Premier League referee makes headlines with conspiracy-fuelling video

Premier League and International referee David Coote made headlines this month after appearing in a bizarre video posted to X. The video, reportedly filmed in 2020, saw Coote refer to then-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp using a strong expletive, as well as make further derogatory remarks about the club as a whole.

In just a matter of hours, the clip had thoroughly circulated the internet, with football fans’ reactions ranging from amusement to concern. Liverpool fans spearheaded the outrage, and drew attention to a handful of controversial refereeing decisions Coote has previously given against them.

“We became aware of a video which was being circulated on social media that we are taking very seriously,” PGMOL chief Howard Webb told Sky Sports. The PGMOL is treating the video as genuine, though originally had concerns about possible AI ‘deep faking’. The FA also revealed they were investigating the allegations.

Fans were quick to question if Coote had been refereeing matches with a grudge or personal bias

The debacle comes during a time of fans’ growing disillusionment with the refereeing standards and lack of patience demonstrated by PGMOL. Webb has been consistently putting out fires in the press, and running the “Match Officials Mic’d Up” show with Michael Owen to explains referees’ decisions. Recently, the organisation rolled out a new ‘Premier League Match Centre’ social media account to provide “information directly from Match Centre, the VAR Hub, and PGMOL experts”, which has been subjected to popular parody.

BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty expressed concern that “the current climate of tribal fandom” means that the Coote incident will “provide fuel for conspiracy theorists who believe that any decision made against their club is provoked by a grudge.”

With the video in question seemingly providing strong evidence to Coote’s personal dislike of Liverpool and Klopp, fans were quick to question if he had been refereeing their matches with a grudge or personal bias.

McNulty says this notion is “misguided”. “Referees will inevitably have clashes with teams and individuals given the high-stakes nature of professional football, but there must be a belief that any lingering antipathy is put aside the moment they take change of their next game.”

Former PGMOL chief and ex-referee Keith Hackett has called for mandatory drug testing of Premier League referees

Independent’s chief football writer Miguel Delaney says: “It should be implicitly acknowledged that referees naturally have human biases, and are inevitably going to have personal opinions about people who angrily shout at them or abuse them. That is literally the game.”

A second video released by The Sun two days later allegedly shows Coote inhaling a “white powder” during the 2024 EUROs. He is also accused of making further incendiary remarks, this time against Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, Goodison Park, and Bournemouth.

Former PGMOL chief and ex-referee Keith Hackett has called for mandatory drug testing of Premier League referees, but football authorities, including FIFA, UEFA, and the Premier League, have all rejected appeals for such measures to be put in place.

There has been no further update on the investigations into Coote’s behaviour and he remains suspended.