Former Premier League referee David Coote has been spotted delivering parcels for courier company Evri, following his dramatic fall from grace after a series of controversial incidents led to his sacking.
Coote, 42, was dismissed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited in December after leaked videos surfaced, including one where he appeared to insult former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and another showing him allegedly snorting a white powder.
The PGMOL determined that his behaviour rendered his position “untenable,” leading to his immediate termination.
In February, UEFA followed suit, handing Coote a 16-month suspension for violating “the basic rules of decent conduct” and for actions that brought “the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.”
Since then, the former official has largely stayed out of the public eye, until a recent report by The Sun revealed footage captured by a doorbell camera showing Coote delivering a parcel in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
Opening up about his new role, Coote said, “I’m just trying to make an honest living. I want to get on with my life. I’m trying to move forwards and regain a sense of responsibility and purpose. The job is keeping me busy and occupied, it’s not a new long-term career. I’m doing what I want to do, focusing on what’s important like spending more time with friends and family.”
Residents were reportedly surprised to see Coote, a once-familiar face in English football, making deliveries. One local couple noted that he’s now regularly spotted around town.
A friend of Coote’s defended him and offered more insight into his life post-football. “David’s a great lad who lost his career through stupidity, as he fully acknowledges. There might be a return for him to the game at some point, and football definitely needs experts like him. Until then he obviously has to pay the bills.”
Coote, who officiated over 100 Premier League matches, was initially suspended by PGMOL in November after a video emerged of him calling Klopp a derogatory slur. Days later, a second video allegedly showed him snorting a white substance during Euro 2024 duties, prompting UEFA to open a fresh investigation.
In an emotional interview earlier this year, Coote spoke candidly about the personal turmoil that contributed to his downfall. “It was really difficult, I didn’t want to leave the house because I felt everybody would be judging me,” he revealed. “I felt that every way I looked people were looking at me and thinking what’s he done, why has he done that, he’s let himself down, he’s let other people down, he’s let his colleagues, his friends, his family down. I went shopping and for the first time everywhere I was looking in the supermarket I felt that everybody was watching me or was looking at me and judging me and I had a panic attack in one of the aisles and had to take some deep breaths.”
Coote also reflected on the internal struggles he faced growing up. “I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular,” he said. “I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25. My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that. I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well — a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.”
Beginning his officiating career at the age of 14, Coote quickly climbed the ranks. He was promoted to the Football League referees list in 2010 and officiated the 2014 League One play-off final. His Premier League debut came in 2018 in a match between Newcastle and West Brom, and he was FIFA-listed from 2020 to 2022.
