The Third Kegworth Codgers Midweek Challenge

Madaxeman.com is delighted to bring you the third edition of the The Kegworth Codgers Midweek Challenge L'Art de la Guerre Competition.

Following the success of 2024 and 2025's competitions held during the week for retirees, part-timers, and those with far too much holiday allowance on their hands we are now creeping towards having almost 40 midweek skivers congregating near the M1 to play some ADLG without having to eat into any more of their weekends (which of course are better spent with loved ones / watching sport) (delete as appropriate).

The venue for 2026 will again be our regular home, The Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre, scenically located just moments from the M1 Junction 24 in a quaint and historic Leicestershire village with at least 2 decent boozers and a great Indian restaurant where we I'm sure all be going again on the middle night of the event fora slap up feast. 

For any newcomers, The Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre is a little more "East Midlands-based Underlay Wholesaler's quarterly sales meeting venue" rather than "Where the Leaders of the G7 Nations choose to stay when attending Davos.." making it an absolutely perfectly priced and located hotel venue for a wargames "non-weekend" event in location, facilities, and cost.

Having deeply researched the extensive history of Kegworth using Wikipedia and at least one other website means each year we will look to somehow precariously hang a theme on one of the abundance of hooks relating  to the history of Kegworth.

2026 Theme:

With loads of Kegworthian history to choose from this year our expert team of researchers have noticed that the Wikipedia article for Kegworth mentions he date of 874AD right at the start of the "History" section which fits into the timespan covered by ADLG, and doesn't really overlap with either of the timelines for the first or second editions of the Kegworth Codgers event (especially if I don't allow some of the non-European Arab armies). 

The date relates to the name Kegworth, which apprently comes from two languages, Old English and Danish, meaning that the earliest date at which anyone would have called Kegworth Kegworth is 874AD. 

That leads neatly onto a theme of "armies from 874AD", with the following armies allowed:

• 108 Alan
• 114 Kingdom of Axum
• 117 Xianbei
• 120 Tamil Indian
• 121 Three Kingdoms Korean
• 126 Thematic Byzantine 
• 132 North African Arab
• 133 Andalusian Arab
• 134 Abbasid Arab
• 135 Arab Indian
• 136 Khurasanian
• 137 Tulunid & Iqshidid Egyptian
• 143 Lombard
• 145 Post Roman British 
• 147 Later Pictish
• 149 Armorican Breton
• 150 Welsh
• 151 Astur-Leon & Navarre
• 153 Carolingian Franks
• 155 Viking & Leidang
• 156 Irish 
• 157 Scots
• 158 Slav
• 160 Bulgar 
• 161 Khazar 
• 162 Serbo Croat
• 163 Magyar
• 164 Pecheneg 
• 165 Rus
• 168 Burmese
• 169 Rebel Vietnamese
• 170 Hindu Indian 
• 172 Tibetan
• 173 Khmer & Cham
• 175 Tang & 5 Dynasties
• 176 Heian Japanese 
• 177 Shat-o Turks
• 178 Tribal Mongol
• 284 Mayan
• 285 Zapotec
• 293 Mochica and Chimu
• 296 Chichimec.

All lists must be valid in 874 AD, allies can be drawn from any list.

The event will be played in 15mm, with all the usual standard rules, any FAQ extant at the time and that general sort of malarkey. Lists to lists@madaxeman.com by the 26th September please.

Timings:

The format will be civilized and sympathetic to those of advancing years, or put another way the timings will be a bit later than usual:

Tuesday:

• 09:15-11:45
• 12:45-15:15
• 15:30-18:00
• Evening - curry in the same place as last year

Wednesday

• 9:30-12:00 (or start earlier if you fancy, the draw will be done the night before)
• 13:00-15:30

The hotel will be taking orders each morning for anyone who wants a hot lunch from their regular menu, however it does seem that the Oaklands bakery in town does cracking hot baps, so wandering up there between games may be a better option for many of you.  

Onsite Accommodation Deal: 

You are politely encouraged to book rooms in the venue hotel, on the basis that they have offered us some really great rates, the more of us stay there the happier they will be to welcome us back in future, and also as it just makes it easier for us to round up anyone who might have spent too long in the onsite bar on Monday or Tuesday night.

The booking code to use on the Kegworth Hotel and Conference Centre website is: "AELro" for room only and "AELbb" for bed and breakfast

Venue Address:

The Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre
Packington Hill, Kegworth, DE74 2DF
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 672 427