# David Kohler (developer)

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**David Kohler** is a property developer who was chairman of [Luton Town Football Club](/source/Luton_Town_F.C.) 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.[1] 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](/source/Kenilworth_Road) ground had been for "members only" since 1986.[2]

In 1992 Kohler and Nelkin considered selling Luton Town to boxing promoter [Frank Warren](/source/Frank_Warren_(promoter)), and building a new 25,000-seat stadium to the south of the town.[3] Luton Town was sold in June 1992 to Mike and Sheila Watson-Challis, and Kohler moved up to chairman.[4] The team was losing money quickly, sold many of their best players, and was relegated from [Division I](/source/Football_League_First_Division) in 1992, missing out on the new [FA Premier League](/source/FA_Premier_League). A group of supporters took to chanting "Kohler out" behind the main stands.[5] Kohler said that he was prepared to sell at the right price, but a deal headed by the former [Fulham](/source/Fulham_F.C.) player [John Mitchell](/source/John_Mitchell_(footballer,_born_1952)) fell through.[6]

In October 1994, Kohler told [Mihir Bose](/source/Mihir_Bose) of [The Sunday Times](/source/The_Sunday_Times) about his plan for a new stadium.[7] The multi-purpose indoor stadium would seat 20,000, and feature a moveable grass pitch. Kohler dubbed the plan the "Kohlerdome", and compared it to the [Pontiac Silverdome](/source/Pontiac_Silverdome), which had hosted matches at that summer's [World Cup](/source/1994_World_Cup). Kohler had only just applied for [planning permission](/source/Planning_permission) for the development, and had yet to purchase the land.[7]

After a public inquiry in 1996, outline consent for the plan was given, contingent on widening of the adjacent [M1 motorway](/source/M1_motorway).[8] In 1997, the new Labour government confirmed that it would not be widening the M1, and consent for the stadium was withdrawn. An appeal to the [Department of the Environment](/source/Secretary_of_State_for_the_Environment,_Transport_and_the_Regions) in 1998 was turned down on grounds of traffic congestion.[9] A request to review the stadium decision at the [High Court](/source/High_Court_of_Justice) was declined three days after Kohler left the club.[10]

By this time, Luton Town was playing in the third-level [Division Two](/source/Football_League_Second_Division), and continued to have to sell their best players. Kohler had already had his house vandalised.[11] He stepped down as chairman in February 1999, after a petrol bomb and matches were posted through the letterbox of his home.[12] Luton Town went into [receivership](/source/Receivership) a month later, while Kohler sought to sell his controlling stake in the club.[13] He sold the club to [Cliff Bassett](/source/Cliff_Bassett) before the start of the new season in August 1999.[citation needed]

After ending his involvement with the football club, Kohler remained active in the property market in Bedfordshire, taking over the management of Midland House in Luton in 2006[14] and purchasing land in [Stewartby](/source/Stewartby) in 2016 for development.[15]

## References

1. A new regime at Luton, *The Times*, 23 May 1990

1. Luton may end its ban on supporters, *The Times*, 24 May 1990

1. Warren constructs Luton takeover bid, *The Guardian*, 21 March 1992

1. Luton to be rescued by takeover, *The Guardian*, 4 June 1992

1. Soccer Diary, *The Guardian*, 21 November 1992 p23

1. Mitchell gives up bid to take over control at Luton, *The Guardian*, 8 January 1994 p19

1. Luton chairman ready for a stretch inside, *The Sunday Times*, 23 Oct 1994 Sport p22

1. No tea party for sad Hatters, *The Guardian*, 24 February 1999 p26

1. Lawrence counts cost of progress, *The Sunday Times*, 29 November 1998 Sport p5

1. Luton's proposed stadium blocked, *The Times*, 23 February 1999 p49

1. Kohler home hit by vandals, *The Observer*, 8 March 1998 Sport p2

1. [Kohler goes after bomb in letterbox](https://www.theguardian.com/football/1999/feb/19/newsstory.sport21), *The Guardian*, 20 February 1999 Sport p3

1. World Cup bids tainted by bitter squabble, *Birmingham Post*, 24 March 1999 p30. Available online at the [Free Online Library](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/World+Cup+bids+tainted+by+bitter+squabble-a060545512)

1. ["Hats off to former chairman’s new role - Luton Today"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170218120556/http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/business/hats-off-to-former-chairman-s-new-role-1-3316407). *www.lutontoday.co.uk*. Archived from [the original](http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/business/hats-off-to-former-chairman-s-new-role-1-3316407) on 2017-02-18.

1. ["Bedfordshire onsunday has closed"](http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/land-designated-gigantic-nirah-aquarium-bought/story-28481583-detail/story.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [David Kohler (developer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kohler_(developer)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kohler_(developer)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.