Suspended Premier League referee David Coote has refuted allegations that he discussed booking a Leeds United player with a fan the day before the match took place in 2019, as reported by several media outlets.
Coote, currently suspended for an unrelated issue, is under investigation by the English Football Association (FA) for a potential breach of its betting regulations.
The initial report from The Sun on Tuesday, November 26, alleges that Coote informed a Leeds United fan that he would issue then-Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski a yellow card in a forthcoming match, allowing the fan to place a bet on the event.
During the subsequent match between Leeds and West Brom, Alioski was shown a yellow card in the 18th minute—the sole booking for a Leeds player during the game.
Further accusations indicate that the next day, Coote contacted the fan with the message: “I hope you backed as discussed.”
The report continues, revealing the fan responded to Coote that he did not place any bets, but his friend “backed it though,” prompting the referee to reply that he would have to “share it with you then.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday night, Coote denied any wrongdoing and asserted he officiated all matches “impartially.”
Coote stated through Sky News and The Athletic: “I strongly refute these false and defamatory allegations.
“Whatever issues I may have had in my personal life, they have never affected my decision-making on the field.
“I have always held the integrity of the game in the highest regard, refereeing matches impartially and to the best of my ability.”
The The Sun article noted that Coote did not gain financially from the alleged booking incident.
Speaking to EGR, an FA representative stated: “These are very serious allegations and we are investigating as a matter of urgency.”
Beyond the FA’s investigation, Coote is also being examined by the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL).
In a statement to Sky News, a PGMOL spokesperson affirmed it would take action against Coote if found guilty of violating its Integrity Code of Conduct.
“The facts need to be established in light of these very serious allegations,” the spokesperson said.
“We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our Integrity Code of Conduct, which is signed by all match officials annually.
“PGMOL Board is committed to taking the appropriate action should any breach of that code be proven.
“David Coote remains suspended and subject to an ongoing disciplinary process by PGMOL, separate from the FA’s independent investigation into this matter.”
Coote is currently suspended and under a disciplinary process by PGMOL for alleged offenses unrelated to betting activities.
The post Report: Suspended Premier League referee denies breaching FA’s betting rules first appeared on EGR Intel.
