Coote refutes allegations he discussed giving yellow card before Leeds-West Brom

David Coote has refuted allegations that he had discussed giving a yellow card before a match.

The Sun newspaper claims Coote booked then-Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski for a match against West Brom in October 2019, then messaged a friend saying: “I hope you supported as discussed.”

Responding to the allegations, Coote said: “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations. Whatever problems I've had in my personal life have never affected my decision-making on the field.

“I have always held the integrity of the game in high regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”

A PGMOL spokesperson told Sky Sports News: “The facts must be established in the light of these very serious allegations.

“We take a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our integrity code of conduct, which is signed annually by all match officials. The PGMOL Board is committed to taking appropriate action if a violation of that code is proven.

“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate from the investigation into this matter, which will be conducted independently by the FA.

“We will make no further comment at this stage.”

An FA spokesperson told Sky Sports News: “These are very serious allegations and we are investigating them as a matter of urgency.”

Leeds are aware of the latest allegations but would not comment at this time.