On Thursday, September 11, 2025, the football world was rocked by the news that former Premier League referee David Coote pleaded not guilty to a charge of making an indecent image of a child. The 43-year-old, who once officiated at the highest levels of English football, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court, where he confirmed his name, date of birth, and entered his plea during an 18-minute hearing. The charge, which relates to a Category A video file allegedly created on January 2, 2020, has brought intense scrutiny to a man who was once a familiar face on football pitches across the country.
According to BBC News, Nottinghamshire Police charged Coote on August 12, 2025, following the recovery of the video file from a PGMOL-registered Dell laptop at his Collingham home in February of that year. Category A images, as described by law enforcement and reiterated by talkSPORT, are the most serious, depicting the most extreme and harmful material involving sexual activity or abuse of a child—acts that include penetrative sexual activity, sexual assault, violence, torture, or sexual sadism. The charge encompasses activities such as downloading, sharing, or saving such images or videos.
During the court hearing, Coote, dressed in a blue suit and flanked by his solicitor Fraser Williamson, requested that his trial be heard at Nottingham Crown Court before a jury, rather than at the Magistrates' Court. The judge granted this request, and a pre-trial hearing was scheduled for October 9, 2025. Coote was released on conditional bail, with strict terms: he must not have unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18 or reside in a household with anyone under 18. The Daily Mail reported that an application by Coote’s defense team to keep his address private—citing safety concerns due to threats received while refereeing—was ultimately rejected by District Judge Gillian Young, who noted, “I am not persuaded there is a risk of death or serious harm.”
The events leading to this moment have been as dramatic as any match Coote ever officiated. His fall from grace began in November 2024, when a leaked video showed him making derogatory comments about then-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. According to talkSPORT and the BBC, the video, recorded in 2020 but surfacing years later, captured Coote referring to Klopp in abusive and insulting terms, including a slur referencing his German nationality. The Football Association (FA) quickly charged Coote with a breach of Rule E3, citing the aggravated nature of the comments due to their reference to nationality.
But the controversies didn’t end there. Further videos emerged, including footage of Coote snorting a white powder from a rolled-up banknote during Euro 2024. These revelations led to a two-month ban from UEFA in February 2025 and, ultimately, his dismissal by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024. The governing body stated that Coote’s position had become “untenable.” In June 2025, the FA formally charged him over the Klopp video, and PGMOL chief Howard Webb told talkSPORT, “I think it’d be really difficult for David to come back, I’m afraid to say. He is somebody that we stay in contact with, somebody who was part of our refereeing family for a long time and served the game as well for a long period of time and I’ve known him personally for many years. So it’s sad what happened with David, but I would think it would be a challenging thing for him to come back.”
As the investigations mounted, police seized Coote’s work laptop on August 12, 2025, more than eight months after his sacking. The Category A video at the heart of the current charge was found on this device and, according to the Daily Mail, featured a moving image of a child aged 15. The prosecution noted that “two conversations that were of concern appeared to indicate Mr Coote had a sexual interest in children.” The starting point for sentencing, if Coote were to be convicted, is a year in custody, though the maximum penalty for such offenses can reach up to ten years.
During the proceedings, Coote sat quietly, speaking only when required. Before leaving court, he was reminded of his bail conditions. The strictness of these conditions reflects the gravity of the allegations, as well as the high-profile nature of the defendant.
For many, the allegations against Coote are particularly shocking given his prominence in English football. Over his career, he officiated 112 Premier League matches and many more in the Championship, League One, and League Two. His sudden and public downfall has prompted reflection on the pressures faced by referees, as well as the responsibilities that come with their position.
In January 2025, amid the storm of controversy, Coote gave a tearful interview to The Sun, in which he came out as gay. He spoke candidly about the shame he felt during his teenage years and the long struggle to hide his sexuality, both as a young referee and as a man. “My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that,” Coote said. “I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well—a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.”
Following his sacking, Coote was spotted working for delivery company Evri, a move he described as part of his effort to “make an honest living” and “get on with his life.” The sight of a former Premier League referee delivering packages offered a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change, especially in the unforgiving world of professional sport.
As the legal process unfolds, Coote’s case continues to attract widespread attention—not only for the serious nature of the allegations but also for what it reveals about accountability and conduct in football’s corridors of power. The football community, like the broader public, now waits for the outcome of the Crown Court proceedings scheduled for October 9, 2025.
Whatever the verdict, the story of David Coote serves as a sobering chapter in the ongoing conversation about integrity, personal struggle, and the responsibilities that come with public trust.
