Ex-Premier League referee David Coote charged with making indecent video of child

David Coote has been charged with making an indecent video of a child of category A, the most serious category

A former Premier League football referee from Nottinghamshire has been charged with making an indecent video of a child. David Coote, aged 43 and from the Newark area in England, is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court today – Thursday, September 11 – for an initial hearing regarding the charge.

The defendant has been accused that on January 2, 2020, he created one indecent video of a child of category A. This represents the most severe category and typically involves young children being raped or sexually abused by adults.

Following contact from Nottinghamshire Live this morning, September 10, Nottinghamshire Police released a statement, reports Nottinghamshire Live.

It reads: “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.”

In June of this year, Coote faced charges from the Football Association regarding comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

He was dismissed last December by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) following the circulation of a video on social media the previous month showing him making disparaging remarks about Klopp in July 2020. One of those comments referenced Klopp’s nationality, and the FA stated that this constituted an alleged ‘aggravated breach’ under its rules.

The FA confirmed that Coote would face no further action regarding separate allegations of gambling misconduct, which he had vehemently denied. The FA stated that these allegations had been thoroughly investigated.

In confirming Coote’s dismissal last December, PGMOL stated that his position had become “untenable” after a video filled with expletives surfaced in which he made derogatory remarks about Klopp and working at Anfield.

He was banned by UEFA, European football’s governing body, until 30 June 2026 after a different video emerged showing him snorting a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for last summer’s Euros. In January, Coote publicly came out as gay in an interview with The Sun and said that a lifelong struggle to conceal his sexuality had contributed to his rant about Klopp, and to his drug use.

“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 with hiding that,” he 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.”