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 since 2010 by The Man In Black...

Latest Stiffs: 31st May 2017 by The Man in Black

I wonder if he'll be buried next to Shep!

here's an obit I prepared earlier...

TV presenter John Noakes has died from Alzheimer's disease. Noakes was co-presenter of the enduring children's magazine programme 'Blue Peter' for a record 12 and a half years, from 1965-1978. He, Peter Purves and Valerie Singleton are still today considered the classic line-up, with Noakes acting as resident "action man", famously climbing Nelson's Column for instance. He had a great rapport with the dog Shep but infamously less of a rapport with a baby elephant which appeared on an edition in which it trod on his foot! Noakes continued his adventures n the spin-off series 'Go With Noakes', which ran until 1980.
Noakes was 83 and a hit for 22 teams including he DDP's founder Big Iain...

(22 teams) = 6pts

Shameless continues to make ground on the DDP leadership, with another contribution to The Obituary Vault with And Now His Watch Is Ended also scoring.

heads of fate's double delight

Aptly during the UK's election campaign we have two political deaths, of sorts.
Manuel Noriega became the effective dictator of Panama in 1983 and was very much the CIA's man, having been recruited while as a student. He played a key role in the US government's controversial Iran-Contra policy, which involved arms and drug-smuggling in order to topple the socialist Sandinista regime in nearby Nicaragua. By the late 80s, there was a change in Noriega's fortunes and the US army invaded Panama in 1989, forcing the dictator out and eventually jailing him for a host of drug-traffiking and money laundering charges. Never trust anybody in this game!
Noriega died aged 83 and was a hit for several teams with theme team Heads of Fate landing the joker.
And Heads of Fate struck again with another hit on the same day. Crete-born Konstantinos Mitsotakis served in several governments under the aegis of a number of different centre-right parties before landing the job of Prime Minister in 1990, after several elections to establish power. He served for three years as the head of a coalition before defeat in the 1993 election to the centre-left PASOK. Mitsotakis was 98 and a hit for 5 teams.

(Noriega) (5 teams)= 6pts (1 team) = 12pts

(Mitsotakis) (5 teams) = 5pts

allman dead at filmore east

Rock musician Gregg Allman formed the Allman Brothers Band with sibling Duane in 1969. The band soon found success with their breakthrough live classic 'At Filmore East' in 1971. Tragically, his brother was killed in a motorcycle accident later that year. The band continued until 1976, their most recognisable song (at least in the UK) beng 'Jessica' from 1973, later used as the theme tune to 'Top Gear'. Allman was married for a time to actress/pop star Cher and had serious issues with drugs and this had a later impact on his health. Allman was 69 and a hit for 4 teams.
Ray Pfeifer was a New York firefighter who was one of the first responders to the aftermath of the attack on the WTC twin towers on September 11th 2001. Pfeifer spent months digging through the debris and then later fought for the renewal of the Zadroga Act which helped first responders to the catastrophe in their later health concerns. Pfiefer died of cancer aged 59, with The B-Team picking up a unique hit.
Warsaw-born Zbigniew Brzezinski served as Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor from 1977-81. It was a tricky time, with the Iranian Revolution and its consequences and the Soviet invasion of Afhganistan, both in 1979. Both events influenced the development of the "Carter Doctrine", authored by Brzezinski, which committed US forces to be deployed in the Persian Gulf should the matter arise in defence of US interests in the Middle East. Brzezinski was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. in 1981. He was 89 and a unique hit for veteran team Kennedy Driving School.

(Allman) (4 teams) = 8pts

(Pfeifer) + = 12pts

(Brzezinski) + = 9pts

Latest Stiffs: 23rd May 2017 by The Man in Black

RIP for 007...

A view to a killed

Suave British actor Sir Roger Moore has died after a short battle with cancer. Moore first caught the eye in the 1960s, playing Simon Templar in 'The Saint', based on the books by Leslie Charteris. The show was an international hit and Moore followed this up with 'The Persuaders!' in 1971, teaming up with Tony Curtis. Then in 1973 he landed the role of a lifetime as the third screen James Bond in 'Live and Let Die'. The film series entered a more playful, camp style and the ever deadpan Moore was the ideal choice for the super spy. He starred in seven films, right up until 1985's A View to a Kill, before bowing out. These were his best years as Moore featured in other films too, such as 'The Wild Geese' (1978) and he even sent himself up in 'The Cannonball Run' (1981). After hanging up the PPK, Moore devoted his time mainly to charitable work, later becoming Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Such work earned him a knighthood in 2003.
Moore was 89 and a hit for 26 teams. It's been a slow month for hits so far but Sir Roger is keeping the British end up!

(26 teams) = 6pts

go to hell

And now from hero to villain. Ian Brady was arguably Britain's most notorious serial killer. In 1966, he and his lover Myra Hindley were arrested for the murders of three children (later revealed to be five) who were then buried in Saddleworth Moor between 1963 and 1965. The case shocked the nation and the pair were never released from prison. Brady was declared criminally insane in 1985 and spent the rest of his life in Ashworth hospital. Brady was 79 and the sixth hit from the Drop 40 and easily the one we wont miss the most...
Roger Ailes was a US TV executive who endeared himself to many liberals when he was CEO of right-wing TV channel Fox News, from 1996-2016. Ailes was also an advisor to the presidential campaigns of Nixon, Reagan and Bush. In 2016, Ailes resigned after allegations of sexual harassment came to light. Ailes died aged 77 following head trauma from a fall at his home, so that means that theme team The Right to Die get an unnatural death bonus to go with the unique hit...
Dina Merrill was a US heiress and socialite who changed careers and took up acting. She appeared alongside Elizabeth Taylor in 'BUtterfield 8' and Cary Grant in 'Operation Petticoat'. Merrill died aged 93 and was a unique hit for 'Batman' theme team Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.

(Brady) + (66 teams) = 10pts (5 teams) = 20pts

(Ailes) + + = 13pts

(Merill) + = 8pts

bayldon heads for the crowman road

Geoffrey Bayldon was a prolific British character actor who was in a plethora of TV series from The Avengers to Z-Cars, often playing authority figures, eccentrics and old men. He was twice considered for the role of 'Doctor Who' although he ultimately appeared alongside Tom Baker in 1979's 'Creature from the Pit' as the astrologer Organon. His film roles included Q in 'Casino Royale' and the governor of Slade prison in 'Porridge' ("Yes, Buck Tarbrush"). His two most recognisable roles was as the medieval wizard 'Catweazle' from 1970-71 and as the mysterious Crowman in 'Worzel Gummidge' which starred another Dr Who, Jon Pertwee. Bayldon was 93 and a hit for 12 teams.
Timo Makinen was a rally driver, one of the famous "Flying Finns" who competed in the 1960s and 1970s, winning the RAC Rally in 1973, 1974 & 1975. Makinen was 79 and a unique hit for theme team 20 Names 20 Sports.
Lionel Augustus Martin , better known as "Saxa" was as the name suggests, a saxophonist who joined ska-revivalists The Beat in 1978 after cutting his teeth with the original legends of the genre Laurel Aitken and Prince Buster when in Jamaica. The Beat released three albums and enjoyed several hits before splitting up in 1983. Saxa was 87 and a unique hit for Top of the Pops 1981 theme team Hits of 36 Years Ago And Hits Today.

(Bayldon) (12 teams) = 5pts

(Makinen) + = 10pts

(Martin) + = 9pts

List of the Lost - Latest Entrants

Debbie Blackhurst, Lukas Amman, Gholamreza Pahlavi, Jean Fritz, Vicki Letele

List of the Missed - Latest Entrants

Karl-Otto Apel, Rhodri Morgan, Doug Rollerson

Player of the Month - April

Shameless - 46 points

Latest News

'Grease' star Olivia Newton-John marks everyone's card for 2018 by announcing that her cancer has returned...
The Theme Team League is updated for April with defending champion Shameless headling for a landslide victory and they're not the only one...or maybe not!

Further Information

Rules & Scoring

E-mail The Man In Black with any questions/comments about the DDP: ddp2017@derbydeadpool.co.uk

Links

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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