Yep, the event hosted by the man with the same initials as ‘Blackjack’ (and the same physique as Jack Black) is turning 21 this year, and even though the weekend won’t be as big as last (this) year’s triple-header, there’ll still be plenty to keep you busy throughout what is undoubtedly the best weekend of, um, January.
…And this year, there’s a double celebration as FOCAL itself is also turning 10 in 2026! There’ll be plenty of side events and prizes to celebrate both milestones- details of which will be revealed in due course. Both events will, of course, count toward your points total for the 2026 FOCAL season.
As for COLIN itself, the event format is very much a case of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ With no in-person warm-up event this year, we kick off with the main event on Saturday. As always, everyone will play 3 rounds of ‘three to a table’ Countdown. In each round, every player will play 2 games and host 1 game of 9 round Countdown, so at the end of the day everyone will have played 6 games and hosted 3 games. The top 2 will then play each other in the grand final to determine who will take custody of the coveted COLIN spoon for the next 12 months.
The following day, those who haven’t been Countdowned out (Counted out Down? I dunno) will head to the Memorial Hall for the twelfth Hangover event- the same format as the previous day, only with 2 rounds instead (everyone plays 4 games, hosts 2) before the final. And, of course, there’ll be the team competition at the Hangover, meaning at least 50% of all those who play will leave with at least one prize, and there’ll be plenty of spot prizes available throughout the weekend as well, such as prizes for overachievers, the Tuff Luck award, the Tim Down award, numerous badges to ruin your clothes with and much, much more than I haven’t even thought of yet.
The venues are unchanged from last year- the main event will take place at the Ark on Moor Lane in North Hykeham (directions below) and will kick off at 11:30am, while the Hangover will take place at the Memorial Hall on Newark Road in North Hykeham (directions below again) and will kick off at 10:45am (hopefully).
The price is just £16 for the Saturday, £10 for the Sunday or £22 for both days. Entry into either event will also give you free entry into the side events and online warm-up events- details of which will be made available soon. Payment via Paypal please.
(Ignore that the link says COLIN XX, didn't realise when I set it up last year that you can't change it)Directions from the station(s) to the venue(s):
Hykeham Station to the Ark
Hykeham Station to the Memorial Hall
Facebook pages-
COLIN XXI
The Hangover
If you have any further questions, feel free to ask- and I hope to see you all in January!
Entries (as of 20/01/26)-
COLIN XXI: 32
The Hangover: 30
