Reacting to the county board's decision to call off the Senior Championship final a few hours before the throw in, Enniskillen Gaels manager Simon Bradley said “in all fairness to the county board- I think they were the first ones in Northern Ireland to call off their match.”

“They made the right decision. They made an early call based on the safety of supporters rather than the quality of football that was going to be played.”

But he did suggest that the board might consider playing the re-fixture this Friday night and if it is drawn then have the replay on the following Tuesday, or Wednesday night to allow the winners ten to twelve days to prepare for the first round of the Ulster club championship which is in Brewster Park in three weeks.

Bradley went to see the Armagh county final last weekend and he was “walking into the ground when the game was called off.”

“It was a bit like our game with Erne Gaels in the county final of two years ago where people were sitting in the stand and were then told the game was going to be called off as it was so wet.”

As Brewster Park could not accommodate a double-header due to its lack of dressing-room facilities, Bradley believes the board might have considered playing the Intermediate final between Lisnaskea and Irvinestown in Ederney on Saturday afternoon and then play the senior final under lights in Brewster Park on Saturday night.

“You could have had the Intermediate final at 2pm on Saturday afternoon and the Senior final at 7pm in Brewster Park," he added.

“But I also appreciate that the county board want to have their county finals played in Brewster Park.

“And from an Intermediate point of view, those players deserve to have their big day out in Brewster Park as well.

Bradley added that all counties would like to have their county finals played at their county grounds.

“I do think the county board made the right call on both fronts, and I know we as managers were not consulted first and I appreciate that, as it is a safety issue.

“Apart from that, playing the game in such conditions would be a total lottery so whoever wins next week’s game will be worthy winners.

“It won’t be a case of…well we played the conditions better.”

Bradley added that there was no big rush to play the game this weekend as there is still a two-week window for the winners to prepare for the first round of the Ulster Club Championship.

“The county board factored that in."

Bradley added: “As a county board, you are damned if you do, and you are damned if you don’t, but I think but the board made the right decision.

“Knowing the Shore Road from Belleek to Enniskillen as I do there have been plenty of trees blown down in storms not as severe as this one and it would only have taken one accident for the county board to be severely criticised for not calling it off earlier.

“They erred on the side of caution, and I think it has worked for supporters as they made the call early.”

Bradley added that Erne Gaels hurlers, who are due to play Sean Treacy’s of Lurgan in the Ulster JHC in Brewster Park next Saturday, “deserve to be considered in all of this.”

“But, on reflection, as their game is on Saturday, you can’t play the football final on the Friday night as they have six dual players who could not be playing two big games in 24 hours.

“The hurlers should be accommodated, and it is only fair that the hurlers are given fair play.

“But it is an unprecedented situation, but I think the county board have made the right call.”