New Delhi: Ex-Premier League referee David Coote has admitted to making an indecent image of a child, a serious charge that brings another shocking turn in the career of the 43-year-old official once trusted to oversee England’s top-flight matches.
Coote entered a guilty plea at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday after initially denying the charge. The case relates to a “category A” video that most severe classification under UK law that was rediscovered by police in February. Prosecutors said the offence involved acts such as downloading, sharing or saving indecent material.
The former referee was granted conditional bail by Judge Nirmal Shant, who told him he must return to court on December 11 for sentencing. The judge also ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared before deciding whether Coote will face prison time. “You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter,” she said in court. “Whether this means custody or not will be decided once all the information is before the court.”
Former Premier League referee David Coote pleads guilty to making indecent images of a child. pic.twitter.com/8rplzMOt3z
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 14, 2025
Fired after remarks about Klopp
Coote’s fall from grace began last year when a video surfaced in which he used an expletive directed at Liverpool and a derogatory term for then-manager Jurgen Klopp. The clip quickly went viral, leading to widespread criticism and questions about his impartiality as a match official. Soon after, he was dismissed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
At the time, PGMOL described Coote’s comments as “incompatible with the standards expected of its officials. His departure closed the chapter on a career that had included several high-profile Premier League and domestic cup fixtures.
Police investigation and charge
Nottinghamshire Police said the charge against Coote was filed on August 12 after investigators recovered the explicit video file earlier in the year. The force clarified that the legal definition of “making an indecent image” covers a range of actions, including saving or viewing such material, not necessarily producing it.
While details of how the file was discovered remain undisclosed, police confirmed that the case involves one video in the most serious category under the UK’s child protection laws.
A trouble year for Coote
Earlier this year, Coote made headlines for another reason, publicly coming out as gay in an interview with The Sun. He said years of hiding his sexuality had weighed heavily on him and contributed to emotional struggles that culminated in the rant about Klopp.
Coote told the newspaper that he hoped sharing his story might encourage others in football to be open about who they are, but today’s guilty plea has placed him in a very different spotlight, one that has nothing to do with courage or self-acceptance and everything to do with accountability.
The former referee is now awaiting sentencing in December as the court considers what penalty fits a man who once stood at the centre of football’s biggest stages and now faces one of its darkest scandals.