Former Referee David Coote Charged with Child Indecency

Nottingham, England — Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged with making an indecent video of a child, Nottinghamshire Police announced. The 43-year-old Collingham resident is scheduled to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 11.

Coote’s charge relates to a Category A offense, which is the most serious classification for indecent images. The charge stems from a video file recovered by police during an investigation that began in February 2025.

A police statement confirmed, “David Coote, aged 43, has been charged with the offense after an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. He was charged on August 12 and is currently on conditional police bail. The charge refers to an incident that allegedly took place on January 2, 2020.”

Coote previously faced significant scrutiny in January when he was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for a serious breach of his employment contract. His dismissal followed an investigation into separate videos that appeared online, including one in which he made derogatory comments about Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.

In November 2024, Coote became embroiled in controversy after a video surfaced in which he insulted Klopp in explicit terms. PGMOL labeled his position “untenable” after the video of his remarks became public.

The Football Association (FA) subsequently imposed an eight-week suspension on Coote in August 2025 for what it classified as an aggravated breach of its rules. The FA concluded that Coote’s comments regarding Klopp constituted both abusive language and a reference to nationality.

Coote also faced a ban from UEFA, lasting until June 30, 2026, due to a separate incident during Euro 2024, which involved allegations of drug use. He was found to have inhaled a white substance in a video that circulated online.

As Coote prepares for his court appearance, police continue to investigate the serious allegations against him. Further updates are expected as the case progresses.