Former Premier League referee David Coote, once a familiar figure on England’s top football pitches, now faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to making an indecent image of a child. The case, which has sent shockwaves through the football world and beyond, unfolded in a Nottingham Crown Court hearing on October 14, 2025, where Coote, 43, stood before Judge Nirmal Shant KC to admit to the serious offence.
According to The Sun, the investigation that led to Coote’s downfall began after a series of exposés revealed his involvement in drug use and alleged match-fixing boasts. The Football Association (FA), prompted by these revelations, sanctioned a thorough search of Coote’s electronic devices. It was during this search that a surveillance company, hired by the FA, discovered a deeply disturbing Category A video—the most severe classification—depicting a 15-year-old boy. This find quickly escalated the matter, leading police to search Coote’s home in Collingham, Nottinghamshire, and ultimately to his arrest.
The court heard that the indecent file was last accessed on January 2, 2020, when it was transferred from a hard drive to a laptop at Coote’s residence. As reported by BBC, Coote initially pleaded not guilty when first charged in August 2025, maintaining this plea at a September hearing. However, on October 14, he changed his plea to guilty during a brief six-minute hearing. Judge Shant, addressing Coote directly, remarked, “You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. Whether this means custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court.” She added a stern warning: “You must not go away with the impression that this will not lead to a custodial sentence.”
Coote, dressed in a navy suit and black tie, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea. The judge ordered a pre-sentence report to be completed before his next court appearance, scheduled for December 11, 2025. While granting him conditional bail, Judge Shant made it clear that the gravity of the offence “plainly crosses the custody threshold,” emphasizing that bail for the preparation of reports was no indication of leniency regarding a potential prison term.
The terms of Coote’s bail are strict. As detailed by The Guardian, he is forbidden from having any unsupervised contact with individuals under 18 and is not permitted to stay at any address where a child is present. Additionally, an application for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is set to be made against him, and he has already been added to the sex offenders’ register for a period yet to be determined.
The legal ramifications for Coote are significant. Under the Protection of Children Act 1978, the maximum sentence for making indecent images of children is ten years in prison. If it is determined that he only downloaded the files, the maximum penalty is five years. Coote, who has no previous convictions, will learn his fate at the December sentencing.
This case marks a stunning fall from grace for a man who once officiated at the highest levels of English football. Coote’s career began to unravel in December 2024, when Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL)—the governing body for referees in England—sacked him after a video surfaced showing him making derogatory comments about Liverpool Football Club and their former manager, Jürgen Klopp. The footage, dating back to 2020, showed Coote referring to Klopp in highly offensive terms and disparaging the club, which led to an eight-week suspension by the Football Association in August 2025. UEFA, European football’s governing body, subsequently banned Coote from refereeing in any European competition, citing his violation of “the basic rules of decent conduct” and stating that he had “brought the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.”
Further revelations, again brought to light by The Sun, painted a picture of a man spiraling out of control. The tabloid reported that Coote had snorted cocaine during the 2024 European Championships, just a day after serving as a support VAR official for the France versus Portugal quarter-final. He also faced an FA investigation into alleged betting misconduct after exchanging messages with a friend about booking a player in a Championship match, though he was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing in that instance.
In a candid interview with The Sun in January 2025, Coote, who is openly gay, spoke about his struggles with drug addiction and the personal turmoil he attributed to shame over his sexuality. “I’m trying to move forwards and regain a sense of responsibility and purpose,” he told the newspaper, reflecting on his efforts to rebuild his life after his career in football collapsed. By June 2025, he had taken up work delivering packages for Evri, a marked change from the high-profile world of Premier League officiating.
Despite these attempts at personal redemption, the criminal proceedings have overshadowed any such efforts. A senior source involved in the investigation told The Sun, “The horrendous criminal footage was found thanks only to The Sun’s revelations, which prompted further investigation.” The case has also highlighted the role of media scrutiny and internal oversight in uncovering criminal behavior that might otherwise have remained hidden.
The football community has reacted with a mixture of shock, anger, and disappointment. The swift actions taken by the FA, PGMOL, and UEFA—ranging from suspensions to outright bans—reflect a zero-tolerance stance on conduct that brings the game into disrepute. Yet, for many, the broader issues of safeguarding, accountability, and the pressures faced by public figures in high-stakes environments remain pressing concerns.
As the date of Coote’s sentencing approaches, questions linger about the long-term impact of this case on football’s image and on the systems in place to protect vulnerable individuals. While the legal process will determine Coote’s punishment, the story serves as a stark reminder of the responsibilities held by those in positions of trust—and the devastating consequences when those responsibilities are betrayed.
For now, the football world—and the wider public—awaits the outcome of the December sentencing, mindful of the gravity of the offence and the message it sends about justice and accountability in sport.
