Former Premier League referee David Coote has condemned the horrific abuse which is regularly directed at top-flight officials and revealed he has been sent death threats in the past
David Coote has opened up on the shocking abuse referees face (Image: PA)
David Coote has opened up on the horrendous abuse which is levelled at referees, including death threats and people wishing harm on his own mother.
Coote, 41, was sacked by the PGMOL last year after it was decided he had ‘seriously breached’ his contract by calling Liverpool “s***” and branding manager Jurgen Klopp a “German c***” in a leaked video.
His first interview following his dismissal comes at a time where Michael Oliver has been targeted with abuse by online trolls following a red card decision at the weekend.
And Coote has condemned the vitriol that referees get on a weekly basis as unacceptable. He told The Sun: “I’ve received death threats during my career. I’ve needed an accelerated response tag on my home address for me to speak to the police in an emergency.
“I’ve also had messages from irate supporters hoping that I had an accident on the way home from a game. They didn’t just want me to die but to be paralysed, so I’d suffer every day for the rest of my life. Other messages included hoping that my mum dies of AIDS overnight.
“People target referees without accountability on social media, and at matches. I can’t see how that is acceptable. There is standard abuse on a regular basis, but some crosses any line of acceptability.”
Coote went on to detail how some people would deliberately hold back after games to berate him over decisions before sharing more insight into the vile trolling referees are forced to tolerate.
He added: “We have an earpiece in, and are on comms. We’re constantly talking to each other and listening to players on the field, so actually the noise in the stadium doesn’t impact us very much.
Coote has opened up on some of the vile messages that have been sent his way ( Image:
Getty Images) “But what is more impactful is the things you hear and see that are individual — the targeted abuse. There are fans who decide to hang around for an hour or two after a game to individually abuse us, hanging over the barriers as we leave the stadium. And there are those who take to social media.
“Some refs might not be on social media, but it still has an impact on friends and family. Some of the things said are abhorrent. That has more impact on us as individuals, and as people.”
Coote continued: “Every official that takes the pitch up and down the country from a local playing field to the Premier League is a human being, not just a referee. They have feelings.
“They may not show them, but it will impact them when they’re receiving abuse.
“I’ve struggled and I’ve tried to get through it in my own way and made poor decisions in doing so. I hope that others make better decisions and that referees are given an easier ride in the levels of scrutiny, and levels of abuse that come in their direction.
“I hope this shines a light on the impact it can have on a person.”
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