Northern Ireland football breathed a huge sigh of relief at the weekend after £8 million funding was secured, thanks to a unanimous agreement between the province's footballing bodies.

The 300 members of the Irish Football Association attending the 122nd AGM voted overwhelmingly in favour of the sport being run by a new 17 member committee instead of the current 55 man board.

IFA president Jim Boyce said he was delighted by the vote.

The issue was essentially a power struggle between intermediate, junior and senior clubs, however there was also the matter of tensions between the IFA and the Irish League.

However, for the good of the game, these difficulties were set aside ensuring that Northern Ireland football has a brighter future thanks to the Government's £8 million funding promise.

Elsewhere, Sammy McIlroy's international side were gearing up for a charity match in Italy tomorrow night in aid of victims of an earthquake in a southern Italian village.

The quake, which occurred on October 31 last year, levelled a local school killing 26 children and one of their teachers close to the town of Campobasso, the venue for tomorrow nights fixture.

While the Italians have the luxury of resting many of their top stars including Alessandro Del Piero and Paolo Madini, Northern Ireland have had to call upon the likes of part-time Irish league players, Andy Smith and Gary Hamilton to see if they can score their first goal in nearly two years.

The game is a vital one for McIlroy's side who face Spain in next Wednesday's Euro 2004 qualifier in Belfast.

The last time the two sides met in Belfast, the Spanish taught Northern Ireland a harsh footballing lesson with a 5-0 win.

(MB)