstream classical circles, leading the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1971-75. He died aged 90 and was a unique hit for The Love Boat. Staying with music, we have Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, a Cuban-born trumpeter, also known as the Cuban Louis Armstrong. He died of prostate cancer aged 87. He was a hit for two teams, including last year's podium-placed Thomas Jefferson Survives...

(Harrington) (19 teams) = 6pts (3 teams)= 24pts

(Stigwood) + = 8pts

(Boulez) + = 8pts

(Armenteros) (2 teams) = 6pts

A Princess, a King and mother Teresa added to the Stewpot

Right, on with the rest... Ed "Stewpot" Stewart was a popular radio DJ and TV presenter, famed for his "Junior Choice" programme (which he last hosted only last Christmas) and for his turn on the popular kid's show 'Crackerjack' in the 1970s. He died aged 74 after a stroke and probably would have had more coverage but for the surprise death of a certain pop star! He was a hit for two teams. Princess Ashraf Pahlavi was the twin sister of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who stormed to power in 1953 but in the end both were exiled following the revolution in 1979. She was 96 and was a unique hit for GOODBYLADIES. Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first woman to compete in Formula 1 motor racing. She competed in three races in 1958 for the Maserati team. She was 89 and a unique hit for debutant theme team Ho's Before Bro's. We finish (for now, with the death of Florence King, a US conservative columnist and novelist, famed for her biting wit. Well, the biter;s bitten as she has aged 80, a unique hit for theme team By Royal Ascent. Next time, hits and the new Drop 40 and Theme Team League get their airing. Stay tuned...

(Stewart) (2 teams) = 7pts

(Pahlavi) + = 8pts

(De Filippis) + = 9pts

(King) + = 9pts

List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

Michel Delpech, Kitty Kallen, Ruth Leuwerik, Tony Beard

List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

Angus Scrimm, David Bowie :( , Bill Del Monte, Gunnel Vallquist, Robert Black (good riddance), Alan Rickman, Gerald Williams, Jack Bannister, Marvin Minsky, Jacques Rivette, Ruth Rehmann

Player of the Month - December 2015

Tentoesup - 24 points

Latest News

Rumour has it that Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher's condition may be deteriorating. Is he on the last lap?

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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