David Evans

David John Evans (23 April 1935 – 22 October 2008) was an English businessman, football club chairman and Conservative politician.

Biography Born in Edmonton in London, Evans came from a working-class background and attended Tottenham Technical College. He failed his eleven-plus and as a youngster he showed promise as a footballer and cricketer and played for Aston Villa, although without making any first-team appearances, between 1950 and 1954. An opening batsman, he also played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and Warwickshire County Cricket Club at cricket, although, again, without making any first-team appearances.

Luton Town Evans served on the Luton Town Football Club's board of directors from 1977 to 22 May 1990 when he resigned. From November 1984 to 15 June 1989, Evans was the chairman of the club. In 1978, Evans appointed David Pleat as Luton manager, and they won promotion to the Football League First Division in 1982. Later in the 1980s, he presided over a controversial membership-only scheme for fans under which only members were allowed to attend matches at the club's home ground and away supporters were banned from the stadium. This was brought about by Millwall fans rioting and damaging the Kenilworth Road stadium during an FA Cup match against Luton on 13 March 1985. His ownership of the club delivered some of the greatest successes in its history. After promotion in 1982, Luton spent a decade in the First Division, finishing as high as seventh in 1987 and winning the Football League Cup a year later.

Evans was also chairman of the Lord's Taverners, along with being a member of the Finance and Administration Sub-Committee (1981–1986) and a member of the General Committee (1985–86) of Middlesex County Cricket Club. As a cricketer, he represented Hertfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship between 1967 and 1968, made two Gillette Cup appearances for the team in 1969, scoring ten runs on his debut but a duck in his second match. He also made appearances for Club Cricket Conference from 1965 to 1980, including captaining the side.

After losing his seat in Parliament, he continued to manage his industrial cleaning business, the Broadreach Group. He retired in May 2002 when he and his business partner Jack Broadley sold it for around £17 million. and claimed that the Birmingham Six were guilty and had "killed hundreds" before being caught, as well as making remarks considered racist, such as asking how the sixth-formers would feel if their daughter was raped by "some black bastard".

The Six won substantial damages from Evans in July 1998, who thereafter apologised for what he had said and promised never to repeat it.