Ex-Referee David Coote Charged Over Indecent Child Image
Former Premier League referee David Coote has found himself at the center of an incredibly serious case, and it’s been making headlines everywhere. The 43-year-old, once a familiar face on top-flight football pitches, has been charged with making an indecent image of a child. This development comes after Nottinghamshire Police carried out an investigation earlier this year, where a video file was recovered back in February. According to officials, the charge of “making” an indecent image doesn’t necessarily mean physically producing it. It can also involve downloading, sharing, or saving such material.
Coote, originally from Collingham in Nottinghamshire, was formally charged on 12 August and is currently on conditional bail. He’s due to appear before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to face the allegation. What makes this story even more shocking is that the charge has been classified as a Category A offence, which under sentencing guidelines typically relates to the most serious kinds of images, including those involving penetrative sexual activity.
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This is not the first time David Coote has been in the spotlight for controversy. Just last year, he was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, better known as PGMOL, after a series of damaging revelations. One video circulating online showed him making offensive remarks about Liverpool and their former manager, Jürgen Klopp. Another clip, which surfaced later, allegedly showed him snorting a white powder during his time working at the European Championship in Germany in 2024. Because of those incidents, he was removed from officiating duties in December 2024.
The fallout didn’t stop there. The Football Association also took disciplinary action, handing him an eight-week suspension in August over the comments he had made about Klopp. UEFA went further, banning him from officiating in European matches until June 2026. Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer at PGMOL, even suggested earlier this year that a return to top-level refereeing would be almost impossible for Coote, given the trail of scandals that had already damaged his reputation.
Adding to the personal dimension of the story, Coote had given an interview in January in which he spoke about his sexuality, saying that hiding the fact he was gay had been a lifelong struggle. He suggested that this burden may have contributed to his outbursts and poor decisions off the field. But even with that background, the current charge is of a completely different scale, carrying with it potentially life-changing legal consequences.
So, what was once a promising refereeing career at the highest level of English football has now collapsed under the weight of controversy and criminal allegations. For now, all eyes will be on the court appearance, where the next steps in this case will be decided.
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