Countdown Finals or the World Cup?

[Michael Wallace]

So both the Countdown and World Cup finals are on the horizon, with a whole clutch of group games kicking off at 3pm. For some of us there's going to be a bit of a dilemma - do we watch the football or Countdown live?

Ok, so a lot of you won't like football, or will have already seen the finals recorded, or won't care about watching a pre-recorded show 'live', but for everyone else (i.e. me) here's a list of the clashes (I might have got the order of Countdown matches wrong, so please correct me if so):

Thursday 10th:
Countdown: QF1 - Oliver Graner vs. Claudia Tyson
Football: None!

Friday 11th:
Countdown: QF2 - Danny Pledger vs.Nicki Sellars
Football: Group A - South Africa vs. Mexico

Monday 14th:
Countdown: QF3 - Dave Wilkinson vs. Lee Graham
Football: Group E - Japan vs. Cameroon

Tuesday 15th:
Countdown: QF4 - Peter Zyss vs. Craig Chittenden
Football: Group G - Ivory Coast vs. Portugal

Wednesday 16h:
Countdown: SF1 - Garner/Tyson vs. Zyss/Chittenden
Football: Group H - Spain vs. Switzerland

Thursday 17th:
Countdown: SF2 - Pledger/Sellars v Wilkinson/Graham
Football: Group B - Greece vs. Nigeria

Friday 18th:
Countdown: Final!
Football: Group C - Slovenia vs. USA

So there you go, I have too much time on my hands, but some 'interesting' decisions to make. Slovenia/USA could be a crucial game from England's perspective, but it might be one you can get away with flicking to between rounds of the final. Otherwise most of the clashing matches aren't too great, although South Africa/Mexico and Ivory Coast/Portugal could be pretty exciting affairs. I'll probably be going down the flicking back and forth approach, myself.

[Matt Morrison]

Overall, football every time. Thankfully the most important of the Countdown matches (the final) clashes with one of the least interesting (though as you say, not the least important) football matches.
Of course, Countdown shows are much shorter - have you checked the timings, are we going to be missing 1st half or 2nd half or a bit of both if we choose Countdown?

[Howard Somerset]

I'll be watching both. Two televisions. I'll have sound on Coundown, and vision only for the football. I often prefer not to have the commentary. However, on all days, half time in the matches will be around 3:45 to 4:00, so Countdown will get my undivided attention for those 15 minutes, as I dislike the halftime discussion.

The only time I'm going to have a problem is on Tuesday to Friday of the first week of Series 63, when there are two World Cup matches on simultaneously.

[Michael Wallace]

I'll be watching both. Two televisions. I'll have sound on Coundown, and vision only for the football.

Top idea - I might do that myself (although replace one of the TVs with a laptop). It'll also save me the trouble of flicking between two channels, which will almost certainly not work thanks to my very dodgy TV reception.

[James Robinson]

Unforunately for me, being at work means I can't watch the early kick-offs, so I'll watch Countdown on the Sky+, then watch the 7:30pm kick-off after that.

[JackHurst]

Monday 14th:
Countdown: QF3 - Dave Wilkinson vs. Lee Graham
Football: Group E - Japan vs. Cameroon

I'll watch the two QF's this week, but probably not bother with the rest. I would strongly recommend not watching the football on Monday 14th though.

[Andy Wilson]

Well, not having a TV, I have to wait til 4.15 anyway to get my dose of countdown, if it's on 4od immediately, which it isn't always, so I'll probably watch whatever game is on if i'm free and wait to watch countdown.

[Peter Mabey]

I only need one bit of information about any football match, as I find it even more boring than the Eurovision thing - I never bothered to find out who won that.
(The bit is whether England won, as I'll have to respond appropriately if the topic comes up in conversation. )

[Charlie Reams]

I only need one bit of information about any football match, as I find it even more boring than the Eurovision thing - I never bothered to find out who won that.
(The bit is whether England won, as I'll have to respond appropriately if the topic comes up in conversation. )

Literally one bit. Cool.

[Ryan Taylor]

World Cup without a doubt. Sky plus Countdown for watching any other time.

[Jon Corby]

I never see Countdown live as I'm at work. The earliest I can finish is 4 (so I can be in at about 4:15) and I'll stick the football on (delayed start) as soon as I get in and watch Countdown at some convenient point later. World Cup wins easily though, just because there's no particular reason to watch Countdown "live", and I never ordinarily do it anyway.

[Gavin Chipper]

there's no particular reason to watch Countdown "live"

I was thinking the same.

[Michael Wallace]

there's no particular reason to watch Countdown "live"

I was thinking the same.

And miss out on the opportunity to post alternate numbers solutions?!

(Edit: I know neither of you actually do that)

(Edit edit: Oh, Gavin just did)

[Gavin Chipper]

there's no particular reason to watch Countdown "live"

I was thinking the same.

And miss out on the opportunity to post alternate numbers solutions?!

(Edit: I know neither of you actually do that)

(Edit edit: Oh, Gavin just did)

And that was after not watching it live anyway.

[Michael Wallace]

And that was after not watching it live anyway.

Exactly.