David Coote May Have Refereed Your Favourite Football Match — Now He Awaits Sentencing For Indecent Child Image Offence

The fall from grace of former Premier League referee David Coote took another turn this week, as his sentencing for making an indecent image of a child has been adjourned until January. The 43-year-old from Collingham, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty in October to the category A offence, the most serious kind, involving a video of a 15-year-old.

The case came before Nottingham Crown Court on 11 December 2025, but was delayed to 8 January 2026 after his barrister could not attend due to medical reasons. Judge Nirmal Shant KC said she was not prepared to proceed remotely.

A Career in the Spotlight

Coote, born in 1982 in Nottingham, began refereeing at 16 and progressed through local leagues such as the Notts Alliance and Northern Premier. He became a Football League referee in 2010 and officiated the 2014 League One play-off final between Leyton Orient and Rotherham United at Wembley.

His Premier League debut came on 28 April 2018 with Newcastle United's home loss to West Bromwich Albion. Promoted to Select Group 1 for the 2018-19 season, he refereed the 2023 EFL Cup final where Manchester United beat Newcastle United 2-0. He was FIFA-listed from 2020 to 2022.

However, controversies emerged. In November 2024, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) suspended him after a 2020 video showed him insulting Liverpool's then-manager Jurgen Klopp.

As VAR in the 2020 Merseyside derby, he focused on an offside call rather than Jordan Pickford's tackle that injured Virgil van Dijk for the season. He initially denied the video but later admitted its authenticity. The FA also probed alleged match-fixing over a 2019 yellow card in Leeds vs West Brom, which he denied.

He was dismissed from PGMOL on 9 December 2024. In January 2025, Coote publicly came out as gay, saying he had hidden his sexuality due to fear of abuse. The following month, UEFA banned him after footage surfaced of him snorting white powder at Euro 2024.

Details of the Offence

The charge dates back to 2 January 2020, when Coote extracted the category A video from a hard drive to a PGMOL laptop. Police found the file in February 2025 during a search prompted by the FA's investigation into his conduct. The probe also revealed conversations indicating sexual interest in children.

The offence of 'making' indecent images includes saving or downloading abusive material. Devices were seized during his arrest at home. Charged on 12 August 2025, he initially pleaded not guilty on 10 September at magistrates' court but changed to guilty on 14 October at crown court.

As Sky Sports News posted on X, 'Former Premier League referee David Coote pleads guilty to making indecent images of a child.'

David Coote Sentencing Delayed

At the October hearing, Judge Shant warned: 'You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. Whether this means custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court.' She added: 'You must not go away with the impression that this will not lead to a custodial sentence.'

The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment. A pre-sentence report is ordered. The 11 December adjournment was brief, with Coote absent from court. Coote is on conditional bail, subject to Sex Offenders' Register requirements. He cannot have unsupervised contact with under-18s or live with minors, and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

As of 12 December 2025, the football community awaits the outcome, with Coote potentially facing prison for the offence.