Lee Vaughan insists he has left his Telford wild days behind

Lee Vaughan was never far from the drama in his first spell at AFC Telford United, which spanned between 2006 and 2010.

The full-back, 33, admits he was ‘very young and very stupid’ at times in his first spell as a Buck, but adds in Rob Smith and Larry Chambers was under a management team that ‘let you get on with it’.

Vaughan, who made his first Telford bow aged 18 and this summer returned to the club 10 years after leaving, picked up six red cards in 179 games for the club.

The end of his time at the club was marred slightly by a four-game ban after collecting 15 yellow cards, while Vaughan has also seen red against the Bucks, inside a remarkable opening five minutes for Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough – where Vaughan missed a penalty and was shown his marching orders.

The experienced campaigner, who has hundreds of career appearances including a spell in the Football League to call upon, believes fans will see he has changed, but insists there will be shortage of passion having turned down higher offers because Telford was the move that ‘made him tick’.

“I couldn’t have got any worse, that’s for certain! Vaughan laughed.

“I was very young and very stupid, but we had some really good times under a manager who would kind of let you get on with it.

“They (Smith and Chambers) were great, but it was a wild, wild dressing room at the time.

“I’ve definitely mellowed, absolutely.

“I think football has changed a little bit. Back then you could probably go and whack someone and take a booking, but now you get sent off.

“You have to change and I have a lot as a player as well, the fans will see that and understand that I’ve had to change my game.”

“But we’ve got to be judged on now, hopefully it’s going to be successful and we make more memories.

Vaughan, one of six new signings by former Bucks team-mate Gavin Cowan this summer, recalled: “I was leaving anyway to go full-time at Kidderminster and I was on 14 bookings. I got a stupid booking at Vauxhall Motors, it was petulant, I don’t even know what it was for, something absolutely ridiculous.

“I got myself banned for four games and then everyone remembers the sending off against Telford.

“I’ve done some stupid things. I don’t want to say I’m well over it. I did an interview with Kidderminster before the Telford game, a big two-page spread about how I’d calmed down, and I miss a pen after five minutes and get sent off after six!

“It was the first time in my career I had complete red mist, the pressure got to me that day.”

Vaughan was a real Bucks fans’ favourite, winning promotion to step two by beating Witton Albion in the play-offs in 2007 – the memory Vaughan recalls as his favourite – as well as Setanta Shield success by downing higher-ranked Forest Green Rovers as part of an exciting Telford team.

“I had some good conversations with teams not so far away from Telford in the league above and it was lovely but Telford was an itch I had to scratch,” he added.

“It’s not financially, maybe it’s a move that isn’t the best financially, but it’s something I really care about and can get my teeth into.

“I feel as fit as I ever have been. I’m ready to go. I can guarantee we’ll all be fit and raring to go. Playing for Telford really gets me going.”