David Coote, once a Premier League referee, now finds himself in the middle of a legal storm. Other serious allegations charge him with producing an indecent image of a child. Coote, 43, was set to be sacked from his refereeing role in December after he was recorded using offensive language to describe ex Liverpool chief Jurgen Klopp. On Thursday, he was at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court. During the 18-minute hearing, a virtual one due to COVID-19 restrictions, he answered questions about his name and date of birth as he entered his plea.
After police recovered a video in February, it led to the most serious allegations against Coote. This proof was allegedly what triggered the recent criminal charges leveled at him. District Judge Gillian Young ruled that he should be granted conditional bail. She ordered for him to reappear in Nottingham Crown Court on 9 October. On the 9th, our last appearance, Coote faces the grave accusations that have stained Coote’s name in recent months.
Coote’s trouble started when he found himself on the wrong end of a fine by the FA for insulting Jurgen Klopp in an old video from 2020. The repercussions from those comments were part of why he was fired from his job as an official. Yet another video has emerged. It depicts him doing something very stupid when he was in Germany for Euro 2024, where he was filmed snorting a white powder through a banknote.
When Coote came out in an interview in January of this year, he was thrust into that precarious position. He admitted that concealing his sexual orientation had been an ongoing challenge and he feels it played a huge role in his bad decision-making. His personal struggles have become a story in and of themselves. They go on to provide crucial context about the legal issues he’s facing today.
Given his actions and the current investigation, UEFA has suspended Coote from refereeing until June 2026. This suspension reflects the seriousness of the situation and serves as a warning to others in the profession regarding the standards expected of referees.
Coote appeared in court wearing a dark navy suit, which seemed to underscore the unexpected seriousness of the charges against him. Legal woes and media attention have consistently followed the former referee. His personal issues add a layer of uncertainty to the story of his future, on and off the field.
