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FA Investigates Premier League Referee David Coote Over Allegations of Pre-Match Yellow Card Discussion. The Football Association (FA) is investigating allegations that suspended Premier League referee David Coote discussed issuing a yellow card with a fan before a 2019 match, Sky News reports. Coote reportedly booked Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during a game against West Brom in October 2019 after allegedly telling a Leeds fan the day before about his intent. After the match, Coote allegedly messaged the fan saying, "I hope you backed as discussed," raising concerns about potential misconduct. Coote strongly refuted the claims, stating, "These false and defamatory allegations are untrue. My personal issues have never impacted my on-field decisions.” Coote emphasized his commitment to the game, saying he has always refereed impartially and upheld the integrity of football. Coote is already suspended by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) after a video surfaced showing him snorting a white powder. Another video previously showed Coote in a profanity-laden rant about Liverpool FC and then-manager Jürgen Klopp. PGMOL described the allegations as "very serious" and affirmed their zero-tolerance policy for breaches of integrity, adding that Coote's suspension remains in place. The FA will conduct an independent investigation to determine the facts, while PGMOL's disciplinary process runs concurrently. Both the FA and PGMOL stated they will not make additional comments until the investigation concludes.
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