Forfar Defender Adam Livingstone Avoids Serious Injury After Neck Clash Abandons Match

Forfar Athletic defender Adam Livingstone suffered no major damage to his neck after an aerial collision forced the abandonment of Tuesday night's Challenge Cup match against Formartine United, the club has confirmed.

Livingstone, a left-back, was injured early in the second half of the KDM Evolution Trophy fixture at Station Park. He rose for a challenge in the 49th minute and hurt his neck and spine in the collision. Medics treated him on the pitch, where he was awake and responsive while awaiting an ambulance, according to a club update via their Facebook page. He was then taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and kept in overnight (BBC Sport).

The match, a group-stage tie in the KDM Evolution Trophy — the Scottish Challenge Cup, a knockout competition featuring clubs from outside the Scottish Premiership — was called off with Forfar leading 1-0. Sky Sports and BBC Sport were both covering the game live when the stoppage occurred.

A club statement on Wednesday brought the news everyone at Station Park had been hoping for: X-rays showed no major damage. Livingstone remained in hospital under observation but was expected to be discharged later that day if his condition continued to improve (BBC Sport).

For any player, a neck injury is the kind of moment that silences a ground. For a defender whose job description regularly involves going up for headers, the scan results will come as a profound relief.

Forfar, managed by Jim Weir, had come into the match on the back of a 3-0 defeat away to Clyde at New Douglas Park. The club had set admission at £10 for adults and £5 for concessions for Tuesday's fixture. Whether the abandoned tie will be replayed or its result stands has not yet been clarified.

What matters most is simpler than any fixture list. Livingstone left the pitch on a stretcher but, by Wednesday, had been given the all-clear on serious damage. Football matches can be rearranged.