Former Premier League referee, David Coote, has been charged with creating an indecent image of a child. This shocking development comes after the 43-year-old was dismissed last year due to controversial comments made about Jurgen Klopp, the former Liverpool boss.
The charges against Mr. Coote were brought following a thorough investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. The police force stated that the charge is related to a video file that officers recovered in February. Mr. Coote, who hails from Collingham in Nottinghamshire, was officially charged on August 12th and is scheduled to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
The police further clarified that the charge of making an indecent photograph encompasses acts such as downloading, sharing and saving inappropriate material.
Previous controversies
Prior to this serious allegation, Mr. Coote had already faced disciplinary action for his conduct off the field. He was sacked by referees' body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024 after an investigation into a video allegedly showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool Football Club and its former manager, Jurgen Klopp.
In response to these allegations, The Football Association (FA) imposed an eight-week suspension on him in August over these comments. On top of his domestic troubles, Mr. Coote also faces sanctions from European football's governing body UEFA which has banned him until June 30th 2026 due to his misconducts.
Currently under conditional bail as per police reports; this case marks another unfortunate chapter in David Coote's career which has seen significant controversy both domestically and internationally. This incident serves as a stark reminder for all sports professionals about maintaining ethical standards both on and off the field.
