Ex-Premier League ref Coote in court over disturbing video

Former Premier League referee David Coote has been hit with a disturbing criminal charge after police said they recovered a video earlier this year.

The 43-year-old, who was sacked from officiating last December, is accused of making an indecent image of a child — a charge that covers downloading, saving, or sharing abuse material.

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed Coote was charged on August 12 and placed on conditional bail. He is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

This comes months after UEFA banned him until June 2026, following a separate video that appeared to show him snorting a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for Euro 2024.

Coote, once a regular fixture in England’s top flight, was already in hot water after a leaked clip in 2020 showed him making derogatory remarks about former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

In January, he publicly came out as gay, admitting his struggle to hide his sexuality had played a role in what he described as “bad choices.”