Football: QPR in great escape

QPR have made an emergency payment of pounds 500,000 to the Inland Revenue to prevent the club facing a winding-up order and going into administration.

It would have prompted a 10-point deduction under Football League financial regulations - and would have put Rangers into the Championship drop zone.

The payment was made on Friday after Sunday Mirror Sport confirmed with the High Court in London that a date of January 11 had been set for the Inland Revenue to bring a winding-up order against the club.

Rangers chairman Gianni Paladini revealed his group, who took over the club earlier this year, inherited a pounds 1.58million tax bill. He insisted they were not told about this.

Paladini said: "There was a winding-up order in place when we took over.

"We made a first payment of pounds 500,000 last month and another of pounds 500,000 on Friday so we are currently up to date.

"If we hadn't paid the bill by December 20 they'd have published details of the winding-up order in the London Gazette.

"There is a provisional hearing set for January if we haven't paid the bill.

"The total bill is for pounds 1.58m and so far we have paid pounds 1m. We've an agreed schedule with the Inland Revenue for the remainder to be paid as part of our regular monthly payment."

Paladini revealed he is taking legal advice on how the club was run before his arrival.

He added: "There was a danger that the club would face a winding- up order, gone into administration and face a 10-point deduction from the Football League.

"That would have been gross mismanagement."

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