Top GAA inter-county referees fail tough new fitness tests in record numbers

Top officials such as All-Ireland final referee last year, David Gough, plus the likes of David Coldrick, Niall Cullen, Anthony Nolan, and Derek O’Mahoney were among those who came up short in pre-season tests

TESTING: The country's top football referees struggled in pre-season testing. 

GAA chiefs are facing a serious referees’ issue ahead of the opening round of the Allianz Football League after record levels of fitness test failure by the country’s top match officials.

Only 19 of the 42 inter-county referees succeeded in meeting tough new pre-season fitness levels in tests conducted on Friday at Abbotstown. It leaves Croke Park with an insufficient number of certified officials for the opening weekend of 16 National League football games in a weeks’ time. Strictly speaking, each venue must have a standby referee, which would require 32 officials for the opening round of League games.