Lymington & New Milton have resolved their behind-the-scenes differences after five of their leading officials threatened to quit Fawcett's Field last week.

Personal grudges were threatening the stability of the New Forest club to such a degree that chairman Charlie Hewlett and three other members of the executive committee were among those who unofficially tendered their resignations at a meeting on Monday, April 7.

But peace and harmony has hopefully descended again after those resignations were retracted on Wednesday night.

In a troubled season for the Linnets, they had to withdraw their application for Southern League football having discovered that their finances were in a state of disarray.

Former player-manager Graham Kemp, pictured right, walked away in the wake of a subsequent budget cut and the Linnets parted company with their commercial manager Keith Williams.

There have been rumblings of discontent ever since, but Hewlett emerged from Wednesday's "clear the air meeting" with fresh optimism about the four-time Wessex League champions - even though he accepts that the club's big-budget days are long gone.

He said: "A fair few of the behind-the-scenes grudges concerned the financial side and some of them were so deep-rooted that I didn't think we'd ever get it resolved.

"But it looks as if there's going to be no big bust-up after all. People have agreed to put it behind them, shake hands and move on.

"We decided that the meeting on April 7 should not be formally minuted, so those who tendered their resignations do not have to go through the formalities of being reinstated.

"There was a fair bit of disruption when five of us resigned, but the situation was so serious that I don't think it we'd have resolved this without that happening.

"Personal feelings were affecting the general well-being of the club and it had got to the stage where our manager Gary Squires was asking if there was going to be a club next season.

"There always would have been because the club is bigger than any individual, but Gary now knows he has got mine and the executive committee's full backing for next season and the future.

"Gary's idea is to bring on the youngsters and that is the way forward. It needs to be stated that the days of the big budget are gone at Lymington & New Milton. We've got to stop expecting everything and everyone to come to us because of our name. It's time we proved ourselves."

The presence of Bashley chairman Ray Pinney and vice-chairman Derek Binns at Tuesday's game against Portland sparked fresh rumours of an amalgamation with Linnets' Southern League neighbours.

Hewlett makes no secret of the fact that he would be in favour of exploring such a move, but said: "All I said to Ray and Derek on Tuesday was 'hello'.

"There was no clandestine meeting and no talk of the clubs merging - and that's the honest truth. I think they were here looking at some of our players."