An Fear Beag

I am happy to take over the totting up of scores for the rest of the year, unless anyone has any objections. It probably won't be done quickly, it possibly won't be done entirely accurately, but it will be done. This does not, I repeat does not, indicate a willingness to run it next year. I've no idea how to start a pool, I don't have the time, and I don't have enough bilious hatred of the world to give it that authentic Deathers feel.

Three categories up, and only one unique , albeit a surprising Gianluca Vialli. Not a good start for my chances of winning this with unique picks. Considering that my "Random Yugoslav from 1950" pick didn't manage to be unique, I wouldn't be confident of getting two more from the remaining two categories. Just have to hope that no-one else has heard that Olivia Newton-John has cancer

For a few of us, it would seem

Thanks DI, and thanks for a good game at the end. Msc said to me at the start that luck was needed to win this competition - that even the strongest of opponents could have an off month. I certainly think I got lucky in the final - most other rounds you would have squonked me! No doubt Joey will rig it luck will see that we meet in the first round next year, so you will have your chance of revenge!!

Thanks Willz. As I bask in the glory of winning, I must remember that I was just a Frank Ifield hit away from being knocked out

Sorry that I am late to the party - just back from a week-long family camping holiday in the rain . This has cheered me up no end though - I'm well chuffed. My wife has just asked me why I am suddenly all smiley - not quite sure how to explain the joy of winning a Deadpool!! Thanks Joey for running such a superb contest all year. Apologies for all of the last minute teams - some of it was work, some of it was laziness, and some was trying to get a last minute edge. Not that it helped at all - the only last minute thing I did was to take out a few good picks . It seems like a near impossible job to run a pool like this one, but you have done a cracking job of it. Thanks again.

That's very sporting of you DI The Covid cases have proven really difficult to judge. Some fairly youngish people who in theory should have survived it, have died. Others like Dingko Singh who have serious other underlying problems have pulled through. Some have battled it for months and pulled through (I thought Cecilia Romo was a certainty for me in the last round), while others like Cordero have seemed to be over the worse and then succumbed. Added to that, reports of someone being admitted to intensive care with it don't seem to have much predictive value, as some seem to be admitted with fairly mild cases (hence my picks of Neto and Ali). It has made it a bit of a lottery picking the Covid patients. Give me a cancer patient being admitted to a hospice any day of the week!

Tim Smith and David Hagen takes me to 15 hits with 4 wildcards. 2 subs gone as well. Not bad for the end of July. Of course I've no idea whether these hits are gaining or losing me points, so who knows where I stand on the leaderboard.

So, just a week left to play, and after a blistering start to the tie, all has gone ominously quiet over the past 2 weeks. Suits me just nicely - another week of complete Reaper inactivity will do just fine. A 7 point lead with a week to go seems healthy at first glance, but if there is anyone capable of mounting a swift late comeback, then I guess Death Impends would be that person. Two unique hits, or Tommy Palmer and one of the younger uniques (Bayh, Draper, Singh, Zanardi) would put me behind. It seems like Singh and Zanardi are out of danger, so hopefully that will narrow down the options. As for my own team, I cant really see where any more points are coming from, so I guess it is backs to the wall defending for the rest of the tie. Neto and Ali don't appear to have been terribly ill to begin with, and both seem fine now. My other 4 uniques (Sahu, Gohar, Meshref, Kadyrbekova_ seem to have disappeared off the radar completely. No idea if they are alive or dead, sick or recovered, likely scorers or wasted picks. Its like Schrodinger's Cup team. If DI does come back, I will only have myself to blame. Too many missed opportunities to put the tie to rest. Cordero and Nurmagomedov both dropped from last months team (along with Draper and Singh). Wim Suurbier and Michael Kooge both on my shortlist for the last couple of months and I didn't pick either. I feel like the manager of the non league team whose players miss chance after chance to score the second goal to seal victory against the Premiership team, only to lose to two sucker punches in added time at the end.

I think that's a great idea too. In fact it is such a brilliant idea that it deserves to be made retrospectively! Might be a bit too early to be taking the lead on Death Impends - it gives him far too long to come back. Now I just have to put everyone behind the ball and hope to mount a heroic rearguard action to defend the lead.

Thanks for that msc. Nice to get a hit to make up for the fucking annoyance of both Nurmagomedov and Cordero croaking it less than a week after I dropped them off my team. I think that is 6 people now who have died within a month or two of me dropping them. If I could just learn a bit of patience, I might actually be good at this game.

I'm in, and I believe Death Impends is too, so unless someone else decides to kick the bucket in the next 40 minutes, it looks like that's the match-up. I am looking forward to DI trying to explain why I am the favourite for this one

After a false alarm a few days ago, it seems that Major General Kasirye Gwanga is now definitely dead. https://www.independent.co.ug/maj-gen-kasirye-gwanga-is-dead/

Surely once players have different hits, the age difference means that there can’t be a coin toss? The sadly very young age of Marne Xiong probably gives me the “away goals” in this match, should it end tied. is this the first year that there has been no need for a coin toss in the cup?

Marny Xiong has died https://m.startribune.com/marny-xiong-st-paul-school-board-chairwoman-dies-at-31-from-covid-19/571084732/

I cannot tell a lie- I had no idea what Press Reader was until msc explained it earlier in the thread I am just sad enough to have googled Rory Gilsenan every day since he died, as he is on my Irish theme team. This mention popped up today. I am delighted though to have opened up a new can of QO worms for the hosts to have to deal with! In any case, is there any chance of changing Rory’s profile to show that he was born in Kells, Co. Meath, rather than in Bicester which is where he lived.

Probably - but there is more chance of Rory Gilsenan riding Shergar to win next years Grand National than there is of me paying to access the Telegraph to find out.

It looks like she (and as a result Rory Gilsenan also) got a mention in the Sunday telegraph . https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-sunday-telegraph/20200531/281934545164285 Edging closer to a QO?

Hmmm - some mind games going on there I think. You are fooling no-one DI - don't try playing the underdog ! Anyhow, the semi-final team is in. Assuming there is no last hour dramatics, well played Deathbyarsenic and thanks for the good match.

Had him lined up for the semi-finals of the cup. Another example of why it’s pointless putting together a cup team a week in advance. A few hours before the deadline is time enough.

Michael Ziegler has died. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200513005586/en/PRIDE-Industries-Mourns-Loss-Michael-Ziegler

Willie K?

Ah bollocks. Another one that I gave up on too early. If I do make the semi-final, I might as well fill the team with people I’ve dropped from previous teams.

https://cascadebluesassociation.org/musician-and-promoter-gary-burford-passes-on/ It looks like Gary Burford has died ......in April. I guess it’s too late for subs at this stage.

and speaking of whinging and bitching ......