Ex-referee David Coote charged

Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged with making an indecent video of a child.

The 43-year-old ex-top flight official will appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday for a first hearing in relation to the charge, as reported by Nottinghamshire Live.

Coote has been charged that he made one indecent video of a child in Category A on January 2, 2020. Category A is the most serious category and typically shows young children being raped or sexually abused by adults.

Nottinghamshire Police said in a statement: "A suspect is due to appear in court after being charged with making an indecent image of a child.

"David Coote, aged 43, has been charged with the offence after an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. The charge relates to a video file recovered by officers in February of this year. Coote, of Collingham, was charged on 12 August and is currently on conditional police bail. He is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court tomorrow 11 September."

Coote was sacked by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) in December last year after a video circulated on social media showing him making derogatory comments about the former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, with the PGMOL saying his position was untenable.

In June this year he was charged by the Football Association over those comments, which referenced Klopp's German nationality and constituted an 'aggravated breach' of the rules according to the FA.

In February Coote was also banned by UEFA until June 30, 2026 after a video emerged of him appearing to snort a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for last summer's European Championships.

If proven true, I hope they throw the book at him for the disgraceful offence.

If found guilty, he will surely get a hefty punishment.