Test your knowledge of the Premier League’s referees and who they support after David Coote’s leaked rant over Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp put the spotlight on top-flight officials once again
Even before this week’s explosive controversy surrounding David Coote, who was suspended after his expletive-laden rant went viral on Monday, referees in the Premier League were under a fairly bright spotlight.
Coote was caught calling former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp a “German c***” and referring to the Reds as “s***” in a leaked video that has since resulted in a PGMOL investigation – and it’s fuelled yet more theories over referee bias in the Premier League.
The disgraced official took charge of Liverpool as recently as last weekend, with Arne Slot’s men continuing their fine start to the season by beating a stuttering Aston Villa 2-0. The match wasn’t short of controversy, though the biggest talking point actually went in Liverpool’s favour when Coote failed to award the visitors a penalty – a decision slammed by ex-Liverpool legend Michael Owen.
It was the latest on a long list of refereeing decisions that have caused heated debate in the terraces and beyond, with some supporters even suggesting refs show favouritism towards certain clubs. But which teams do Premier League referees ACTUALLY support?
To test your knowledge of the league’s officials, we’ve put together a quiz on which referees have allegiance to certain clubs, and which clubs they aren’t allowed to oversee. Some of the answers might surprise you.
So far 22 officials have taken charge of at least one match in the Premier League, with two – Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver – overseeing ten of the 11 gameweeks, three more than the next busiest referee.
Not every ref is handed a top division clash each week though. Thomas Bramall has overseen just a single Premier League clash this season, but has also taken charge of fixtures as low down the pyramid as Gateshead versus Solihull Moors in the National League.
Coote has officiated six top-flight matches since the start of the campaign, including West Ham’s 2-1 win over Manchester United. That match saw the under-fire ref give the hosts a last-ditch penalty after a lengthy VAR review. The Hammers converted, which ultimately led to the sacking of Erik ten Hag, but PGMOL chief Howard Webb later suggested Coote was wrong to overturn his on-field decision.
The Nottinghamshire ref has reportedly been left ‘devastated’ by Monday’s revelations, which have also seen him stood down by UEFA ahead of the Nations League fixtures this week.
