David Kohler

Who is David Kohler?

David Kohler was chairman of Luton Town Football Club from 1992 until 1999.

Kohler was a property developer when he took joint ownership of Luton Town on 22 May 1990, in partnership with Peter Nelkin. Nelkin was appointed chairman, and Kohler the managing director. One of the new regime's first actions was to lift a ban on visiting supporters; Luton's Kenilworth Road ground had been for "members only" since 1986.

In 1992, Kohler and Nelkin considered selling Luton Town to boxing promoter Frank Warren, and building a new 25,000-seat stadium to the south of the town. Luton Town was sold in June 1992 to Mike and Sheila Watson-Challis, and Kohler moved up to chairman. The team was losing money quickly, sold many of their best players, and was relegated from Division I in 1992, missing out on the new FA Premier League. A group of supporters took to chanting "Kohler out" behind the main stands. Kohler said that he was prepared to sell at the right price, but a deal headed by the former Fulham player John Mitchell fell through.

In October 1994, Kohler told Mihir Bose of The Sunday Times about his plan for a new stadium.