David Coote, the former Premier League referee, has recently opened up about his personal struggles that led to a series of poor decisions, ultimately costing him his job. In an interview with The Sun newspaper, he revealed that his struggle with accepting his sexuality played a significant role in the choices he made.
Coote was dismissed by the referees' body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), following a series of controversial videos leaked online. These videos included instances where Coote insulted Jürgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager and another where he was seen snorting a white powder substance.
Personal struggles and self-esteem issues
In this first interview since the scandal broke out, Coote did not deny many allegations but provided some personal context to them. He admitted to having self-esteem issues related to his sexuality.
David Coote, Former Premier League referee, said:
"I've had issues around my self-esteem - and that relates to my sexuality. I'm gay and I've struggled with feeling proud of being 'me' over a long period of time.
"I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult."
He also expressed fear about coming out due to potential abuse within football circles.
Pressures of high-level refereeing
The pressures associated with high-level refereeing only compounded these struggles for Coote who confessed using drugs as an outlet for release. However, amidst all these revelations, one allegation that Coote continues to deny is making an agreement with a friend to award a yellow card during one match - an issue currently under investigation by the Football Association (FA).
David Coote added:
“There was no agreement prior to the game. I went and did my job. The player committed a yellow card tackle.”
“I received nothing for it, I’m really disappointed that anything like this has come out because it tarnishes the integrity of the game. And whatever people think of me as a referee, as a human I have always gone out and done my best on the pitch.”
David Coote's story serves as both cautionary tale and call-to-action for sports organizations worldwide - highlighting not just individual responsibility but also systemic issues around acceptance within sports communities.
