Coote’s Corruption: A Refereeing Scandal
Football is an interest and hobby of millions of people worldwide. Gripping people for 90 minutes, each game raises the stakes, increasing the competitivity. Yet, this sport that has so many of us hooked has a multitude of layers – what happens on the pitch is also determined by what happens off it and not just by the players. So why has the very person, who enforces the law of the game for those precious 90 minutes abused their role, thrown their job away? Here is a deep dive investigation into the scandal that has shocked the world and football and divested someone’s job.
The Premier League, arguably the most famous league in the world of football, for 20 years, providing enthralling entertainment, magical memories, alongside grief and disappointment. It’s a package of emotions, dictated by 20 teams battling it out with one goal in mind – to win the coveted title. Every team, every manager, every fan longs for those valuable 3 points. Whilst the ‘beautiful game’ is never linear, there are inevitable losses. Certain teams are better than the other and outperform to prise the points away from their reach. Over time, those losses can yield acceptance for lacking in quality through gameplay. However, there has been a recent exponential growth in the inconsistency of refereeing decisions, with many teams, managers and fans arguing they have been unfairly deprived of results and rightful decisions going their way in certain games. This is something acceptance cannot be developed for- and it’s only getting worse.
Anthony Taylor blowing the whistle to prevent Manchester City scoring to win the game, Michael Oliver failing to award a penalty for a high boot against a player. These are just two examples of controversial decisions by the very individuals who should be making the right, fair choices. Inevitably, much speculation and uproar from fans and neutrals alike have had their say on potential “club bias” these referees may have. Yet no solid evidence has been viable until now...
On Monday 13th November, a video emerged of an experienced, longstanding Premier League referee, David Coote, speaking ill of Liverpool Football Club, and their ex-manager Jürgen Klopp. The said video went viral over social media and major news outlets, including leading channel ‘Sky Sports News’. Within half an hour, the ‘PGMOL’, the board responsible for the provision of match officials in English professional football, investigated the case with hasteful importance, taking the matter incredibly seriously. With equal haste, Coote was immediately suspended from his role and barred from refereeing a Premier League game ever again. One reckless decision uprooted Coote’s whole career, proving the power of words and opinions in the footballing world.
Individuals are employed into the refereeing role due to their supposed complete lack of bias for any clubs they officiate. This has caused huge distrust amongst fans and players, with the uncertainty what opinions other referees may possess which may unlawfully influence the result of a game. The ‘beautiful game’ is slowly dwindling away, with distrust replacing fun at the hands of those who should keep it fair.