CHESTER City owner Stephen Vaughan is on the brink of leading Chester City back to the Football League. Sports Editor Ian Bedford charts the Liverpool businessman's career from amateur boxer to commercial big-hitter.

IT IS only a few miles from Scotland Road to Woolton Village, the leafy, up-market suburb of Liverpool Stephen Vaughan now calls home.

But it was a journey that took more than 30 years, two career changes and a major brush with the law.

And although Vaughan, 42, has long since hung up his gloves, the fighter's survival instincts remain as sharp as ever as he contemplates a future which includes ambitions for Chester City FC.

Fighting was part of growing up in 'Scotty' Road, so it wasn't surprising that Vaughan decided to channel his competitive aggression into boxing - a decision which was to influence the rest of his life. He first pulled on the gloves when he was 12 and went on to have 77 amateur contests, notching up 56 wins.

He left school at 15 and served his time as a car transmission engineer before becoming a steel erector.

By now Vaughan had married his childhood sweetheart, Pat, and the couple have four children. Nineteen-year-old Stephen is, like his dad, an Evertonian, but is on Liverpool's books with more than 30 reserve team appearances behind him.

Seventeen-year-old James plays for Tranmere Rovers, 23-year-old Emmie is Chester City's retail manager and 14-year-old Tess is still at school.

Vaughan's first foray into running his own business came when he set up Okell Developments, co-ordinating self-build semi-detached houses in the Dingle district of Liverpool.

More than 20 detached, pre-sold houses followed before his biggest scheme yet, 46 timber-framed houses with double garages which went up in Halewood Village.

It was then he decided to explore the commercial field, buying sites on Merseyside, some of which now house McDonald's restaurants.

Vaughan had long coveted thoughts of owning a football club and in 1991 he was introduced to David Cross, a director of Chester City before the club moved to the Deva Stadium, and the seeds were sown for his ultimate arrival in Chester.

It was about then he decided to put his knowledge of boxing to good use and he took out promoter's and manager's licences.

The stable had 14 amateurs, some of them going on to become professionals, including Ellesmere Port's Paul Lloyd, a former British and European title holder.

Vaughan now has links with leading promoter Frank Warren, helping to set up his fights in the north .

His own football club was never far from his mind, though, and a long-time friend, the former Everton player, Ronnie Goodlass, was recruited to use his contacts to find an available club and once again talks opened with Chester with the then owners, Morrison Developments, but his bid was rejected.

Goodlass ended his playing career with Barrow and he returned to set up a deal for Vaughan to buy the UniBond League club which was clinched in 1994 and led to promotion to the Conference.

But the relationship was to end acrimoniously at the height of the investigations into Vaughan's dealings with Curtis Warren, a childhood friend now serving time in Holland for drug trafficking and manslaughter.

'It was a bad experience at Barrow. I did only good for the club and I think I could have got them in the Football League,' Vaughan insisted. 'But the directors got themselves in all kinds of difficulties and the club was thrown out of the Conference.'

Vaughan's association with Warren came to light when Warren famously boasted during a helicopter flight over Barrow that he owned the Holker Street ground where Vaughan's company was the major shareholder. The Police and HM Customs and Excise got wind of it and Vaughan was suddenly in big trouble

He explained: 'I had known Curtis since he was 11. He had been in and out of the boxing gyms and he was personal friend. I still consider him a personal friend.

'The fact is we grew up together, but took different routes in life. I did some business transactions with him and bought some property from him. I paid him 33 cheques over a period of time for providing security at my boxing promotions.

'Anyone who was involved with Curtis got a knock on the door from HM Customs and Excise.

'It stopped me in my tracks. All the financial institutions moved away from me and it took me two years to clear my name.'

His move to Chester City followed and the rest is history. But how important is guiding Chester back to the Football League?

'Without sounding boastful we are in exactly the position I expected for the investment we have put in. Michael and Sheila Horne and Alan Case (former directors) backed me when the nonsense about Curtis Warren and allegations about me having a criminal background were flying about and if I can repay them by achieving promotion to the Football League I will be a very proud man.'

Vaughan prefers a low-key approach to the role. 'I enjoy my own life with my family. We have our normal holidays and we are not into the flash game.

'I am proud to own a football club, but I wouldn't shout it from the roof tops.'