David Coote says that he “ashamed” for the incidents that led him to be fired by the professional game match officials Limited (PGMOL) and has thought about the “dark” days he experienced when stories arose about him, in An interview with Sky Sports.
Coote was dismissed from the PGMOL in December after “in serious violation of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position that was considered untenable”.
It followed an investigation into a video that showed that Coote comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. The video was widely distributed on social media in November.
The PGMOL research also consisted of a second video that arose in November and seemed to show that Coote is said to sniff a white powder, supposedly during Euro 2024, where he was one of the assistant vars for the tournament. The administrative body of European Football UEFA has also appointed an ethical investigator to investigate the case.
Coote refuted a statement that he discussed by giving a yellow card for the Leeds match against West Brom in October 2019. The FA is investigating the claim.
Asked by Sky Sports News' Mark Mcadam what it was like to be central in tabloid stories, Coot said other stories that came to light, it was real, very difficult.
“At that time and in those first days they were really dark because I was ashamed and ashamed of what I did in the course of time and yes, it was really, very difficult. The situation in which I was myself meant that I really had to rely on the support of people to get me through.
“Otherwise I really don't know I would be here.”
During the interview with Sky Sports News, Coote reflects on his contemptuous comments about Klopp, whether his drug use has influenced his officer and how he tries to rebuild his life …
David, thank you very much for taking the time to talk. You have just given your most open, honest and revealing interview that you would probably have done in your life. So first of all, how are you?
I'm fine. Yes, I am pretty sure that I am fine. It has been a very challenging few weeks and that clearly led me to do the interview that was released and what that gave me the opportunity to give some context and allow my story and allow me More than a person to be seen than a referee and that has been really important.
Why now? Why was it the right time to open at so many levels about what is happening?
A few reasons. Firstly, I found from a personal perspective that it was really important to rectify the record, to say how much I regret my actions. I wanted to become the owner of what I did and I wanted to get the chance to apologize to those I insulted and say that I am sorry about many things I have done.
And then from a second point of view, I want to try to make a difference. I have a fairly unique opportunity to speak on behalf of the referees who do not have the same opportunities that I now have in the field of showing the difficulties of the work. I have the chance to talk about how difficult it was for me personally from a self -respect perspective, by understanding myself and understanding my sexuality and what that means for me and what it meant for me and the impact that has on me.
How is it that you are in the center of a huge tabloid story?
More difficult than I can probably express. In the first cases it was a real shock and when the things came in terms of other stories that came to light, it was really, very difficult.
At that time and in those first days they were really dark because I was ashamed and ashamed of what I did in the course of time and yes, it was really, very difficult. The situation in which I found meant that I really had to rely on the support of people to get me through.
Otherwise I really don't know that I would be here.
You talk about not being here. What do you mean by that?
In that first week I had suicidal thoughts and I didn't come to act close to that, but at that moment it was really difficult and many people spoke to me and I regularly, daily, because I had daily contact they worryed About my well -being for which I was grateful to them.
Many things I really regret or she say and they all came to light in the space of a week or so, while many of them were in the course of four or five years ago and in my head, I would go to them put bed and I would put them aside and forget that they even existed. To notice that I was confronted with what they have just re -ruled, a number of really difficult times and some really heavy thoughts.
On November 11 the video was released with you and a friend in the public domain. I know you spoke a lot about that video. One thing that was mentioned was the nationality of Jurgen Klopp and that is one of the criticism of the video. That has not been tackled yet. Why was it not tackled?
I'm not sure if I'm honest. I am more than happy to tackle it and what I said and I claim that I said things that I did not mean and that is the adjective of the use of the country where Jurgen originated. It wasn't something I meant and not something I feel. My grandmother on the side of my mother is German and I really regret it, I regret everything I said, but I especially regret using those words.
You have to look back now and think how did that happen? How did I allowed myself to be admitted that way?
Of course I finally paid a real price for that. From the start I took responsibility for that and I immediately understood the seriousness when I became aware of the publication of the video and to that extent I immediately understood my fate, with the PGMOL as good.
I want to become the owner of my promotions. I think that's important. I want to apologize to those who are offended by what I said and are offended, but I now want to try to live my life in the values that really I am and to my best ability to move forward and I want to try to continue What has been a very difficult time and hope I can do that.
A number of videos appeared, one of those where you used fabrics after a European game. For those people who say that your drug use has influenced your assets to make clear and concise decisions during competitions, big competitions, what would your response be?
I can understand why they think so. However, I want to make it clear that this was really personal for me. It was around my answers to dealing with pressure and it was without an implication for my work after the game.
Of course I did not approve it for one instance. I am sorry I have taken those actions. I made really bad choices then. There were times when I escaped to a place where I really don't want to go back.
Can you understand how harmful that could have been to the PGMOL and how much that could possibly damage the game?
To be effectively publicly humiliated by those videos that seem, so the result of my personal reputation, for people who were close to me who did not know that that is what I did, has been really serious and I understand the damage the reputation had Being able to do on an ugly scale of course too, but none of my colleagues was aware.
I don't have the hiding place and that is a part of the reason why it was important to determine and come out and say my sexuality, to say that I am gay because I now live my life as I, like authentic Version of me who did not have the hidden side that I had to suppress and it is really felt like a huge weight of my shoulders, a huge relief and I personally feel in a much stronger place on the back of the first few weeks.
I have been using therapy for many years and that has had a number of successes, but it is in real squeeze and where things have come to a head or there is no opportunity to use coping mechanisms in a healthy way that led me to behavior that If I look now, I am really completely ashamed and that I am clearly regretted, but I don't recognize it as me.
You are the center of this great storm in the world of football, people talk about you, your head news, how was that for you at home, being trapped, perhaps worrying about even leaving the house? Can you give us insight into perhaps those moments 'I have to take that step, I have to continue my life?'
It was really difficult, I didn't want to leave the house because I felt that everyone would judge me. I felt that every way I watched, people looked at me and thought what he did, why did he do that, he abandoned himself, he has abandoned other people, he has his colleagues, his friends, let his family down.
I went shopping and for the first time everywhere I looked in the supermarket, I felt that everyone was looking at me or looked at me and rated me and I had a panic attack in one of the aisles and had to breathe deeply. I came to the cash register and the woman at the cash register then said something very nice to me and I hope you're doing well, you seem to have experienced a difficult time and I just did well, I broke in tears and I broke Thought I have to keep coming now, because if I just stay in my house, this will only get worse.
So I decided that I had to go to the gym. At the time I was going to train and do a half marathon, I would change that half marathon into a marathon when I registered for the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, but there was a reason for what was with my uncle was diagnosed with Motor Neuron disease and that was in the summer of 2023 the moment my mother died.
With what you have experienced, so often I bet you wish you could have reached your mother and just spoke to her and she could have just given you the support that no one else could have done by some of most of them difficult times to live.
Yes, I have been to visit where her axis is spread and yes of course I do that. My family has been great, but I miss my mother terribly and you know someone who has lost someone near them, I think I will understand that.
But I feel that I have abandoned people and I wish she had been here to support me, but I am also happy that she has not seen what I have experienced because I am quite ashamed of that.
Timeline: which led to the dismissal of Coote by PGMOL …
Saturday, November 9, 2024: Coote Referees Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa.
Monday, November 11: A non -reverified video of Coote that makes denigrating comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp is circulating on social media.
Monday, November 11: PGMOL suspends Coote and starts an investigation.
Tuesday, November 12: FA starts its own research into Coote Video.
Tuesday, November 12: Chief refereeing officer Howard Webb says on Sky Sports' competition officials who take PGMOL the incident “very seriously”.
Wednesday, November 27: FA Research into accusations Coote discussed giving a yellow card for a competition as reported by the Sun. Coote refutes accusations.
Monday, December 9: Coote dismissed by PGMOL.
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