By Times of Malta
English businessman Stephen Vaughan, former owner and president of Floriana FC, has died at the age of 62, his son announced on social media. Vaughan’s death was announced by his son and business partner, Stephen Vaughan Jr, who described his father as a hero and the “best man” he has ever known. In 2012, Vaughan moved to Malta and bought the Floriana FC club and appointed his son as chairman. In 2014, Vaughan ended his association with Floriana, which by then had invested a “six-figure sum” in the club. Floriana FC filed a lawsuit against both Vaughan Jr and his father over unpaid monies, who at the time claimed the Vaughans owed the club around €70,000. Vaughan Jr is the president of St George’s FC. Last year, Vaughan had agreed to invest in Valletta FC, after media reports said the club had been in talks with various investors in a bid to bring in a substantial financial injection into the club. In 2014, the Vaughans joined Mosta FC as main shirt sponsors and in the same year signed a two-year sponsorship with Hibernians FC. Vaughan Jr was also Mosta FC assistant coach and technical director. The Vaughan family have brushed with the UK law. Vaughan, previously known as the former chairman and owner of Chester City FC. In 2009, while in charge of Chester City FC, he became the first person to fail the Football Association’s ‘fit and proper person’ test, over his involvement in a £500,000 VAT fraud. He was also banned from acting as a company director for 10 years after an Insolvency Service investigation concluded he had been involved in a “carousel fraud” while a director at Widnes Vikings (rugby team). The fraud case involved the cross-border trading of certain goods, involving clothes, aimed at illegally reclaiming VAT. He was then cleared of five charges of having fraudulently obtained finance deals to buy two new cars and then insuring those cars under false pretences.