Growing up we dream of kicking points in Croke Park. My theatre of dreams was the back yard of the house. Surrounded by walls that all acted as team-mates. Unselfish they were too, always obliging with a one two. My mother is from Cork so it was the spirit of Larry Thompkins I evoked when playing. Give her to Larry. Splitting the posts into the hill to break Meath hearts. That’s the way kids think. It’s full blown glory or nothing.

So, it is hardly surprising that I never daydreamed about being chairman of the CCCC. Or delivering a motion to Congress. Or strategising on a five-year plan for the development of football and hurling in the county.

GAA administration is a much-maligned field. I have maligned it enough myself to be fair. In ways it is an easy target. But the truth is that it can be pretty good at painting a bullseye on itself; so it is a two-way street in that regard.

Fermanagh has had its own share of administrative controversy recently with the postponement of the league final between Derrygonnelly and Ederney. To quickly recap; the game was fixed to be played seven days prior to Derrygonnelly’s Ulster club clash. The Harps wanted it moved to the Friday night. Ederney couldn’t accommodate and offered Saturday instead, which Derrygonnelly declined.

We will get to the arguments surrounding that game in just a little while but first a word on fixtures in general. CCCC have a very difficult job. Getting the fixtures right is not easy and by and large it is clubs who make things harder than they should be.

As manager of Belnaleck I’ve had my own beefs with CCCC this past season. No point in boring you with the detail here but suffice to say I have one simply intractable belief when it comes to the treatment of club players here in Fermanagh - “CCCC shall not change the master fixtures plan.” It is the only way to give the club player even a shred of respect in a GAA that is increasingly marginalising them.

To be fair to the CCCC the master fixtures plan that came out at the start of the year was, in many parts, excellent. Different scenarios were laid out depending on Fermanagh’s run in the Championship and as a player, a life could be arranged around it. We have it a lot better than many other counties.

There was also the wriggle room allowed by CCCC that if two clubs agreed to a change they would allow it. Fair enough. You know the scenario where a stag party effects half the team. In this case if the opposition agrees to a change in date so be it, but if they don’t then the requesting club can’t really complain because the fixture has been set out at the start of the season. I’m sure we have all been on both sides of this fence.

Anyway, that is a slightly different point. The bottom line is that whole league rounds of the master fixture plan should not be deviated from by the CCCC. If they are then clubs have a right to cause an almighty fuss. Indeed, we should do it more often.

One clear point that has come out of the Ederney and Derrygonnelly non-league final is that the consensus, certainly among players, is to get the league play offs and finals played before the championship. This is the one lesson that can be taken out of this. It is possible too. I would start the respective championships two weeks later than we did this season and I would have all games on the same weekend.

This would free up two weeks to play league play offs. The CCCC make the argument that giving teams who reach league play offs competitive games before the championship starts puts them at an advantage over teams who don’t reach the league playoffs. I can see their point, while I don’t necessarily agree with it. And besides, I think this is a case where the clear majority would be in favour of the change I’m outlining.

In fact, and perhaps this is somewhat ironic, it is because CCCC has been largely successful in the implementation of the 18 league games we play prior to play-offs, that it has become evident that we do have more time in the calendar.

Clubs now need to act and bring recommendations to county board level about making this change. If enough clubs do it then it will happen. And CCCC need to realise that they have been making good progress in club fixtures in recent times and that this change would further improve things.

Now, with regards the league final between Derrygonnelly and Ederney it is possible to have sympathy with both teams. Putting myself in the position of both the players and management, I would have taken the same stance as both teams, had I been in their individual positions.

This is one of those unfortunate situations where there is no definitive right and wrong answer. If I were Derrygonnelly I would not have wanted to play four matches in four weeks, with the fourth being against Scotstown in the Ulster club. And for Ederney I can completely understand why they don’t want their season extended beyond the fixed date for a league final, when they have nothing else to play for.

From a strictly black and white rules stand point it appears the rulebook is in the favour of Ederney.

This league final was fixed and as such, given my argument in the early part of this column, it would be hypocritical to suggest that the St Joseph’s men should be made to play this game.

As I say, it is an unfortunate situation and highlights even more the need to get all the leagues wrapped up before we begin in the championship.