Stephen Vaughan, Sr. - Purchase of Barrow A.F.C.

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. 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. 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". 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. 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.