Former England footballer Lianne Sanderson has criticised David Coote’s decision to come out as gay alongside his apology for misconduct that led to his dismissal as a Premier League referee.
Sanderson, who is gay herself, posted on X that the timing of Coote’s revelation “really bothers me because it has 0 to do with his actions and why he got sacked.”
She added that such actions make it “harder for people in our community to be accepted and taken seriously.”
Former Premier League referee David Coote has revealed he is gay in his first interview since being dismissed following a high-profile scandal.
David Coote: Former Premier League referee has come out as gay
PA
Coote was sacked after leaked videos emerged, including one showing him insulting former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and another in which he was seen snorting cocaine.
The 42-year-old claimed struggles with his sexuality led to making the “really poor choices” that resulted in his dismissal in an interview with The Sun.
In the interview, Coote opened up about his struggles with self-esteem and sexuality.
David Coote opening up about his sexuality and The timing really bothers me because it has 0 to do with his actions and why he got sacked. We all make mistakes no doubt but this is just out right wrong and these types of things make it harder for people in our community to be…
— Lianne Sanderson (@liannesanderson) January 28, 2025
“I’m gay and I’ve struggled with feeling proud of being ‘me’ over a long period of time,” he said.
Coote revealed he feared coming out due to anticipated abuse, stating: “I have received deeply unpleasant abuse during my career as a ref and to add my sexuality to that would have been really difficult.”
The 42-year-old detailed his journey of coming to terms with his identity, revealing he didn’t come out to his parents until age 21 and his friends at 25.
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“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,” he continued.
He acknowledged that his sexuality wasn’t the sole factor in his troubles, but said hiding it contributed to “a whole course of behaviours.”
The pressures of top-flight refereeing led Coote to turn to drugs as an escape, though he insisted it wasn’t a regular habit.
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Coote was suspended by PGMOL on November 11 after footage emerged showing him allegedly snorting cocaine while officiating at Euro 2024.
The incident prompted a new investigation from UEFA, with Coote later confirming the substance in the video was cocaine.
Coote expressed deep remorse about the video, saying he was in an “incredibly dark place” at the time.
David Coote: Former Premier League referee was sacked after being caught on camera insulting Jurgen Klopp
PA
“I don’t recognise myself in the cocaine video,” he said. “I can’t resonate with how I felt then, but that was me.”
He added: “I was struggling with the schedule and there was no opportunity to stop. And so I found myself in that position, escaping.”