David Coote has been suspended by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited after a video surfaced of him abusing Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.
John Beaton has refereed two of the last three SPFL Glasgow Derbies, appointed by Crawford Allan and Willie Collum who both know all about the man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill, his background and the two football clubs that he has supported.
In England match officials have to declare any connection to any club whether they supported them as a child, family connections or living or working close to any particular club.
In Scotland none of that is required, apparently Scotland’s part-time volunteer referees cut all that off the moment they step onto the pitch to apply the Laws of the Game regardless of whether their favourite team is playing or if their Uncle Billy in Australia has WATP plastered all over his social media content.
Indeed if you are a member of the elite Lanarkshire Refereeing Association, drawn from within 25 miles of Ibrox you are far more likely to achieve Grade 1 status than any referee from Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth or Aberdeen.
When the SFA undertook a worldwide recruitment drive to find Allan’s successor they found the ideal candidate on their doorstep, Collum from Lanarkshire.
It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?
David Coote??Im not the person to complain about referees and in the end it often evens out anyways but this is just crazy.
How dumb can you be and say something like that on camera? As a professional referee. Crazy. pic.twitter.com/HRy7ptSHmD
— Bobby_Admirer (@BobbyAdmirer) November 11, 2024
Sky Sports News reported:
A Premier League referee has been suspended after a video appeared to show him making derogatory comments about Liverpool Football Club and their former manager.
In the footage, David Coote uses an expletive to describe former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp left Liverpool in the summer after almost nine years in charge of the Merseyside club.
In the clip, Coote also appears to describe Liverpool FC as “shit”.
Refereeing body the PGMOL said: “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation. PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.”
This is some of David Coote’s horrific bias against Liverpool, JUST LAST SEASON.@FA_PGMOL… ??
pic.twitter.com/MpyXUuEbgo— ????????? (@MaccaHive) November 11, 2024
In April 2015 Celtic issued a statement demanding an explanation for Steven McLean’s decision making during the Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness Caley Thistle. The SFA ignored the request, McLean and Alan Muir are still deciding top flight fixtures.
In January 2018 Celtic requested a public explanation of Beaton’s performance in the Glasgow Derby where Alfredo Morelos went unpunished for assaults of Tony Ralston, Scott Brown and Ryan Christie. That night Beaton was celebrating with friends in the Crown Bar Bellshill.
Celtic’s request was ignored, Beaton refereed the 2020 and 2023 Scottish Cup Finals, effectively rewarded for being the best official that season.
More than three years after becoming CEO Michael Nicholson has only once commented outside of AGM requirements.
In June 2023 he declared that the club’s ambitions were to be world class in everything that they do, presumably that doesn’t involve refereeing standards and integrity.
Robbie,
Was just posting with John Aldridge a minute ago…
This guy referees games in Scotland.
Drinks in a ‘Rangers pub’ and loves Rangers and has the nickname of ‘Cannonball Beatle’.He tries very hard, but is limited and has the features of a Werepig.
What should we do? https://t.co/xRFze3ldXP pic.twitter.com/JanXHVwJY8
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) November 11, 2024
I don’t for a second think that Beaton is anything other than a paris bun but when did you ever hear of a ‘High School Yearbook’ in Scotland?
While it could be authentic it’s equally likely to be someone with a Mac, an old photo and a mischievous creativity that indicates the skill set of a back room political fixer. Coote on the other hand is finished – he’d have to prove that video is a deepfake to survive this and even then the furore would follow him forever.
It demonstrates the difference between attitudes towards bias and perceived bias in England compared to Scotland. Even if exonerated, Coote will never be near a Liverpool match again unless he pays at the gate. In Scotland Jim McCluskey was given glasgow derby cup final matches to referee after paying a fine for being found drunk and incapable in the gutter following an Orange Walk in Kilmarnock.
He was even given the 2000 Scottish Cup Final for a retirement gift, a game Rangers won 4-0 after Rod Wallace broke Jim Leighton’s jaw in the opening minutes and didn’t get booked.
The boy looks as though he’s had a noseful in that video.