Octopus of Odstock

On what is realistically the last search I'll do in 2019 a whole swathe of deaths found: Stan Carr Death: 26/04/1994 Edmonton Edmonton Alberta Canada Dougald Campbell Birth 14/12/1922 Kirkintilloch Scotland Death 09/04/1996 Ernie Whittam: Death: 16/03/2012 Rotherham Yorkshire England Name Alan John Moxley Short Birth Sep-28 Death 2000 Name Mr Dennis Trevor Winterbottom Birth 23/10/1928 Death 01/10/2002 Residence Glossop Derbyshire England Donald Simon Colombo Birth: 26/10/1928 Poplar Blackwall London England Death: 28/09/2017 Healesville Victoria Australia Residence: 1977 Chelsea Victoria Australia

Never played in the football league, but one of the oldest living footballers is Glentoran's Bertie Wright - 100 years old: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/glentoran-hero-bertie-wright-celebrates-17145318 Gordon Astall - a full spread by the Daily Mail, physically he looks well - he has dementia though https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7668571/His-mind-grip-dementia-Astalls-eyes-light-mention-debut.html Another source that says Royden Wood is the oldest Leeds player (Scott did play in goal so I do think the other three mentioned above are dead as they are all outfield and surely someone would've brought at least one of them up) - https://theathletic.co.uk/1282784/2019/10/14/the-player-who-shared-a-dressing-room-with-stanley-matthews-and-the-beatles/ and finally a nice article on Bert Mozley - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/poignant-tale-of-bert-mozley-england-s-oldest-player-7gfljx9mr

Thanks Toast! Obviously no full date of birth makes it tricky to be certain we have the right man but these two have definitely gone, both in the last year. DICKENS, LEO 1927 GRO Reference: DOR Q1/2019 in Wakefield (097-1A) Entry Number 518647755 ex-Chester and Rotherham ELLIOTT, FREDERICK FRANCIS George 1929 GRO Reference: DOR Q4/2018 in Carmarthenshire (822-1A) Entry Number 518226801 ex Mansfield, Fulham, Stoke, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil

As the wonderful findmypast site is free of charge and as they have the 2007-2017 deaths available, I've been able to strike a couple more off the list. Len Kane (1926) - ex Preston, Plymouth who was alive in 2010, died in 2011 - https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=BMD%2FD%2FMILLEN%2F002133997 Also gone: Tom Mason (1925) ex Hartlepool It also increases the chances - so long as they live in the UK - of some of the rarer names being alive as they're not on any death record from 1911-2017.

Norbert Eder, West German defender who played all of their 1986 campaign, including the final has died: https://www.google.com/amp/s/fcbayern.com/en/amp/news/2019/11/fc-bayern-mourns-the-passing-of-norbert-eder

Gordon Astall, although Bill Holmes represented Great Britain internationally.

Yep, because Portsmouth were adamant Leather was the oldest and all others were dead when McGhee died. Good, I'll amend the list

Okay after looking at the list of cities in England it can only be one of Lichfield Ripon Westminster All the others have a non-league team I've heard of.

I think it might be Salisbury. Were much higher up the pyramid but had financial issues so mightve been demoted?

And Ben and Holly - he's the Wise Old Elf

Leeds United have just celebrated their 100th birthday and as a result have found their oldest player - Royden Wood, who is NOT in the above list, having just turned 89. - https://www.thesquareball.net/leeds-united/leeds-united-1-0-birmingham-city-100-chances/ I'd say this is quite accurate because they've clearly gone to lengths to make sure they could find their oldest. So of those on the list that actually played for Leeds it appears to remove * (Yes, I know there's nothing certain but there's a difference between a blog post that says "believed" even if it is linked to the site and the club inviting its oldest player to a gala dinner), Frank Taylor (1923) Jock Finlay (1925) Ralph Harrison (1926) George Miller (1927) However I think John Scott (1928) is still alive. He played 111 times for Leeds and is listed as a past president here (it is the same man if you Google - https://www.cumbria-golf-union.org.uk/executives). So was it that Scott couldn't attend and actually Wood was the oldest who could? Because that changes the whole situation. FWIW, I think Taylor is likely dead, so I'll mark him as red. Miller emigrated back to South Africa so we may not know for a while if he's still alive. The other two didn't really have long careers there so could quite easily also be gone so they're all marked as red. If it wasnt for Scott, I'd be more inclined to go for certainty with the above report. Ernie Whittam, Brian Woodward and Jimmy Forrest never played a league game for Leeds but were on their books.

For me, she should be in the famous Belgians thread and no other.

The BBC report mentions that Ron is now disabled. (Not through the shooting but was already disabled). So losing a wife and son can't help any.

Edited and put Lavery in. However, Mick Nagy (b. 1929) died as long ago as 1970, so he's been removed.

And this is the thing with ex footballers and racing drivers. Sometimes the announcement never comes and you find out the hard way they've gone. I recently discovered a F1 racing car designer died 7 years ago and no one announced it. Sad news about Bob VK. Think he was the last survivor of the 54 team.