Breaking news: Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty to producing a Category A indecent video of a child, the most severe classification involving explicit sexual abuse . The 43-year-old appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on October 14 and admitted the offense, which came to light during a 2024 FA investigation into his derogatory remarks about Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp .
Coote, who was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in 2024 over the Klopp incident, now faces up to 10 years in prison and mandatory registration as a sex offender . The court ordered a pre-sentence report and confirmed his bail conditions—barring unsupervised contact with minors and residing near children under 18—remain in place until sentencing on December 11 . Prosecutors will also seek a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his future conduct .
