Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded not guilty to a charge of making an indecent image of a child. The 43-year-old appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he confirmed his name, date of birth, and entered his plea during an 18-minute hearing. The charge relates to allegations involving a video recovered by Nottinghamshire Police officers in February.
Coote, of Woodhill Road in Collingham, Nottinghamshire, was granted conditional bail by District Judge Gillian Young and ordered to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on October 9 for the next stage of proceedings. Police confirmed he was formally charged on August 12. The offence, legally defined as making an indecent image of a child, can include downloading, saving, or sharing such material.
The former referee’s career has already been marked by controversy. He was dismissed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December after a video resurfaced of derogatory comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in 2020. In August, the Football Association also handed him an eight-week suspension over the same incident. Earlier this year, Coote revealed publicly that he is gay, saying that his struggles with hiding his sexuality had contributed to the remarks he made about Klopp.
