Mickey Harte has described plans to scrap the Allianz League finals as a ‘disgrace’.

The GAA is coming under increasing pressure to remove League finals from their inter-county calendar because of their close proximity to the start of the Championship. Ironically, Harte’s Derry team would be League champions for 2024 if there was no final after topping Division 1.

“I think it would be a disgrace to take away the League final and imagine as well for the teams down the leagues who have the chance to play a League final in Croke Park. It is the highlight of their year and it is as big a day as they are going to get for a lot of them,” he told reporters after Derry’s emphatic win over Roscommon last Sunday.

“So why would you take that away?’ ‘It would be an anti-climax if today the League was over and the team that is ahead would win the League. I would not like that. If that was in place, we would have won the League today and I don’t think that is a thing to get excited about.

“If you go to Croke Park, play in a final, it is a day out and finals are made for teams to challenge to.

‘” don’t know what is the big deal. One more week’s football and if that means shoving the Championship back a week then so be it.”

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