FOCAL Finals and MK Open - 30th November 2024

[darren godfrey]

All to play for in two separate tournaments! Who will be our 2024 FOCAL champion?

Date: Saturday 30th November 2024
Venue: Novotel Milton Keynes, Saxon St, Leyburn Ct, Heelands, Milton Keynes, MK13 7RA (map)
Admission: £12 (preferably by Paypal, please; other means on request).
Doors open: 10am, for 11am start
Organised by: Darren Godfrey
Presented by: Adam Beach
Games to be played: 7, plus the FOCAL Grand Final
Finishes by: 6pm
Wheelchair accessible: Yes

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Another year, another end-of-season showdown at the Novotel in Milton Keynes.

Format

As in previous years, the top 8 seeds in our FOCAL League Table at the end of the year will face off in a round robin to earn a place in the 2024 FOCAL Grand Final. Meanwhile, everyone else is welcome to sign up and take part in our Milton Keynes Open event, where the champion will be whoever tops the standings after 7 games.

Our 2023 FOCAL champion was the one and only Jack Hurst, with Ahmed Mohamed picking up the win in the second MK Open.

Doors open at 10am for an 11am start, to play seven 9-round games of Countdown.

This event uses a classroom-style format, with big screen graphics. This means everyone plays along to the same letters rounds, and everyone will get a turn at picking consonants and vowels for the room at some point.

For the numbers games, you’ll get to pick which combination of large and small numbers you want, in turn in your pairs, from our specially designed five-line display.

For the conundrum, these will be revealed on the screen for everyone in much the same way as on the TV show. We will explain at the start of the day how each part of the contest runs, and give everyone a practice game consisting of a letters game, a numbers game and a conundrum just before the first match.

Lunch & breaks
We will stop for lunch after the second or third match — lunch is not provided but there are plenty of amenities nearby, including a Tesco Express, a Costa Coffee, and a McDonalds.

Please note that any refreshments purchased outside of the hotel are not to be consumed in the public areas of the hotel; only within our private conference suite.

There will be another short break during the afternoon and, if you don’t make the Grand Final, a chance to recharge your glass just before our showpiece gets underway.

How to book
The entry fee is just £12. To secure your place, send your entry fee to Darren Godfrey, FOCAL Chair, by Paypal.

Transport
The event venue is less than 2 miles away from Milton Keynes Central station.

There are 120 car parking spaces at the hotel available on a first come, first served basis. Car parking is free but you must register your car at reception if parking on site.

Staying over?
If you don’t manage to bag a room at the Novotel, there are many low-cost hotel options available in central Milton Keynes, all within a couple of miles of the event venue.

Any questions?
Please feel free to email focalcountdown@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you in Milton Keynes in November!

Attending or organising a FOCAL event is subject to the FOCAL Code of Conduct.

The top 8 and full list of 'Open' attendees (currently 29 confirmed) is available on request.

[Stewart Gordon]

Booking myself in now.

Why do you have "(map)" at the end of the address but no actual map there?

[darren godfrey]

Booking myself in now.

Why do you have "(map)" at the end of the address but no actual map there?

Good spot, was a copy paste job that hadn't worked. Fixed now.

[darren godfrey]

For those attending but not on Facebook - there are two options available for the post-event feeding and entertainment. Please let me know if you would like to join at one of the following:

The Grange Indian Restaurant
Legend One Sushi and Chinese Restaurant

Two weeks to go! Really looking forward to seeing you all, and to an awesome season-ending event.

[Gavin Chipper]

I signed up a couple of weeks ago. I notice the Facebook page has been announcing individual entries (though not me). I thought this wasn't a thing any more.

[Fiona T]

facebook appears to no longer show me event related stuff unless I go look for it

[Fiona T]

So for lunchtime amusement -

We've got 5 supernundrums in increasing difficulty (my judgement). Plan for a lunchtime distraction is that anyone who wants to play them can - once you fail to solve one, you're out. Anyone who's still playing the last is on a buzzer race to determine the winner. Sound reasonable?

(FTAOD Actual tournament is using standard conundrums!)

[JackHurst]

So for lunchtime amusement -

We've got 5 supernundrums in increasing difficulty (my judgement). Plan for a lunchtime distraction is that anyone who wants to play them can - once you fail to solve one, you're out. Anyone who's still playing the last is on a buzzer race to determine the winner. Sound reasonable?

(FTAOD Actual tournament is using standard conundrums!)

Sounds great! FWIW I think 3 would be enough.

[Thomas Carey]

heya - I'm an idiot and booked the wrong flight. is anyone with a car able to give me a lift from MK coachway (near M1 junction 14, a 10 min drive from the novotel) to the novotel on friday night? i'll be getting in at 19:45 but will let you know if there's any delays. will buy you a ridiculously overpriced drink from the novotel bar x

[darren godfrey]

Follow fixtures and standings:

FOCAL Finals 2024
MK Open 2024

[Fiona T]

Huge thanks to Darren and Beachy for a well run, fun event!

[Adam S Latchford]

Well ran event, congrats jack and congrats to callum

[Gavin Chipper]

Yes, great event and overall FOCAL year - well done all.

[Tom S]

Concur with the above. Well done to the winners!

[JackHurst]

Thanks to everybody who helped make this (and all other events throughout the year) happens. We really are very lucky to have so many of these to go to throughout the year. Also big thanks to the people who keep turning up to these events, without the players, they'd be nothing.

Well done to Callum for winning the open, and great work from JDS making the main final this year. Also shout out to Maus who was a sliver away from making the final - I think any other year, his form on the day would have been enough to win the whole thing outright.

[Thomas Carey]

<3 means a lot

well done again jack, impressive consistency. cheers focal team! definitely one of the more memorable focal years

(I've been an also ran in four out of the six focal finals I've played, and the two years I've been in hospital I've been a hair off the final, don't know what to make of that...)