Stephen Vaughan Sr.

A lengthy dispute over the ownership of Holker Street followed, during which time Barrow were readmitted to play in the Northern Premier League in September 1999.

Eventually, it was ruled that the club legally owned Holker Street, and was allowed to sell the asset to pay off the first charge on the stadium to Cherrytree Finance.

[9] In the ensuing years, Vaughan was linked with attempts to buy a number of clubs, finally purchasing a majority share of Chester City in 2001.

Using a loophole in those rules, a few days prior to the match he transferred his Barrow shares to a local painter and decorator for a nominal sum.

At Chester, Vaughan again invested heavily, improving the club's facilities (Deva Stadium), and during his tenure, the team won the Football Conference in 2004.

[11] 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.

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),[13] but the club was eventually given FA affiliation.

[15] 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.

[22] Vaughan attempted a return to football in 2012, when he tried to launch a new club in Widnes, but failed due to being refused permission to use Halton Stadium.

In 2016, Vaughan helped create a company called VSM ('Vaughan Sports Management), which became the main shirt sponsors of Bangor City when new organizers purchased the club.