The vote is a setback to IFA chief executive Howard Wells

A proposal calling for a streamlined IFA executive didn't receive sufficent support at the body's EGM.

In line with a stipulation from the government, IFA officials had attempted to reduce the Executive Committee of the organisation from 18 members to 10.

The meeting did vote to end the IFA's ban on Sunday football.

Interview: Howard Wells

Interview: Raymond Kennedy

The result of the second vote (91-14) will have been a source of some relief for IFA chief executive Howard Wells after delegates had not supported his call in sufficient numbers to streamline the executive.

The government announced five years ago that it would make �8m of funding available for football in Northern Ireland if certain conditions were met.

One of those conditions included a streamlined IFA executive.

Some �3.2m of the funds has been filtered into local football but the remainder of the money has yet to materialise as a result of a number of difficulties - including internal IFA wrangles.

We just now have to try and pick up the pieces with government to make sure that present funding and funding issues aren't going to be put at risk IFA chief executive Howard Wells

BBC Sport understands that only 61 of the 115 delegates backed the streamlining plan when a figure of 83 was needed given the requirement for a 75 per cent vote in favour.

Forty two are understood to have voted against, with four absentions.

IFA chief executive Howard Wells acknowledged that he was "disappointed" by Wednesday's vote.

"We just now have to try and pick up the pieces with government to make sure that present funding and future funding issues aren't going to be put at risk as a consequence," Wells told the BBC.

"I don't know what the outcome of that will be."

IFA members had voted 69 to 28 in favour of ending the Sunday ban last year, short of the 75% required to bring in a change.

The IFA was the only national association within Uefa to have a Sunday ban in place.