Sacked referee denies indecent child image charge
David Coote, the former Premier League referee, has pleaded not guilty to charges of publishing an indecent photograph of a child. Following an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police, the 43-year-old was arrested on 12 August. According to the force, the allegation was connected to a video file recovered by officers in February. On Thursday, the ex-official, of Woodhill Road in Collingham, Nottinghamshire, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.
During the 18-minute hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and plea. Mr Coote was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 9 October. The charges relating to the creation of an indecent image of a child cover activities such as downloading, posting, or storing abusive images or videos.
Mr Coote was dismissed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December after a video resurfaced of remarks he had made about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in 2020. He has also been banned by European football’s governing body, UEFA, until June 2026.
