CONSORTIUM IN TAKEOVER TALKS

from the Hammersmith Times 24th March 2004

by Dave Evans

QPR Chief Executive David Davies has confirmed that he is not under pressure to let his top players go before Thursday's transfer deadline day. 

Back in December, a gloomy Davies admitted that finances were so strained at the club, that they would find it hard to resist any realistic overtures for their star names, but there seems to have been a change of heart.

"The financial position hasn't changed at all since then, I just think I am learning to cope with it a little better," revealed an upbeat Davies this week.

"We are under pressure to try and find a defender to come in and that may mean shuffling the pack, but we are not under pressure to get Martin (Rowlands) out or any other of the usual suspects."

Davies is still courting a consortium who have been negotiating a lock-out agreement over the last few weeks. 

"They have come to us looking for a lock-out and what we have asked them is if you have got the cash then show us the money. 

"They say that they have got the money and they are very confident but we are looking for proof of funds before we go any further.

"We are not trying to put any pressure on them and we know that a lock-out doesn¹t necessarily mean that a deal will go through - we¹ve been here before both with Andrew Ellis and JR Ivan."

A lock-out agreement will allow the interested party exclusive negotiations with the club for a month to thrash out a deal.

Rumours abound around the club that a tax bill, said to be in the region of £150,000, is due for payment in the next week, but Davies played down the feeling that this was a huge problem. 

"I think around a third of Nationwide League clubs are currently talking to the Inland Revenue head office in Worthing about tax bills and we are not one of them," he said. 

"We have got a bill of about that amount and it sounds a lot to an individual, but to a football club it works out at about one month's taxes." 

He continued: "It will be difficult to pay it, but apart from a handful of clubs in our division, it is a hand to mouth existence. 

"I¹ve been juggling with the finances all season and I will continue to do so. Can we get through to the end of the season - yes." 

Davies is still confident of promotion for this season but he has not included Division One football next term in the budget. 

"I have budgeted for us not to go up this season but that is not because I am a miserable pessimist," he laughed. "I have to be a realist and be cautious with the budget. 

"I don¹t need us to go up through the play-offs either for the finances, I want to us to be champions so I can sit back with a small 'Teachers' and reflect on what we have achieved."

Davies is also waiting to hear a decision from Wasps Rugby Union Club as to whether they will return to Loftus Road next season. 

Wasps' contract with Rangers says that if they do not return then they will have to pay QPR compensation for the lost revenue. 

"I spoke to Wasps this week but they are playing their cards close to their chest," said Davies.

"They have a contract with us that says they have to return either this year or next and if they don't come back this year then we will be due a substantial amount of money, though it is open to negotiation.

"To be fair I think they are in a more difficult position than us - they are stuck between a rock and a hard place - but I think they will want to negotiate, I have never known Chris Wright to want to do anything else! 

"They may want to look for a time delay, but I will be holding them to a decision by April 1."

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