We’re back after an end to September that was so quiet I decided to take a week off, with seven hits to cover:
Music
Slinger Francisco, aka Mighty Sparrow was a Trinidadian singer and huge name in the Calypso genre. The sparrow moniker came from his animated performances on stage and his music consisted of mixing social and political commentary with more than a dash of sexual innuendo on the side. After belting out songs for over sixty years he’s passed away at the age of 91 after several years of health problems. He was picked by both Bucket Of Blood and, on account of the unusual name, the Rolls Off The Tongue theme team for five points.
Politics
Biljana Plavsic was a Bosnian Serb politician who served a two year term as the President of Republika Srpska in the late 90’s, winning the first election following the Bosnian War after Radovan Karadzic was forced out of office. She was later indicted at the Hague for crimes against humanity and genocide much like her predecessor but took a plea deal to escape a large sentence. Her views of Bosnian Muslims were not particularly pleasant to put it mildly. “Genetically deformed material” to quote her directly. So off to the Bad Place she trots, leaving five points for Green Records and Perhaps’ Pointless Punts.
Our other political hit was Sir William Frederick Payne Heseltine GCB GCVO AC QSO, though hopefully just Will to his friends. He was an Australian civil servant who made it all the way from a lowly clerk in the Australian Prime Minister’s Department, through the various secretary positions and eventually all the way to the top as Private Secretary to the Sovereign and Keeper of the Queen’s Socks Archives from 1986 to 1990. Bog standard old age claims him and it’s five points for Overtime and See You In Heaven.
Sport
A more morally murky hit next as poor James Walker’s dodgy ticker stops ticking at just 38. The former striker was a product of Charlton Athletic’s academy though never appeared for the club. His most notable spell in the sport was a couple of years with Southend United in League 1, but his career trajectory only went downwards from there, disappearing into non-league obscurity before retiring to become a PE teacher at a special needs school. His cardiac problems were first discovered during a medical in his Southend days and he would eventually suffer a heart attack in 2019 that left him in a care home needing 24/7 support. You proud of yourself Octopus of Odstock? You proud of the fourteen points you get for the 38 year old special needs PE teacher? You’re going to hell for that one :p
The second sportsman to fall was Ken Taylor, a former cricketer and football player active in the 50’s and 60’s. The only interesting bit of trivia to be had was his being part of the 1957 Huddersfield team that were winning 1-5 against a ten-man Charlton team with 27 minutes left. Huddersfield lost 7-6 and became the only team to date to lose a match despite scoring six goals. He later went on to teach art for the rest of his career and promptly vanished from history but he returns for one last mention and scores nine points for Oldest living footballers.
Over on the other side of the pond we also say goodbye to Milawaukee/St. Louis Hawks club legend Bob Pettit. He was notable as the first player to score more than 20,000 career points and as the first ever recipient of the NBA’s MVP award in 1956, still the only player for the Hawks to do so. He scores five points for the NBA themed Passed The Rock and as the second willy of the year to shrivel up for Complete Phallusies.
Somehow not picked by that team however was Gordon Johncock (tee hee hee), an American racing driver known for winning the 1973 and 1982 Indy 500 races, as well as the 1982 Michigan 500. He distanced himself from the sport after retiring and ended his days running a sawmill. I’ve no idea why his Wikipedia entry highlights his personal life with “Johncock married multiple times, with two failed marriages already by 1982” but I choose to believe it was written by one of the failed wives. He clocks in nine points for the NASCAR themed Turning Left.
Scores
| Name | Age | Date of Death | Teams and Scores |
| James Walker | 38 | September 19 | Octopus of Odstock ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐+๐ป= 14 Points |
| Bob Pettit | 93 | September 23 | 2 Teams ๐๐๐๐๐ = 5 Points |
| Mighty Sparrow | 91 | September 27 | 2 Teams ๐๐๐๐๐ = 5 Points |
| Ken Taylor | 91 | September 27 | Oldest living footballers๐๐๐๐๐+๐ป = 9 Points |
| Gordon Johncock | 90 | September 28 | Turning Left ๐๐๐๐๐+๐ป = 9 Points |
| Biljana Plavsic | 96 | October 1 | 2 Teams ๐๐๐๐๐ = 5 Points |
| William Heseltine | 96 | October 2 | 2 Teams ๐๐๐๐๐ = 5 Points |