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 June 2016 by The Man in Black
[Picture of Muhammad Ali]

Ali: The Greatest hit of all?

Death takes Ali out in the 6th (month)
The Grim Reaper's impressive roster of deaths in 2016 continues to pile up, with Muhammad Ali being arguably the biggest yet. Born Cassius Clay, the "Louisville Lip" shook the World (and not for the first time) by beating Sonny Liston in 1964 to win the World Heavyweight Championship aged just 22. Shortly afterwards he changed his name after coverting to Islam. Within a few years he refused to fight in Vietnam, making him the most controversial figure of his day. Stripped of his title and banned for three years, Ali returned, starting a epic rivalry with "Smokin'" Joe Frazier. Ali lost the first battle in 1971 (The Fight of the Century) but came back to outpoint Frazier in 1974. That set up a seemingly impossible test against the World Champion George Foreman. Using the infamous "rope-a-dope" strategy, Ali defeated Foreman in "The Rumble in the Jungle". A year later Ali finally saw off Frazier in "The Thrilla in Manilla", a brutal fight that Ali conceded almost led to death. By then, Ali's public standing had been completely restored, his stance on Vietnam vindicated. Ali went on to fight until the 1980s, losing and then regaining the World title yet again. But the years of fighting took their toll, the normally charismatic, ebullient Ali, always ready with a quip or a dash of poetry, becoming a shadow of his former self due to oncoming Parkinsons Disease. But Ali was not finished yet, famously lighting the Olympic flame in 1996. He was a civil rights icon but he was also a great sportsman, lighting up the heavyweight division, indeed all of boxing, fighting all the great boxers in it's golden age. The great man died aged 74. Not surprisingly, he was a big hit for the DDP, the 7th for the Drop 40.

[Scorecard] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (116 teams) = 7pts [Joker](5 teams) = 14pts

Carla's brown bread
Sitcom writer Carla Lane has passed away. Lane emerged in the 1960s, writing the Liverpool-based, woman-led comedy 'The Liver Birds', starring Nerys Hughes and Polly James. Lane followed this up with the wistful, middle-class 'Butterflies', starring Wendy Craig as the frustrated housewife Ria. But Lane's most successful sitcom, and most controversial was 'Bread', a huge hit in its day but one which irritated Liverpudlians with it's supposed stereotype of them as scroungers. Lane was also an outspoken animal rights activist. Lane was 87 (rather older than was supposed) and was a unique hit for Don't Eat The Figs. Bye bye la! In my last update, I neglected to write about Nicholas Fisk, so now I am. Fisk was a childrens author, specialising in science fiction. I think I might have read one of his books when I was a nipper, I can't remember. Fisk was 92 and a unique hit for Bibliogryphon’s Bookworm Food.

[Scorecard] (Lane) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Fisk) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 8pts

Swarbrick gets his obit, second time around
Folk musician Dave Swarbrick has died. Fiddle player Swarbrick joined folk-rock band Fairpoint Convention in 1969 and was a key player in their influential album 'Leige & Lief' released that year. The band mixed 60s rock with traditional British folk, a template that Swarbrick and the band were to follow into the 1970s. Swarbrick suffered from ill health for many years and was famously declared dead, complete with obituary in 1999 by the Daily Telegraph, but this proved premature. Swarbrick died aged 75 and it's only fitting that I should link the Telegraph finally getting their facts right. British artist Malvina Cheek was an the last surviving woman war artist. After the war, Cheek joined the Recording Britain project, which captured records of old buildings before their destruction. Cheek died aged 100 and is a unique hit for Old As Dirt. While all the business with Ali was going on, there was another hit of importance to the actual competition, someone who in comparison to Ali, couldn't be any more obscure. Thomas Fekete was guitarist for surf-rock band Surf Blood. He has been suffering from a rare form of cancer and died aged 27. He was hit for three teams, two of them being the ever-wily David Quantick's Showbiz Pals and The Living End. TLE extend their points record to 126, with DQSP moving into 2nd. But both teams have only 7 potential hits to play with over 6 months of the year to go, so the rest shouldn't lose hope yet. It's the curious nature of deadpooling that a figure of Ali's stature and popularity should garner less points than an obscure indie musician when all it takes is a obit. But (and I'm dropping a big hint here) this could all change in 2017...

[Scorecard] (Swarbrick) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (3 teams) = 7pts
[Scorecard] (Cheek) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 7pts
[Scorecard] (Feteke) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (3 teams) = 12pts
Latest Stiffs: 26th May 2016 by The Man in Black
[Picture of Burt Kwouk]

Ah! Not now Cato!!

Burt's Kwouk of fate
British-Chinese actor Burt Kwouk has died. Lancashire-born Kwouk was gainfully employed playing the oriental friend or foe in a multitude of TV programmes and films, including the 'James Bond' and 'Doctor Who' franchises. He earned praise for his role as the harsh Japanese Concentration Camp Commandant in BBC's 'Tenko'. He later appeared in the last few series of the gentle OAP sitcom 'Last of the Summer Wine'. But he'll be forever known as Inspector Clouseau's faithful, if somewhat violent manservant Cato Fong in the 'Pink Panther' comedy film series, although he had an equally great screen partnership with the irrepressible Harry Hill in his cult comedy for Channel 4 in the 1990s. Kwouk was 85 and was a particular favourite among the theme teams, five of the six teams picking him.

[Scorecard] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (6 teams) = 6pts

Goodbye Mr Ed's friend
Actor Alan Young has died aged 96. Young played Wilbur Post, architect and friend of the talking horse 'Mr. Ed' in the popular US series of the same name. The series ran from 1960-66. Young is also recognised for his role in the classic sci-fi film 'The Time Machine', as the time traveller's friend and his son. Young was later the voice of Scrooge McDuck fro Disney from the 1970s to the 1990s. 8 teams ride into the the sunset with the points...

[Scorecard] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (6 teams) = 5pts

Yang Jiang kipperbang
Yang Jiang was a Chinese author and interpreter who rendered Cervantes' 'Don Quioxte' into Chinese in 1978. In the 1970s, Jiang and her husband, also an author, were "sent down" to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, a period she later wrote about. Jiang died aged 104 and was a hit for 2 teams. Morley Safer was a Canadian journalist and broadcaster who joined the CBS news programme'60 Minutes' in 1970. He was to stay for 46 years, earning 12 Emmys. Safer died aged 84 just a week after retiring from the show. Where's My Damn List? earn a unique hit. Neil Cunningham was a New Zealand racing driver, rumoured to be one of the drivers to play the role of "The Stig" in the BBC's popular car programme 'Top Gear'. Cuningham was also a stunt driver in the 'James Bond' franchise. Cunningham died aged 52 from Motor Neurone disease. Pedro’s Catacomb Ensemble earn a unique hit. Another unique hit now, this time for Puzlman's Passing Picks. Sándor Tarics competed for Hungary in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He won Gold in the Water Polo event. He was the oldest living Olympic champion and died aged 102. Apart from a few bits and bobs here and there, the bios and pic have been completed. I would like to thank all the teams who helped out. It may only be May but I'm already considering changes for next year which may alter the look and feel of the competition...

[Scorecard] (Jiang) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (2 teams) = 4pts
[Scorecard] (Safer) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Cunningham) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 15pts
[Scorecard] (Tarics) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 7pts
Latest Stiffs: 17th May 2016 by The Man in Black

Four stiffs and that's Schallert
William Schallert was a jobbing US actor, best known across the pond as the late Patty Duke's screen father in 'The Patty Duke Show' in the 1960s. He also appeared in a multitude of TV shows and films, including the original 'Star Trek' and it's most infamous episode, the comedic 'The Trouble With Tribbles'. Schallert was 93 and a unique hit for Captain Hemlock's Twenty. Alabama-born Susannah Mushatt Jones was latest in the long line of people to hold the title of the World's Oldest person. She died aged 116, leaving Emma Morano as the last person born in the 1800s alive, bar the odd claimant here and there. 16 teams and three jokers take the points... Julius La Rosa was an popular singer who appeared on broadcaster Arthur Godfrey's TV show in the early 1950s before being sensationally sacked live on air after a perfomance in 1953. La Rosa continued to sing and act on TV and stage. La Rosa was 86 and a hit for a pair. Irishman Christy O'Connor was one of Europe's most successful golfers of his day, winning over 60 tournaments and finishing in the top ten in The Open Championships on ten occasions, tieing for 2nd in 1965 at Royal Birkdale. O'Connor was 91 and a hit for three teams including golf theme team In The Hole! Talking of the theme team league, the Grim Reaper has cut a swathe though Shameless' picks, with a dozen or so picks having died but with little chance of an obit. Not that it has affected the team too much as they have a clear lead over the rest in the TTL...

[Scorecard] (Schallert) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] + [Unique] = 9pts
[Scorecard] (Jones) [Points] [Points] [Points] (16 teams) = 3pts [Joker](3 teams) = 6pts
[Scorecard] (La Rosa) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (2 teams) = 6pts
[Scorecard] (O'Connor) [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] [Points] (3 teams) = 6pts


List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

4ndy H@w0rth, 4ng3l@ Syk35, Alish@ B@rnett, H3l3n Hutch1ns0n, P@ul Mo0re, W3ndy H0lt, Tom M Apostol, Isao Tomita, Thomas W Libous, Major Erich Rudorffer


List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

Rabbit Kekai, Irving Benson, Hedy Epstein, Alan Devereux


Player of the Month - April

A Pelican In The Wilderness - 27 points

Latest News

Paul Gascoigne finds himself in trouble again, twenty years after his starring role in Euro 96, as he is charged with racial abuse... The Theme Team League is updated for May with Shameless restoring their large 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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