Stephen Vaughan, Sr.

Stephen Vaughan

Stephen Vaughan (born c. 1962^[1]) is an English businessman from Liverpool. As owner of Vaughan Promotions, originally a boxing promotion and management company, he has owned Barrow and Chester City football clubs, and has served as chairman of both.^[2] His periods as chairman of the two clubs initially saw both succeed on the pitch, but both ended due to Vaughan's involvement in criminal investigations.^[3][4] Vaughan has also been involved with Droylsden F.C.^[5] and has been chairman of Widnes Vikings rugby league team.

Purchase of Barrow A.F.C.

Vaughan contested 77 amateur boxing bouts at Schoolboy, Junior and Senior level. He formed Vaughan Promotions in 1990 to promote professional boxing promotions in the United Kingdom.^[3] His company purchased Barrow in 1995, and Vaughan invested heavily in the club building a new 1200 seater grandstand,and bringing the Unibond Premier League title to the team in the 1997-1998 season. However, during the season Vaughan had resigned as chairman due to a money laundering investigation by HM Customs and Excise.^[6] Vaughan's links to gangster Curtis Warren also became apparent; later in Warren's biography, an incident is reported in which Warren flew over Barrow AFC's Holker Street ground and commented "I own that".^[7] Nothing came of Customs and Excise's investigation, and Vaughan reinstated himself as chairman.

However, Vaughan had been using his own money to fund the club; when he left Barrow permanently in November 1998, his departure resulted in the club hitting financial difficulties. Furthermore, it transpired that Vaughan had transferred Holker Street to his company, Vaughan Promotions, in return for his investment.^[6] Barrow were removed from the Football Conference for failing to exit administration. A lengthy dispute over the ownership of Holker Street followed, whilst Barrow were readmitted to play in the Northern Premier League in September 1999. Vaughan remained the major shareholder in the old company, but day-to-day running of the club had been taken over by the newly formed Barrow AFC (1999). Eventually, it was found that the club legally owned the ground, not Vaughan, and Barrow was able to sell the asset to pay off the 1st charge on the stadium to Cherrytree finance.^[8]

Chester City F.C.

Vaughan was linked with attempts to buy a number of clubs, and finally took over at Chester City in 2001.^[8] Soon, however, Chester were drawn to play Barrow in the FA Cup. Under Football Association rules, Vaughan could not own shares in both teams and a few days prior to the match, he transferred his Barrow shares to a local painter and decorator for a nominal sum. After the game, the shares were transferred back.^[2] A few days later, new Barrow chairman Brian Keen completed the purchase of Vaughan's shares.

At Chester, Vaughan again invested heavily and brought success. He improved the club's facilities Deva Stadium and took them to victory in the Football Conference in 2004. In February 2002, Vaughan bought shares in rugby league club Widnes Vikings,^[9] completing his takeover in 2006.^[10] Difficulties in securing a ground in Chester lead to suggestions that the football club might move to Widnes, and even change its name to reflect this,^[11] but nothing came of this and Vaughan quit as Widnes chairman in April 2007.^[12] A few months later, he also stood down as chairman of Chester following a controversy in which he arranged for the club to hold a minute's silence following the death of Colin Smith, a murdered Liverpool gangster and associate of Curtis Warren.^[8] Nevertheless, Vaughan remained the majority shareholder in the club, which began to run into financial problems. A sale was announced to Gary Metcalf, a Liverpool-based businessman who never came up with the funds so ownership of the club was eventually transferred to Stephen Vaughan, Jr., Vaughan's son, in April 2009.^[8] Eventually, Chester City went into voluntary administration and were bought back by Chester City Ltd (2004), a company entirely owned by members of the Vaughan family, including Stephen.^[13]

Financial difficulties

These financial difficulties coincided with on-the-pitch struggles. Chester were relegated from the Football League at the end of the 2008–09 season. They were initially barred from competing in the 2009-10 season due to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs revoking the proposed CVA (company voluntary arrangement),^[14] but the club were eventually given FA affiliation. This came, however, with a 25-point penalty at the start of the 2009–10 season as a result of administration and revoked CVA (company voluntary arrangement).^[15] This left the club struggling in the Football Conference. Chester continued to experience financial difficulties and in November 2009, Vaughan was disqualified from acting as a director of any company for a period of 11 years, following his involvement in a £500,000 VAT fraud whilst director of Widnes Vikings.^[16] As a result, he became the first owner of a professional football club to fail the FA's "Fit and proper person test", and was forced to reduce his shareholding in Chester City.^[16] Control of the club was then passed back to Stephen Vaughan, Jr.,^[17] Vaughan continued to inject loans into the club as fans stayed away.^[18] By February 2010, Chester City were unable to fulfil their fixtures due to failures to pay police,and players,^[19] and the club was suspended from the Football Conference pending a vote on their ejection to be held on Friday 26 February. The decision was made to expel Chester City from the Football Conference and, following a court order on 10 March it was confirmed that the club were to be wound up.^[20]

Move to Malta

On April 4, 2010 Vaughan and his son Stephen Vaughan Jnr, along with a 29-year-old man from Neston, were arrested on suspicion of affray and the serious assault of a police officer.^[21] Both were convicted, with Vaughan sentenced to 15 months in jail and his son given community service. ^[22] Vaughan remained was released from jail in September 2011, by which time Vaughan Jr had begun to rebuild the Vaguhan Boxing promotion business. ^[23]

Vaughan attempted a return to football in 2012, attempting to launch a new club in Widnes, but was refused permission to use the Halton Stadium. ^[24] In April 2012, it was reported that Vaughan had purchased Floriana of Malta. ^{[25] [26]} Stephen Vaughan Jr was subsequently appointed as chairman of the club in January 2013. ^[27] With this move, the Vaughan Boxing Promotions company also shifted toward boxing promotion in Malta. ^[28]

References