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: 8th July 2016 by The Man in Black

"Paid the Co-Op yet, David?"...."Yeah..."

A Royle funeral

One of Britain's most successful comediennes, Caroline Aherne has died of cancer. Aherne emerged as one of the "second wave" of alternative comedians in the 1990s, showcasing a variety of characters, the most successful of which was the dry agony aunt Mrs Merton, who had her own chatshow in 1995. Merton famously asked the Lovely Debbie McGee "What first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?" as well as duelling with notorious blue comedian (and fellow Mancunian) Bernard Manning. At the same time, Ahearne was part of the 'Fast Show' ensemble. Aherne struggled with depression and drug addiction but following a breakdown she returned with her greatest hit, 'The Royle Family' in 1998. Rewriting the rules of situation comedy, the show was set largely in the front room of a mundane northern family, usually watching telly, headed by lazy, acerbic patriarch Jim, played by Ricky Tomlinson, with Aherne playing the equally indolent daughter Denise. Aherne was 52 and a hit for 41 teams, making her the latest hit for the Drop 40.

(41 teams) = 9pts (3 teams) = 18pts

Lois slain

Noel Neill was the first actress to play the comic book character Lois Lane in the 1948 film series, opposite the first screen Superman, played by Kirk Alyn. Neill later teamed up with George Reeves in the television version after Phyllis Coates dropped out. Neill continued her association with the famous franchise with cameo appearances in both Richard Donner's blockbuster version of the Man of Steel's adventures (playing Lane's mother) and Bryan Singer's 'Superman Returns' in 2006. Neill was 95 and a hit for 4 teams. Jamie Daniel was a Glaswegian gangster who ran a ruthless drug-dealing empire in the north of Glasgow and reputedly responsible for many murders in the city. Ironically he landed in jail for a vicious road-rage attack, rather like that other notorious gangster, Kenneth Noye. Daniel died aged 58 from cancer and not in a hail of bullets, for shame...And My Name Is Larry! get a unique "hit". Beatrice de Cardi was an archaeologist who worked with the legendary Sir Mortimer Wheeler before specialising in middle east architecture, particularly Baluchistan, near the Iran-Pakistan border. She died aged 102 from an apparent fall, so that qualifies for an unnatural causes bonus for Gray Panthers, giving them a whopping 20 points! It has been pointed out that former UN Secretary Boutros Boutros-Ghali died in similar curcumstances and I shall review this before possibly adding bonus points. Elie Wiesel was a survivor of the Holocaust and was credited as prompting the use of that term to describe the atrocities carried out by the Nazis against the Jews during World War 2 in his position as a writer. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Wiesel was 87 and a unique it for I Couldn't Eat Another Bite.

(Neill) (4 teams) = 5pts

(Daniel) + = 12pts

(de Cardi) + + = 7pts (1 team) = 20pts

(Wiesel) + = 9pts

Here is box, a wooden box...

Animator Gordon Murray earned his place in the pantheon of British childrens television with his creation of the "Trumptonshire Trilogy", starting with 'Camberwick Green' in 1966, followed shortly after by 'Trumpton' and then 'Chigley'. The programmes, now somewhat dated in these more diverse times, were a mainstay on the BBC for two decades. Murray was 95 and a unique hit for Moribold Krakatoa’s Playhour. Yves Bonnefoy was a French poet whose work often touched on the surreal. He was also a noted translator of the works of Shakespeare and John Donne amongst others. Bonnefoy was 93 and was a unique hit for Pedro’s Catacomb Ensemble. Another poet to lay down his quill is Sir Geoffrey Hill. Hill was combative, often oblique poet, whose work both scorned and indulged in popular culture. He also has run-ins with his contempories Seamus Heaney and Tom Paulin. Hill died aged 84 and is a unique hit for Brummie theme team M6 Toll(ed).

(Murray) + = 8pts

(Bonnefoy) + = 9pts

(Hill) + = 9pts

Latest Stiffs: 29th June 2016 by The Man in Black

More Despatches from the DDP

After a such a dramatic week here in good ol' Blighty, the DDP continues to tick away the stiffs.... Michael Herr was a writer and journalist whose 'Despatches' journal on his time covering the Vietnam war is considered one of the definitve accounts of the conflict. Herr later provided the screenplay for Stanley Kubrick's 'Full Metal Jacket' in 1987. Herr died aged 76 and aptly enough is a theme team unique hit for Lt. Colonel Kilgore's Ultimate Surf Party. Born Carlo Pedersoli, Bud Spencer was an Italian actor who often appeared in the country's revered 'Spaghetti Western' genre. He enjoyed a long screen partnership with another Italian actor with an English name, Terence Hill. Spencer was 86 and a hit for two theme teams. Pat Summitt was the most successful coach in US Women's Basketball, winning 8 NCAA titles with the Tennessee Lady Vols team. She also led the US Women's team to Olympic gold at Los Angeles in 1984. She died aged 64 of dementia. There's A Shiva In The Park grab a second hit, quite a surprise that she was only a unique hit... Dutch-born Paul Cox was an Australian filmmaker considered the father of the country's independent film sector. His 1982 film 'Lonely Hearts' with it's prescient theme concerning dating agencies, won a host of awards. Cox was 76 and a hit for 4 teams. Jerome Bruner was a cognitive psychologist who advised President's Kennedy and Johnson on science matters and developed theories on emotions driving decision-making. He died on June 5th aged 100 and ws on the List of the Lost until this obit was brought to my attention. Inquilinekea/Simfish get their first hit of the year. Thats makes it 150 hits for the year at the half-way mark. Will there be another 150 in the remaining 6 months? Time will tell...

(Herr) + = 10pts

(Spencer) (2 teams) = 6pts

(Summitt) + = 11pts

(Cox) (4 teams) = 7pts

(Bruner) + = 7pts

Latest Stiffs: 16th June 2016 by The Man in Black

No Ant Hill Mob to save you this time, Penny...

Waldo's final pitstop

Voice artist Janet Waldo has died. Waldo started off on radio before moving to television by the 1960s, mainly adding her voice to Hanna-Barbera cartoons. She was Judy Jetson in 'The Jetsons' before her most famous performance as the "Damsel in Distress" Penelope Pitstop, first in 'Wacky Races' and then in the spin-off 'The Perils of Penelope Pitstop' in 1969. Waldo was 96 and a hit for 2 teams, with theme team I Hear Voices not surprisingly picking her. Sticking with US TV we have Ann Morgan Guilbert. Guilbert appeared as Millie Helper in 61 episodes of 'The Dick Van Dyke show', starring er..Dick Van Dyke! She later appeared in 90s sitcom 'The Nanny' as Grandma Yetta. Guilbert was 87, with another couple of them teams scoring. Incidentially those two late-scoring theme team hits will be updated next time... Rather like buses, another prematurely obitted musician has finally bit the dust. Just as with Dave Swarbrick, former Wings guitarist Henry McCullough was declared dead in 2012 by the BBC when he had a severe heart attack. He survived of course. As well as Wings, McCullough also played with the late Joe Cocker's Grease Band at Woodstock in 1969. McCullough was 72 and a unique hit for Dr Shipman's Waiting Room.

(Waldo) (2 teams) = 5pts

(Morgan Guilbert) (2 teams) = 5pts

(McCullough) + = 10pts

No more horseplay for Shaffer

Playwright Sir Peter Shaffer had died. Shaffer, twin brother of 'Sleuth' writer Anthony Shaffer, followed his siblings' success in 1973 with the play 'Equus' for the National Theatre. The play became a film in 1977, starring Richard Burton. Shaffer followed this up with the hugely successful 'Amadeus' in 1979, which became an Oscar-winning film, directed by Milos Foreman in 1984. Shaffer died aged 90 and was another hit for theme team Bibliogryphon’s Bookworm Food. Gordie Howe was a legendary ice hockey player for Deroit Red Wings. In a long-spanning career, Howe won 4 Stanley Cups and reputedly "created" the hattrick of a goal, assist and penalty for fighting in the same match! Howe was 88 and a hit for nine teams. Staying with sport, cricketer Donald Carr was captain of Derbyshire and a regular for England, captaining the national side for one test, in 1962. Carr was 89 and a unique hit for theme team A Good Captain's Innings.

(Shaffer) + = 8pts

(Howe) (9 teams) = 6pts

(Carr) + = 8pts

Aich and pain

Manohar Aich was an Indian bodybuider known as the "Pocket Hercules" who won the Mr Universe contest in 1952. He was 104 and a hit for theme team 20 Names 20 Sports. Now from brawn to brain. Viktor Korchnoi was a Soviet-born chess grandmaster who defected to Switzerland. He took on the great Anatoly Karpov in two World championships (in 1978 and 1981) but lost both times. He continued to compete at a high level until well into his seventies, unusual for the sport. Korchnoi died aged 85 and was a unique hit for It's Grim Up North. Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla was secretary to the popular, if short-reigning John XXIII (The Good Pope) until the latter's death in 1963. He was still an active member of the College of Cardinals at the Vatican for many years after. He died aged 100 and was a hit for a couple of theme teams.

(Aich) + = 7pts

(Korchnoi) + = 9pts

(Capovilla) (2 teams) = 4pts

List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

Corry Brokken, Hermann Scheipers, Bryan Wiedmeier, Rudolf Wessely, Eudoxie Baboul

List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

Scotty Moore

Player of the Month - May

Old As Dirt - 13 points

Latest News

Lefty Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn fights off all-comers in the wake of the "Brexit" vote, which for some reason is his fault! The Theme Team League is updated for June with Shameless still comfortably ahead...

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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