Odhran Crumley - BBC Sport NI JournalistSun, November 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM UTC·2 min readThe Ulster Club Senior Football Championship semi-final between Newbridge and Scotstown has been abandoned at half-time due to “player safety concerns”.
The pitch at Healy Park struggled with heavy rain throughout the day with obvious puddles and muck patches clear to be seen, prompting Cavan official Joe McQuillan to abandon the game after a half-time pitch inspection with Scotstown leading 1-4 to 0-3.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUlster GAA president Michael Geoghegan backed the call and confirmed that a decision on the re-fixture would be made on Sunday evening.
"Disappointed, but I mean it's the referee's call and it's the correct call when you see the conditions of the pitch," Geoghegan told BBC Sport NI.
"Health and safety of the players is the first and most important thing in any of our games and that was the referee's concern that it wasn't safe to play that game in the second half.
"We regret the game had to be called off, but I mean safety is paramount to everybody here, both spectators and players. Again, it's the referee's decision, he made that decision, he's the most experienced referee in the country and we 100% back his decision.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"There'll be an emergency meeting of the Ulster Council Competition Committee tonight [Sunday], we'll re-fix this game and hopefully it'll be next weekend, but that's a call for CCC to make tonight."
'The referee has a decision to make'
The Monaghan champions were leading 1-4 to 0-3 at the time of the abandonment and as is human nature, they would have been keen to continue.
However, their manager David McCague was respectful of the decision.
"The referee has a decision to make in the interest of the safety of players," McCague told BBC Sport NI.
"In his opinion, he determined that there were a few patches in the field that weren't conducive to health and safety and he decided that at half-time and that's his right to do so and I suppose we have to respect that.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I suppose, like the players on the field, the referee makes a decision, if he's right or wrong, we have to stick to the referee's decision. So I respect Joe McQuillan's decision."
