Premier League referee David Coote is currently suspended after videos emerged of him allegedly snorting a white powder and insulting Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool
Former Premier League referee Peter Walton has described David Coote as “captain sensible”, admitting the recent scandals involving the official have come as a “huge surprise”.
Coote has been suspended by the PGMOL after a video emerged on social media which allegedly shows him calling Jurgen Klopp a “German c***” and describing Liverpool as “s***”. A further clip has since emerged which allegedly shows Coote snorting white powder.
The second video is said to have been filmed while he was officiating at Euro 2024. In response to the clip, a PGMOL spokesperson told Mirror Football : “We aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously. David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation
“David’s welfare continues to be of utmost importance to us and we are committed to providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs through this period. We are not in a position to comment further at this stage.”
And Coote’s former colleague Walton believes it is majorly out of character for the 42-year-old, suggesting he is “trying to be someone he is not”. In a column for the Times published before the emergence of the second video, Walton wrote: “The video itself, came as a huge surprise to me.
“There are some Premier League referees I consider more loose-lipped, and more laddish in their behaviour away from the public spotlight. David is not one of them. I would have described him as captain sensible, maybe a bit highly strung at times, and not one of the lads.
“Unlike some referees, you rarely see him laughing and joking with players during matches — he is generally very straight-laced. I look at the video and wonder if part of the problem is that he is trying to be someone he is not.
“He is 42 now, so under normal circumstances potentially has another ten years of Premier League refereeing ahead of him. I worked with him towards the end of my career, when he was on his way up and would be my fourth official.
“He rose up through the divisions in the conventional way, and I would say he has plateaued in terms of ability. He is not at the very highest level where he would expect to go to European and global competitions but given the standard in this country, he is a reasonable choice for mid-level Premier League matches, if not the biggest games.
“I wouldn’t call him a safe pair of hands because there are only two or three present referees who are that, but normally you know what to expect from David.”
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