David Coote, the former Premier League referee who was dismissed two months ago, has publicly come out as gay and shared the reasons behind his struggles, including his use of cocaine as an escape.
In an interview with The Sun, Coote revealed that his fear of coming out in the “macho world” of football led him to turn to drugs. He described feeling a deep sense of shame during his teenage years and said he didn’t come out to his parents until he was 21 and to his friends until he was 25.
Coote emphasized that his sexuality was not the sole reason for his issues, but acknowledged that concealing it had contributed to his struggles. “I hid my emotions as a young referee 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 behaviors,” he said.
The former referee also spoke candidly about his battle with drugs, admitting that cocaine was one of his escape routes. “It’s not something I was reliant on day by day, week by week, month by month,” he clarified. “I’ve had long periods where I’ve not used it, but it was one of the escape routes I had. Just getting away from the stresses, the relentlessness of the job. It fills me with a huge sense of shame to say that I took that route.”
Reflecting on a viral video of him using cocaine, Coote said, “I don’t recognize myself in the cocaine video. I can’t resonate with how I felt then, but that was me. I was struggling with the schedule and there was no opportunity to stop. And so I found myself in that position — escaping.”
Coote’s dismissal from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) came after videos surfaced, one of which showed him criticizing former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and another showing him using cocaine during the summer European Championship.
The PGMOL deemed his actions as a serious breach of his contract, rendering his position “untenable,” and terminated his employment in December. Despite the termination, the organization expressed its commitment to supporting Coote’s welfare.
“Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” the PGMOL stated in its announcement.
