We’re pleased to announce the inaugural CO:WAR – Countdown in Warrington – a FOCAL Countdown event.

WHEN
Saturday 12^th SEPTEMBER 2026
Doors open at 10:15am.
Gameplay starts at 11am prompt
Final approximately 5pm
Finished by 6pm

There is no max on the numbers in the venue, so with this being a new event I’m hopeful that attendance will be healthy.

WHERE, GETTING THERE AND OTHER USEFUL INFO

Location – St. Thomas’ Church Hall, Ellesmere Road, Stockton Heath, WARRINGTON, WA4 6DS.

Warrington is handily placed in the heart of the North West of England. There are direct trains from many UK cities including London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh to name a few. In fact, the London train is non-stop to Warrington and only takes 1hr 50 mins from Euston, so I’m hoping that will entice a few of you to come up from the South. For those who are travelling from overseas, you have 2 airports to choose from, with both Manchester and Liverpool airports being equidistant from Warrington. As a preference, I’d personally recommend Liverpool as it’s smaller and therefore quicker to get through.

The Church Hall is based in the heart of Stockton Heath, just a mile outside of Warrington Town Centre. It is about a 20 minute walk from Warrington Bank Quay station and there are plenty of regular buses that depart from the main bus station in Warrington Town Centre. The main routes being the 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (always ask the driver if the bus is going through Stockton Heath).
For those driving, there is a small car park at the venue that can accommodate around 5 or 6 cars, however there is plenty of street parking nearby (recommended parking further up Ellesmere Road). There is a pay and display car park which backs onto the church hall (the entry to it being via West Avenue) which will cost around £4-5 for the day.

Ramp access is available for wheelchair users.

If you’re a Parkrunner, the nearest one to the venue is Victoria Park (home | Warrington parkrun | Warrington parkrun), which is just over a mile away on foot and it starts at 9am on Saturday. There is plenty of parking within the park itself, however you do need to follow the link and register before you take part.

If you’re overnighting the night before or on the Saturday night, the recommended option would be The Village Hotel (Village Hotel Warrington | Hotel in Warrington) which is a short walk from Warrington Bank Quay train station and about a 15 minute walk to the venue. Alternatives are a Premier Inn based in Stretton which is close to the M56 motorway, or there is a Travelodge in the Town Centre which is close to Warrington Central Station, the main bus station is a short walk away from the Travelodge to get to the venue.

GAMEPLAY.

You’ll be playing Countdown in the “Bristol” (classroom) format aided by RoboRiley, where everyone plays in pairs from the same selections projected on a big screen, and with each pair choosing their preferred selection during the numbers rounds. Conundrums will be split with one half of the room facing one conundrum and the other facing a different one. The purpose of this is later on in the rounds, the higher ranked players would typically face a ‘trickier’ conundrum that those ranked lower … all will be explained on the day for anyone unfamiliar, and we’ll start with a practice round.

We’ll play two 9-rounder games before lunch and then four 15-rounder games after lunch. The top two players on the day facing off in a 15-round grand final.

As with most Countdown events, the first round will be drawn randomly and for the remaining games you will be playing opponents that have scored similarly to you. Trophies for the top 3 will be awarded at the end and also some random spot prizes for some other lucky players.

FOOD & DRINK

Being in the heart of Stockton Heath, you are spoilt for choice for food options at lunchtime. There is a large Morrisons on the other side of the ship canal over the swing bridge. Going into Stockton Heath, there is an Aldi and an M&S food hall. There are plenty of commercial and independent food outlets including coffee houses, bakeries, pubs and even restaurants if you are feeling fancy.
Your own food and drink can be brought and consumed at the venue, we have the full use of the kitchen which includes a geyser for hot drinks, a microwave and even an oven! Tea, coffee and juice will be provided for on the day (maybe biccies if the budget allows).

Also, please let me know if anyone has any allergies or any other personal requirements that need to be accommodated for.

AFTER THE EVENT

I am looking to book a large table in the Pizza Express in Stockton Heath as it usually is a good place to satisfy most people. Probably for around 7pm. I have not booked a table yet as I want to gauge roughly how many will be coming before I do. So if you could let me know on the form below if you want to come I would appreciate it.

In any dead time between the event ending and the meal starting, there is a pub called The Mulberry Tree where I would strongly suggest having a tipple or two. Pizza Express is handily across the road from there.

SIGN ME UP!

The entry fee is £11 if you sign up by the end of May 2026. After that the cost will go up to £13.

Please sign up using the form below, payment details enclosed:
Form Link – https://forms.gle/7P4h5gYs4mH3daVr7
Payment Link – https://paypal.me/MatthewCroy/11GBP
Please ensure you select the “Friends and Family” option when paying, and include a note about what the payment is for, and also who you are if your Paypal name doesn’t match your preferred name for some reason (like mine does!!).
If you can’t pay via Paypal, then please contact me either on Facebook, Apterous or C4C and we’ll sort something out.

Any questions?

Feel free to get in touch with us at hello@focalcountdown.com

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