Watmore walks away from top FA job

The news comes as a surprise, with Football Association chairman Lord Triesman revealing that Watmore's resignation had been accepted with "great regret". Watmore, 52, only undertook the role last summer after being appointed in February 2009. Lord Triesman said: "Ian Watmore tendered his resignation to me on Friday. "I asked him to re-consider over the weekend. "However, he has confirmed today that his position remains unchanged and I have accepted it with great regret. There will be a board meeting tomorrow at noon. I am unable to make any further comment until after that meeting." No reason has been given for Watmore's decision, but reports indicate that he was frustrated by the power wielded by the FA in the governing body's corporate structure. Watmore joined the FA having served as Permanent Secretary for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in the latest in a number of civil service roles. Prior to 2004, he had worked in IT for 24 years. Upon his appointment little over a year ago, Watmore said: "I'm delighted to be joining the Football Association as chief executive. "It's a great challenge and one I'm really looking forward to. With Lord Triesman and the board, Fabio Capello and the FA's staff, I want to ensure we are achieving success on and off the pitch across all levels of the game."