Former scandal referee David Coote admits possession of child pornography

Football referees are, in the broadest sense, mediators and judges on the field. They are tasked with ensuring that the rules are adhered to and that potential conflicts are resolved. Among the Premier League referees charged with this responsibility for many years was the inconspicuous David Coote – who now finds himself in the dock for his own case.

On Tuesday morning, the Englishman appeared before Nottingham Crown Court. The fallen former referee faces a prison sentence for alleged possession of child pornography.

Coote had refereed 112 Premier League matches until he was initially suspended by the refereeing association PGMOL in November 2024 for other misconduct and then dismissed a month later . European football's governing body UEFA, for which he officiated only a few matches as a main referee and primarily served as a video assistant referee, also immediately suspended him.

During the six-minute hearing on Tuesday, during which he wore a suit and tie and otherwise simply confirmed his identity, the 43-year-old pleaded guilty to making indecent images of a minor. This includes downloading, distributing, or storing images or videos containing abusive content. Coote thus reversed his previous stance after denying the allegations a month ago.

During a search of his home in February of this year, investigators discovered a Category A video—the most serious category of criminal offense, which includes penetrative acts. Such offenses can carry a prison sentence of up to ten years. Coote was temporarily arrested at the time, and charges were filed in August.

This followed an internal investigation by the English Football Association (FA), which apparently uncovered chat histories suggesting Coote's sexual interest in children. Following his latest confession, the man from Nottinghamshire in central England was released on bail. However, the presiding judge emphasized that this was a "serious crime" and that a sentence would be decided once all relevant information was available. He added, warning Coote: "You must not get the impression that this will not lead to a custodial sentence."

The incident in question allegedly occurred in early January 2020. According to the prosecution, Coote transferred the video in question from a hard drive to his laptop. At the time, the referee was apparently going through a serious personal crisis – something unknown neither in refereeing circles nor to the public. Only a year ago, Coote came into the spotlight when the tabloid newspaper "The Sun" published bizarre short videos online. In one clip from the 2020/2021 coronavirus season, he was seen rudely insulting Liverpool FC and its then German coach, Jürgen Klopp: Liverpool was "shit," Klopp a "German cunt," and "damn arrogant."

In addition, another recording emerged showing Coote the day after his participation in the European Championship quarter-final between France and Portugal as assistant to the video referee – snorting a white powder, presumably cocaine.

In a tearful interview with the Sun earlier this year, Coote acknowledged his misconduct and apologized profusely. He acknowledged both the insults and his drug use. He explained both as the psychological pressure of his refereeing and his closeted homosexuality . He said he was gay, but had suppressed his feelings and emotions for years out of fear of coming out – which ultimately led to his problematic behavior. He was also burdened by the sudden death of his mother in 2023 and his uncle's serious nervous illness. The PGMOL emphasized at the time that it continued to support Coote and was committed to his well-being.

Separately, Coote is under investigation for possible match-fixing—an "urgent matter," according to the FA. After the videos were released, text messages circulated in which Coote was quoted as saying: "I hope you bet on this as discussed." This was a reference to a yellow card he showed to Leeds United's Ezgjan Alioski in the 18th minute of the League Two match against West Bromwich in October 2019.

Coote categorically rejected all such allegations as "false and defamatory." He insisted that whatever personal problems he may have had, they have never influenced his decisions on the field.

Until now, David Coote had portrayed his outbursts as an attempt to escape his refereeing career, which was clearly overwhelming him—especially during the pandemic years. However, the current indictment linking him to child pornography sheds a much more serious light on his case. Coote's name will now be placed on the British Sex Offenders Register, and the length of the entry will depend on the severity of the sentence imposed. The trial will resume in two months.