IFA chief Howard Wells will have been relieved by Thursday's vote

The Northern Ireland football governing body voted unanimously to reduce the executive from 18 to 11 members, in line with a government stipulation.

As recently as November, the IFA had failed to push the proposal through which put the �4m of funding in peril.

However, IFA officials were able to sway the delegates three months on.

Interview: Howard Wells

Thursday's meeting was the third occasion that the IFA had voted on the issue.

Chief executive Howard Wells made no attempt to disguise his disappointment after the November vote and had described that decision as effectively a "vote of no-confidence in the executive committee".

Wells and his fellow officers acknowledged their relief after Thursday's vote.

IFA president Raymond Kennedy and vice-president David Martin travelled extensively throughout Northern Ireland in recent weeks to convince delegates to back the plan.

Kennedy indicated to the BBC over the weekend that he was confident that the proposal would get the necessary support and he was proved right.

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 �3.8m 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.

At the last meeting in November, 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.