Former Premier League referee David Coote has admitted to making an indecent image of a child after appearing before Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old from Collingham, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to an offence involving a category A video — the most serious classification for such materials — discovered by police earlier this year.
Dressed in a navy suit and black tie, Coote spoke briefly during the short hearing to confirm his name and enter his plea.
Presiding Judge Nirmal Shant KC described the offence as grave and cautioned that Coote could face imprisonment.
“You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter,” the judge said. “Whether this leads to custody will depend on the details before the court. Do not assume this won’t result in a custodial sentence.”
Coote was released on conditional bail, with sentencing scheduled for December 11. A pre-sentence report has been ordered ahead of that date.
The charge of making an indecent image of a child typically covers the act of downloading, storing, or sharing such material. Coote had previously entered a not guilty plea in September but changed his stance during Tuesday’s hearing.
Once regarded as a respected referee in English football, Coote’s career has faced several controversies. He was dismissed last year after a video emerged of him making inappropriate comments about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp in 2020. The Football Association later suspended him for eight weeks over the incident.
In January, Coote publicly came out as gay, revealing in an interview with The Sun that years of internal conflict over his sexuality had taken an emotional toll and contributed to some of his past behaviour.
His recent guilty plea marks another major setback for the former top-flight referee, whose career once placed him among the elite of English football but has since unraveled amid scandal and personal turmoil.
