Crawley Town football club will have to be sold or forced into liquidation after a deal to secure its future fell through.

The club is in administration, with debts of £1.4 million, and asked creditors to accept a quarter of what they are owed in a deal which would see brothers Aswar and bankrupt Chas Majeed retain control.

But the Inland Revenue has refused to back down on a £250,000 tax demand and the Majeeds could be ousted as early as next Tuesday, when creditors owed half a million pounds meet to vote on the proposals.

Revenue spokesman Bob Niblett said: "We have many concerns, among them the fact that from the time of their acquisition of the company the present directors have operated a policy of withholding payment of large sums of Crown money in order to finance the club's activities."

Insolvency practitioner Malcolm Fillmore is representing a number of creditors, including sacked former managing director Steve Duly and manager Francis Vines.

He said: "In order for administrators Begbies Traynor's deal to go through at least 50 per cent of the creditors must agree.

"The tax authorities are owed about a quarter of a million, which gives them about a 50 per cent of the share of the vote.

"It's hugely significant that they have said they will vote against.

"Steve and Francis are owed £50,000 between them and will also vote against, along with a significant number of others, taking us well above the required 50 per cent.

"I'm certain these proposals will not go through.

"The Majeeds claim they are owed £850,000 but their vote will not count ultimately under insolvency rules because they are what is termed connected creditors."

In that event, Begbies Traynor admits its only options are to either sell the club or go into liquidation.

Only selling the club would raise money for creditors because Crawley Town has virtually no assets.

Crawley Town's supporters trust is ready with a six-figure bid to buy at least a significant stake. Meanwhile the "secret investor" that withdrew financial backing from Crawley Town leading to the club's demise is today revealed as another Majeed-run company.

Former chairman Chas Majeed announced in February he had been forced to slash players' wages by 50 per cent and put the squad up for sale due to the retreat of an investor.

He refused to name the investor but said the players' attitudes and poor performances on the pitch had led to the withdrawal.

The Majeeds have told the administrators the investor was SA Restaurants, part of the family's SA Group of businesses.

Formed in August last year, a month after the Majeeds bought the club from John Duly, Companies House records reveal the firm's sole director is their father Abdul Majeed, 64.

The headquarters of the company is 37 to 39 Church Road, Burgess Hill, which is also the home of the Majeeds' SA Retail firm and Bar Cena.

The nature of the business is not listed although the Majeeds run two restaurants in Crawley, Cubana and Bar Lusso.

Abdul Majeed lives in Goring Road, Worthing, an address also given by club chairman Aswar Majeed, 30.

Along with Chas Majeed, 37, Abdul was previously a director of off-licence chain Mulberry Wines, forced into compulsory liquidation in April 2004 and subsequently bought by Aswar.

From January this year, a month before the alleged withdrawal of financial support, Abdul Majeed was listed as a director of Crawley Town.

Begbies Traynor is not discussing the club and the Majeeds could not be contacted.