Soccer: United Soccer 1 board resigns after 'disagreements'

A reported loss of almost $200,000 by the country's northernmost football federation United Soccer 1 is not yet ringing alarm bells at New Zealand Football but they are set to play a role in the changing of the guard after the resignation of the US1 board and their chief executive.

A statement from US1 chairman Peter Courtney which confirmed the resignation of all elected and appointed board members said the board had become dysfunctional because of disagreements over management of the federation's affairs and that a fresh start at this month's annual meeting was the best way forward.

Chief executive Keith Johnston will also end his role at the May 29 meeting.

New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum said his association had been closely monitoring the situation and had met US1 board members in an effort to reconcile their differences.

"At one time or another all federations have had their financial problems," said van Hattum. "Obviously, it is a concern to the extent we are providing assistance but a 'bail out' is not a consideration at this stage. It would be premature to say what we will be doing other than having an involvement in the transition.

"Hopefully, the new blood who come on to the board will work through the data in front of them and work from there. Over the years, US1 have been one of the more successful federations."

Finding Johnston's replacement will be one of the first tasks for the new board but van Hattum said it was not within New Zealand Football rules for them to have any part in making that appointment.

Van Hattum said that while there had been suggestions that US1 might join Auckland Football (the old Soccer2 federation) in a new-look body, it was nothing more than that.

"We [NZF] are just there to hold the process together," he said. "It would be quite a complex matter to merge two federations."