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Football: English Premier League Referee Dismissal

By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw

The misconduct case of the former English Premier League referee, David Coote, is a sad one.

Coote, who is 42 years old, was dismissed in December 2024 by the Referees’ Governing Body (PGMOL) for making derogatory remarks about Liverpool FC and its former manager, Jurgen Klopp.

It also transpires that photos, taken during the 2024 European Championship and published by the Sun newspaper, show him sniffing a white powder through a rolled-up US bank note.

Coote, who officiated during the 2023-2024 season at more than 90 games around the world, attributed his conduct to the physical and psychological demands made on match officials.

It is reported that he told the newspaper that, following therapy, he was over his drug habit.

He also stated that, over his career, he had suffered “deeply unpleasant abuse” and feared further abuse for being gay, which he had “real struggles with hiding that.”

In fact, regarding the abuse he suffered, which included death threats, he needed to have an accelerated response tag fitted to be able to contact the police in any emergency.

Coote expressed true sorrow for his actions and added:

They do not reflect who I am today or what I think.”

I remarked, at the beginning of this Post, that this is a sad case, and, without prejudging its outcome, I would add that, according to the Olympic Charter, the practice of sport is a human right and should be inclusive and not subject to any form of discrimination, including sexual orientation!

Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.



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